New DocuseriesMinistry Of Evil: The Twisted Cult Of Tony Alamo
Chilling docuseries based on the life of televangelist Tony Alamo.
This four-part docuseries is a deep dive into Susan and Tony Alamo’s Christian Foundation. Founded in 1969 to bring those ‘dirty hippies’ into the fold, their message back then was: ‘repent or perish’.
Susan, who had faked cancer for years, died of breast cancer in 1982, aged 56, and although Tony and her followers fully expected her to rise from the dead, Tony had to work hard without Susan’s charisma to keep the ministry and its multiple businesses afloat.
Susan’s estranged daughter Christhiaon is one of the more prominent contributors, describing Tony as ‘extra baggage’ and reminding us that it was Susan who ‘started this mess’. Without her, the ministry was to descend into criminal chaos, when it was already pretty corrupt.
New Publications
Key points
Cult leaders and human traffickers use similar techniques to entrap new recruits.
Adults can help young people learn to protect themselves from recruitment into cults and trafficking.
"Taken No More" by Robin Boyle-Laisure provides suggestions for adults to help youth stay safe.
In Taken No More, law professor and cult expert Robin Boyle-Laisure, J.D., discusses commonalities between cults and human trafficking. In the mix, she also considers intimate partner violence and child sexual abuse. Coercive control unites these diverse situations.
The book is subtitled, “Protect Your Children Against Traffickers and Cults.” A good chunk of it is directed toward parents and educators. However, it also seems relevant to professionals in mental health, child protection, and the law, as well as to casual readers with an interest in these topics.
UnHerd: The Sikh sect linked to Henry Nowak's killer Nihangs revel in swords and sovereignty
Writing in Unherd, reporter Amardeep Bassey explains the story of the Nihangs order within the Sikh tradition, to which the murderer Vickrum Digwa belonged. Digwa was sentenced to life for stabbing to death teenager Henry Nowak, in Southampton, with a knife known as a pesh-kabz, a straight-bladed dagger especially associated with the Nihangs. In the UK, the movement has a few hundred adherents.
The article says that the Nihangs were mentioned in the judge’s sentencing remarks, and the report is an account of the order, its beliefs, history, and the extent of its influence.
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington: Texas couple indicted for psychic fraud scheme, allegedly stealing millions from vulnerable people
A Texas couple, Bridgette Doreen Evans (alias Jolene Travis) and her partner, Washington, were involved in a sophisticated "psychic fraud" scheme. Prosecutors allege the pair targeted emotionally vulnerable individuals, such as those grieving a loss or experiencing romantic struggles, by claiming they could "cleanse" victims of curses or romantic misfortune.
Between April 2021 and July 2024, the couple reportedly defrauded at least three victims of approximately $2.5 million. Evans, using multiple aliases, convinced victims to liquidate their financial holdings—often sending money in the form of cash or gold coins—under the guise that she would "cleanse" the funds and return them. Uwanawich allegedly facilitated the fraud by managing bank accounts, selling gold, and vouching for Evans to gain trust.
The indictment reveals that Evans previously used similar tactics in Florida and Texas, at one point even operating from prison. The couple now faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, with each count carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The FBI is continuing its investigation into the scheme.
AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.
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