The 1970s saw a surge in the prominence of religious cults with groups like the Manson Family, Peoples Temple, and Heaven's Gate making headlines around the world. But smaller cults began popping up in rural communities all over the country, including right here in Michigan. In this episodes, we'll talk about two such cults- the House of Judah and the Theocratic Commune Natural Health Service- who committed unspeakable acts against their most vulnerable members, their own children.  

Cases: House of Judah, Theocratic Commune Natural Health Service

Audio production by Bill Bertschinger.

A mother who didn't bother to look for her daughter after she was abducted by a violent stranger. A mother who spent years stalking and cyberbullying her own teenage daughter. A mother who stood by silently while her daughter was tormented by a monster. What do these three women have in common (besides being awful)? They're all featured in viral Netflix documentaries, and they're all from Michigan. 

Cases: Suzanne Sevakis (aka Sharon Marshall), Kendra Licari, Aundria Bowman (aka Alexis Badger)

Audio production by Bill Bertschinger.

His name isn't likely one you've heard before, but his story should feel eerily familiar. Matthew Emmanuel Macon is well-known as Lansing, Michigan's first (and only) serial killer, a young Black man who targeted elderly women living alone in the Capital City- quite a deviation from the standard serial killer trope. But two decades before Macon, there was Michael Darnell Harris- a young Black man who targeted elderly women living alone in the Capital City. They say history repeats itself, and when it comes to Lansing's serial killers, that's definitely, oddly, true.

Case: Michael Darnell Harris

Audio production by Bill Bertschinger.