Marshall Applewhite believed — and made others believe — that Earth was about to be wiped clean, and that the only escape was to shed the human body and board a spacecraft trailing the Hale-Bopp comet. In March 1997, 39 members of Heaven's Gate were found dead in a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California, dressed in matching black and wearing new Nike sneakers. They had packed bags for the journey. Applewhite had been refining this theology for decades, and the people who followed him were not fringe figures — they were educated, thoughtful, and completely certain. We look at the belief system, the man who built it, and the community that died by it.

Head over to our Crimes Of… YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@crimehousestudios

If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Crimes Of… to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Crimes Of… is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios

🎧 Need More to Binge? 

Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Serial Killers & Murderous Minds, Crime House 24/7, Murder True Crime Stories, and more wherever you get your podcasts!

Follow us on Social

YouTube: @crimehousestudios

Instagram: @Crimehouse

TikTok: @Crimehouse

Facebook: @crimehousestudios

X: @crimehousemedia

Crimes Of… is hosted by Sabrina Deana-Roga and Corinne Vien

Instagram: @sabbertoothtiger | @corinnevien 

Episode Sponsors:

Go to https://www.LangeHair.com and use code CRIMES to get 20% off your first order.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices