In July 1995, 15-year-old Elyse Pahler vanished from her quiet neighborhood in Nipomo Mesa, California. At first, authorities assumed she had run away. But the truth was far darker.

Lured into a eucalyptus grove by three teenage boys she thought she could trust, Elyse became the center of a crime that shocked the nation — a killing the perpetrators claimed was a “sacrifice” meant to empower their death metal band. For nine months, her family searched. Flyers were printed. Tips poured in. But Elyse was never far from home.

In this episode of The Ritual Rewind, we examine the disturbing case of Royce Casey, Jacob Delashmutt, and Joseph Fiorella — teenagers obsessed with Satanic imagery, violent lyrics, and occult symbolism during the height of America’s lingering Satanic Panic era. We explore how fantasy blurred into reality, how warning signs were missed, and how one confession finally exposed what happened inside what they called “The Devil’s Grove.”

We also examine the controversial lawsuit against the band Slayer, the debate over music and violent influence, and the lasting impact this case had on parents, law enforcement, and a generation raised on fear of hidden cults.

Was this a product of moral hysteria? Or something far more personal — and far more tragic?

🎙️ The Ritual Rewind dives deep into true crime, occult history, and the cultural fears that shaped the late 20th century.

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