Sinister Societies

A former compound in Chile is getting a second life as a German-themed resort. But it was once the home of a notorious religious group led by a Nazi. Hannah and Suruthi dive into the dark history of Colonia Dignidad (“Dignity Colony”), its pedophile leader Paul Schaefer, and his alliance with the brutal dictator Augusto Pinochet.

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Donning a robe and a single gold earring, the so-called “Sinful Messiah” preached doom to hundreds of followers in the 1970s. Hannah and Suruthi analyze the life of Julius Schacknow — how he manipulated women into sleeping with him for the sake of their own salvation, how he created a company worth millions, and the tumultuous end to his bizarre cult.

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It was supposed to be a return to a purer form of Catholicism. Instead, it led to one of the largest cult-related killings in history. Fueled by messages from the Virgin Mary, Credonia Mwerinde and Joseph Kibwetere preached the apocalypse in Uganda. Then they created one.

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In the winter of 1990, authorities uncovered five bodies that had been buried in a barn. An apocalyptic cult had put them there — convinced that human sacrifice was essential for Jesus Christ’s return. Hannah and Suruthi investigate the gruesome murders, dangerous beliefs, and spotted history of the man at the center of it all: Jeffrey Lundgren.

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Taylor Helzer was a devout Mormon who was excommunicated from his church in the ‘90s. He toyed with starting an escort group, but ultimately settled on trying to usher in the “perennial reign of Christ.” Hannah and Suruthi discuss everything from his 12 Principles of Magic to the murders he committed during an extortion scheme.

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Just as America was entering its Satanic Panic era, a group of Devil worshippers led by Robin Gecht abducted and killed over a dozen people — mostly women — for gruesome Satanic rituals. Hannah and Suruthi cover Robin’s eerie work history, teenage followers, and the “chapel” he kept in his attic.

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In the 1990s, an occult group led by Luc Jouret and Joseph Di Mambro had members throughout the world. They embraced New Age philosophy and believed nature’s destruction would bring about the apocalypse. Their survival plan included “making a transit” to the star Sirius. But to get there, they’d first have to die.

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They were a billion-dollar organization with followers all over the world. At their helm sat Shoko Asahara, who plotted to end the world in nuclear war. Hannah and Suruthi dive into the wealth and biochemical weapons of Aum Shinrikyo — one of the most dangerous cults that ever existed.

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Founded in the 1950s by a WWII veteran, the Sullivan Institute advanced ideas of free love and non-monogamy. But its leader, Saul Newton, grew tyrannical. Hannah and Suruthi discuss how he went from studying psychotherapy to controlling his followers’ lives.

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Ervil LeBaron’s name doesn’t strike the same chord as Charles Manson’s. But maybe it should. After he was excommunicated from his church, Ervil led a religious sect where he invoked “Blood Atonement” and taught that breaking God’s law should be punishable by death. Hannah and Suruthi discuss the life and twisted crimes of the leader whose name is connected to at least 20 murders.

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