The last two defendants accused of murder in a Gwinnett County case, revolving around the “Soldiers of Christ” group, have pleaded not guilty.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the case centers around the Lee family of Lawrenceville, including three brothers and their mother, 54-year-old Mihee Lee.

The defendants are accused of holding a 33-year-old South Korean woman, Seehee Cho, against her will in their basement, “where she died as a result of beatings and starvation,” The AJC’s Henri Hollis writes.

Hollis adds that Mihee Lee and her 15-year-old son Junyeong Lee, who is being tried as an adult, were arraigned in person.

“Five others, including the group’s founder, previously waived their hearings and entered pleas of not guilty, Gwinnett court records show,” Hollis reports. “All seven defendants are charged as conspirators under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act in connection with the death of Cho.”

The five defendants who reportedly waived their appearances are Joonho Lee, 26; Joonhyun Lee, 22; Hyunji Lee, 25; Gawon Lee, 26; and Eric Hyun, 26.

During a news conference in October, authorities confirmed that the victim, Seehee Cho, was from South Korea. Officials said Cho was lured to Atlanta last summer under the guise of joining a religious organization.

Police said that after she arrived, she was beaten and starved for months until she died.

“They called themselves ‘Soldiers of Christ’,” police explained. “Apparently, the victim was subjected to beatings and malnourishment, which is subsequently what the medical examiner’s office believes led to her death.”

Cho, who is believed to have been in her 20s or 30s, was approximately 70 pounds when her body was found in the trunk of a Jaguar in front of a popular Korean spa in Gwinnett County last September.

Police said they believe one of the defendants, Eric Hyun, drove the Jaguar to the parking lot of the sauna, then called a family member and asked to be picked up and taken to a hospital to be treated for an unrelated injury.

He then sent the family member back to the vehicle to retrieve something, and that person discovered the body and called 911.

Police said that after the body was found, the investigation led them to a home on Stable Gate in Lawrenceville, where they determined that the crimes happened in the home’s basement.

Attorneys for Hyun have since released a statement claiming that Hyun is a victim of the Lee family and their religious extremism.

Attorney David Boyle said Hyun escaped the home on Sept. 12 with Cho’s remains.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution contributed to this story

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