Los Angeles News

MURRIETA, Calif. A Muslim man accused of starving, beating and keeping some of his "wives" and children imprisoned at his Aguanga home testified on Monday that it is against Islamic law to mistreat women and children, but youngsters are expected to "humble themselves" and fast for their
religion.

Mansa Musa Muhummed, 55, faces eight counts of torture -- each of which carries a potential life sentence -- plus 11 counts of willful injury to a child, five counts of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse and two counts of false imprisonment.

When he was arrested on April 7, 1999, Muhummed lived in the main portion of a house with his then-legal wife, Marva Boddie, while two other "wives" -- Adrienne Easter and Laura Cowan -- lived with their children in garages on the Aguanga property, locked behind doors that were nailed shut and padlocked.

Muhummed, whose original name was Richard Boddie, testified that he converted from the Baptist religion to Islam around 1987 and strictly kept to Islamic law, even learning to say his daily prayers in Arabic.

Muhummed said he raised his children in Islam and kept an Islamic household, even though his legal wife remained Baptist for a while after his own conversion.

According to Muhummed, it is against Islam to disrespect or do violence to women and children.

"In Islam, the women and children, especially the females, they're very much respected," he said.

However, the defendant said, the children must obey the rule of the patriarch.

"The Quran tells you ... make sure that they humble themselves," he said.

The defendant said he asked his oldest children to fast with him on holy days, such as Ramadan, when the faithful cannot eat or drink anything between dawn and dusk. The family also fasted on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he said.

Except for those special times, the children did not miss meals, he said. "We just ate different types of food."

The defendant insisted that the younger children were not allowed to fast because it was dangerous for them to go without food and drink for so long.

The youngest child who fasted was about 10 years old, Muhummed said.

"We didn't make her do it," he said, adding, "She comes on board. I didn't let her go all day."

Children older than 12 years old would be expected to do so, but he said he never forced them.

But according to earlier testimony, access to refrigerators in the home was restricted, and children were beaten for taking food.

Muhummed had 13 children with his first wife, two children and a stepchild with Cowan and three with Easter, for a total of 19.

Boddie, who now goes by her new married name of Barfield, pleaded guilty to willful injury to a child and is to be sentenced to one year in jail and probation as part of her plea agreement.

Witnesses for the prosecution, which included detectives, the children and the three mothers, two of whom -- Barfield and Easter -- still wear religious veils over their faces, testified that Muhummed starved seven of his children, stunting their growth.

Most were severely underweight, including an 18-year-old who weighed 56 pounds and was barely 4 feet tall, according to testimony.

Law enforcement officers have testified that when they entered the home after Cowan got out a message pleading for help, they found starving and
bruised children, cowed women and garage apartments locked and boarded up.

They also found biological waste in bags. Barfield testified that Muhummed would not let the women sit on the toilet, which he called a "throne."

Muhummed's testimony will resume this afternoon at the Murrieta Courthouse.

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