Cults

After predicting a nuclear war, Hawkins offered salvation to his increasingly isolated followers. But cracks began to appear in his kingdom. By 2008, officials charged him for bigamy and child labor violations. A year later, three former members gave T.V. interviews to reveal just how bad things really were.

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In the 1980s, a prophecy about two brothers and an ad in The National Enquirer drew hundreds of people into the House of Yahweh — a church in Abilene, Texas helmed by a deeply unsavory and swindling man named Bill Hawkins.

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Nearly two decades after the Waco Siege, people are still wondering what transpired at the Branch Davidian compound. Though the government officially investigated and exonerated the FBI, some have found evidence of a massive cover-up. Did the government actually fire the first shot that led to 81 deaths?

If you enjoy this crossover episode, follow Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify Original from Parcast.

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On February 28th, 1993, ATF agents raided a compound in Waco, Texas, belonging to a religious group known as the Branch Davidians. A 51-day standoff ensued, ending in a violent siege. Eighty-one people lost their lives, many of them children — but to this day, no one knows which side fired first. 

If you enjoy this crossover episode, follow Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify Original from Parcast.

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By the 1990s, Rama Behera was living lavishly in his compound in Shawano, Wisconsin, while his followers traveled from far and wide to hear his divine message. To expand his reach, he began buying property in town. Little did locals know, it was the opening shot in a conflict that would escalate for decades before reaching a dramatic breaking point.

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After Rama Behera came to the U.S. from India to attend college in the 1970s, his life changed forever when he claimed Jesus Christ contacted him. He dropped out to become a missionary, and settled on a compound in Wisconsin. Behera’s connection to the divine cemented — and so did his grip on the growing number of followers who came to him for guidance. 

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Alistah Laishkochav was a New Zealand man who thought he was a messiah. To the world, the former police officer maintained a big happy family with his nine wives. But beneath the surface, his family lived in a house filled with fear and abuse.

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Judy Z built a business empire by channeling Ramtha and his Atlantean wisdom. She converted her home into a headquarters and held gatherings for thousands of followers from all over the world. By the 2000s, she began using her influence and cash flow to step into politics — gaining favor until 2016, when she started catering to QAnon believers. 

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Judy Z spent her early life in poverty before making a living as a cable salesperson in the early 1980s. Then everything changed. While standing in her Washington home, Judy saw a giant being appear before her eyes. He came from Atlantis… and promised divine wisdom.

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In the mid-2000s, Toni Ellsberry claimed to hear the voice of God, and ruled over her followers in a small Baltimore apartment. But when a toddler there died of starvation, One Mind Ministries began to crumble from within. 

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