A Washington couple, who planned to marry, have been booked in separate murder cases in the same week – both seemingly linked to a violent California ‘vegan trans cult’. The duo, who filed for a marriage license in King County, Washington in November, have been accused of murdering a US border patrol agent and a state’s witness on opposite sides of the country. Maximilian Snyder, 22, and Teresa Youngblut, 21, are now at the center of a sprawling federal investigation as law enforcement officials investigate their alleged murder charges, links to the California-based ‘cult’ and its ties to another unsolved murder case in Pennsylvania. The pair are allegedly connected to a mysterious cult of transgender ‘geniuses’ who follow a trans leader. The group, known as the ‘Zizians,’ are highly educated trans vegan ‘rationalists’ who hold fringe ideological beliefs about transhumanism and animal rights. Their leader, Jack ‘Ziz’ LaSota, is a biological male who identifies as a woman. LaSota also used the name Andrea Phelps, and is accused of influencing followers to kill, the New York Post reported. Snyder, an ‘any pronouns’ Oxford-educated data scientist and an alleged member of the ‘cult,’ was arrested in Northern California last Friday. Youngblut, a biological female who identifies as trans and and lists having neo-pronouns as ‘xe/xem/xyrs’ on social media, was charged last week in Vermont in connection with the shooting of US Border Patrol Agent David Maland. Authorities now believe the two cross-country murders involving the couple may be connected. In a motion filed on Monday, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont alleges that Youngblut, also a computer science student at the University of Washington, had been in ‘frequent contact’ with a ‘person of interest in a homicide investigation in Vallejo, California’. Snyder, however, was arrested in Redding, California days earlier in connection with the January 17 stabbing death of a long-time Vallejo property owner, 82-year-old Curtis Lind, according to Solano County jail records. Snyder was charged with murder and two enhancements on Monday, according to court records. Without releasing the name of the suspect, federal prosecutors said the Vallejo murder suspect, who was mentioned in the Monday report, was also previously detained, but not charged, in connection with a double homicide in Pennsylvania. Content retrieved from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14338283/vegan-cult-murder-Washington-California-Vermont-Zizian.html .

Danny Masterson is appealing his rape conviction after he was convicted of raping two women in May. Best known for his role in “That 70s Show,” the now 47-year-old actor has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for his crimes. In May, Danny Masterson was convicted of raping two women. In September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison. However, according to court documents obtained by The Blast, the actor filed to appeal his sentence on November 3, 2023. His victims have yet to speak on the appeal. Before he was sentenced, both of the two women he was convicted of raping gave victim impact statements to the judge. “When you raped me, you stole from me,” said Masterson’s 2003 victim, as per the Associated Press. “That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit.” “You are pathetic, disturbed, and completely violent,” she added. “The world is better off with you in prison.” Content retrieved from: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/danny-masterson-officially-files-appeal-181238257.html.

NEW YORK — A federal judge denied NXIVM leader Keith Raniere’s bid for a new trial, rejecting his argument that FBI agents planted evidence to frame him for possession of child pornography. In a decision issued Monday, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis said Raniere’s lawyers had cited no relevant prior cases in their argument that they should be allowed to examine the metadata embedded in photographs federal agents seized in the raid on a townhouse on Hale Drive in Halfmoon on March 27, 2018. Content retrieved from: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/judge-rejects-nxivm-s-leader-keith-raniere-s-18475355.php.

Perry Bulwer was Born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada, where he joined the Children of God after dropping out of high school at age 16. He then spe...

Over 200,000 minors are estimated to have been sexually abused in Spain by the Roman Catholic clergy since 1940, according to an independent commission published Friday. The report did not give a specific figure but said a poll of over 8,000 people found that 0.6 percent of Spain’s adult population of around 39 million people said they had suffered sexual abuse by members of the clergy when they were still children. The percentage rises to 1.13 percent — or over 400,000 people — when including abuse by lay members, Spain’s national ombudsman Angel Gabilondo told a news conference called to present the findings of the report which has over 700 pages. The revelations in Spain are the latest to rock the Roman Catholic Church after a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, often involving children, over the past 20 years. Content retrieved from: https://news.yahoo.com/spanish-clergy-sexual-abused-over-114710972.html.

Cult News101; news stories about cults, cultic groups and related topics. Cult Intervention, Cult Recovery.

A major driver of the culture within Jehovah's Witnesses has been the requirement to count and record time spent on the door to door and other witnessing work. A recent announcement at the JW AGM has informed the rank and file members that they will no longer be asked to report on their ministry. It's a massive change with important connotations and raises many questions about the direction the organization is taking. Stephen puts his organizational psychologist's hat on, to analyse what this might mean for the group. Share this podcast with a friend https://pod.link/1540824671 To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts

CEBU, Philippines – Lawyer Richard Dano, legal consultant of Task Force Kapihan, confirmed in a phone interview on Monday, October 2, that former members of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) were now under the custody of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). Dano said that among the former members were child witnesses who ran away from their families multiple times to escape SBSI’s hilltop settlement in Sitio Kapihan, Barangay Sering, Socorro, Surigao del Norte. At least eight of the minors had already given their statements for their affidavits on Monday, according to the legal consultant. Three of the minors were present during a Thursday, September 28 hearing of the Senate public order committee, where they shared their experiences of being forced into marriage and undergoing military training for SBSI. Last Thursday, IACAT Chairperson and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla endorsed the protective custody of nine minors and four adults – all former members of SBSI – to Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian. Content retrieved from: https://www.rappler.com/nation/mindanao/ex-members-socorro-bayanihan-services-surigao-del-norte-cult-custody-anti-trafficking-council/.

In General Conference talks this weekend, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stressed the importance of heterosexual marriage to become “exalted” for eternity. The message used the powerful leverage of church teachings about the afterlife to reassert its conservative stance on marriage and gender. General Conference is the semiannual gathering of church leaders in Salt Lake City, where faith messages and policy updates are announced to members. Driving the news: Dallin H. Oaks, who is effectively the church’s second-in-line after President Russell M. Nelson, said Saturday that “exaltation can be attained only through … an eternal marriage between a man and a woman in the Holy Temple.” The “union of a man and woman in marriage” is the “highest and holiest” manifestation of the church’s power to “link generations,” said D. Todd Christofferson, member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The Lord has clearly taught that only men and women who are sealed as husband and wife … will be together throughout the eternities,” Nelson said in a video message Sunday. Why it matters: Church teachings on gender, sexuality and marriage have long created tension with the LGBTQ+ church members and allies, as well as single adults. Even if members remain “chaste,” the church teaches they cannot reach the highest degree of exaltation in the afterlife unless they marry someone of the opposite sex. “That is why we teach that, quote, ‘gender’ is an essential characteristic of individual … eternal identity and purpose,” Oaks said Saturday. It is church policy to discipline members who transition genders. Context: Among Christian traditions, Mormonism’s teachings about the afterlife are particularly specific and detailed, and frequently held up as the stakes of obedient membership. Only those in the highest or “celestial” kingdom will join their families for eternity, according to church teachings. The intrigue: Oaks stressed that Latter-day Saint teachings about the afterlife are also more merciful than many other Christian beliefs. Rather than a selective heaven that relegates many to a fiery hell, Mormonism holds that nearly everyone will enjoy eternal “glory” — just in varying degrees. Content retrieved from: https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/10/02/mormon-general-conference-gender-marriage-eternity.

South Park, an iconic animated series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, has been a staple of popular culture since its inception. Known for its audacious humor and unabashed criticisms of societal conventions, celebrities, and even entire religions, the show has always walked a razor-thin line between comedy and controversy. Throughout its illustrious run, the series has tackled numerous hot-button topics, with each episode sparking conversations, laughter, and, often, public backlash. But amidst all the uproar, one might wonder whether there was any episode that shook the very foundation of South Park. Was there a particular storyline that attracted widespread attention and prompted tangible, real-world consequences for its creators and the production team? The answer lies in the infamous Scientology episode, Trapped in the Closet. This particular episode didn’t just poke fun – it catapulted the show into a maelstrom of debates, alleged investigations, and behind-the-scenes drama. Content retrieved from: https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/south-park-everything-know-scientology-controversy-changed-sitcom-forever.

DELPHI, Ind. (Court TV) – A retired Indiana police officer cited in court documents by defense attorneys for the man charged in the Delphi murders is calling into question how his statements have been characterized by attorneys, suggesting the defense is “twisting facts.” Public defenders for Richard Allen, charged with the 2017 double murders of Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and best friend Liberty German, 14, have accused a white nationalist Odinist group of killing the girls in a ritualistic sacrifice. Defense attorneys Bradley Rozzi and Andrew Baldwin accused investigators of ignoring damning evidence pointing to the Odinists, a Norse religion “hijacked by white nationalists” in a 136-page memorandum filed last week with the Carroll County Circuit Court. The memo cites the work of three Indiana law enforcement officers, Kevin Murphy, Greg Ferency, and Todd Click. Content retrieved from: https://www.courttv.com/news/delphi-murders-investigators-respond-to-defense-cult-claims/.

Katherine Spallino, the author of a new book, The Bad Cadet: Growing Up in the Church of Scientology’s Sea Organization, has had quite a life journey. Katherine grew up on a secluded ranch within the cadet org, Scientology’s Sea Org school for children. At a young age, Katherine began to journal about her day-to-day life, capturing the thoughts and experiences of a child coming of age in a cult. Katherine’s background offers the rare opportunity to tell the story of the hundreds of children who rarely saw their parents and were indoctrinated to become future Sea Org members.

Cult News101; news stories about cults, cultic groups and related topics. Cult Intervention, Cult Recovery.

The star of That '70s Show sat in court as the two women he raped described the impact of his crimes.

The Church of Scientology hasn’t yet responded in court to Leah Remini’s harassment lawsuit filed earlier this month, but according to the Emmy winner, the David Miscavige-led organization has made some harsh moves in reaction. “In the short period of time since Ms. Remini’s Complaint was filed, Ms. Remini and others have been subject to continued, aggressive harassment,” says an amended complaint from Remini put in the Los Angeles Superior docket on August 29 (read Remini’s amended complaint against Scientology here). The amended complaint reiterates Remini’s earlier allegations in the original August 2 filing of retaliation by the Church for her public critiques of its policy and personnel. However, additionally Remini now is saying that since that initial complaint was filed she has been the victim of various acts of credit card fraud, lambasted by online trolls, accused directly by the Church of generating “threats of and actual violence against the Church,” and suggesting she “consider emigrating to Russia.” Content retrieved from: https://deadline.com/2023/08/leah-remini-scientology-lawsuit-amended-1235532181/.