Heaven's Gate Initiation/Recruitment Video

Marshall Applewho?

                “Gods going to be there, Jesus Christ is going to be there, all the angels and everything. And you know, whatever’s on the the beyond. I think it’s going to be more like Star Trek. Beaming me up into a space vehicle man then I’ll move on, recolonize to another planet or whatever but whatever’s on the beyond, I know it’s going to be good…”

-Aileen Wuornos, quoted the day before her execution on October 9^th, 2002

               

Five years prior to this quote being aired 39 seemingly gender-less corpses were found lying peacefully in bunk-beds, wearing matching sweat suits and Nike’s in a mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. The bodies belonged to Marshall Applewhite and his followers, members of the Heaven’s Gate cult. Heaven’s Gate was an eschatologically based religious cult that believed their bodies were just “vehicles”, a thought similar to that of Wuornos near the time of her passing. These vehicles needed to be discarded in order to take their souls to “another level of existence above human” according to members. Chances are wherever Aileen Wuornos wound up she would at least be right about the Star Trek part. Thomas Nichols, brother of Nichelle Nichols (Uhura from the original Star Trek series) was one of the unfortunate victims found that day. I’m sure he saved a seat for you, girl.

Heaven’s Gate was founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, also known and “Bo” and “Peep” or “Do” and “Ti”. They prophesized that they were “the two” that were spoken of in the Book of Revelation 11:3 and it was their responsibility to show the world that it was so. Both devoutly believed they were ‘walk-in’s’, meaning that they were extraterrestrial beings who had taken over adult human bodies, discarding the souls previously occupying them. The concept was certainly new but accepted by many in the 1970’s with the growing presence of the New Age movement. The group fluctuated in its amount of followers with their frequent tests of faith, at one point having roughly 200 men and women hanging on their every word. After the death of Nettles in 1985 the group dwindled down to only the most committed and Applewhite was forced to build his group anew.  

                In order to prove their devotion and trust in their walk-in status, that their human bodies were mere vehicles for their eternal souls, followers gave up many of the things that made them feel human; families, jobs, individuality, many men including Applewhite were even castrated to ensure a lack of sexuality entirely. They were tracking the comet hale-bopp because they believed it was being trailed by a UFO. This UFO was the supposed vessel in which their souls were to board. In order to make this possible, they had to commit suicide within the appropriate time period while it was closest to planet earth…obviously. March 19-20 all but a couple remaining members of the Heaven’s Gate cult drank their phenobarbital cocktail and passed away to be found one week later.

 It is a curious thought what happened to all 39 souls of those passengers of the “Heaven’s Gate Away Team” that had been replaced so long ago. Honey Boo Boo? Or should I say Honey Bo Bo?

Richard Ramirez- Ladykiller or Just Lady Killer?

Anyway:

                The story of the Night Stalker goes like this… Once upon a time in the 80’s Richard Ramirez was convicted of 13 counts of murder, 5 counts of attempted murder, 11 counts of sexual assault and 14 counts of burglary. He was made famous by the gruesome nature of his crimes and the volume of which they were committed. During an attack and failed rape attempt of 83 (not a typo) year-old Malvial Keller, Ramirez drew a pentagram on her thigh and on her bedroom wall with lipstick. This is one example of what became the calling card for "The Walk-in Killer". While incarcerated, it has been said he was even visited by the daughter of Satanic Bible author Anton LaVey (not sure if it was Karla or Zeena, sorry folks)   His first day in court, Ramirez showed up with a pentagram drawn on the palm of his left hand and yelled to the court “hail Satan!”.  Clearly that went well for him.

                But the real story here is the women who showed up to support him; the attention-starved, got-lost-on-the-way-to-the-new-kids-on-the-block-concert kind of crazy, lovesick women who supported him. These women treated him as they would any other pop-culture sensation; they wrote letters, formed fan clubs and held protests to get him out of prison, not unlike Manson family members who fanatically shaved their heads and sang in front of the courthouse in 1969.  It is not uncommon for a young man or woman to become fanatic about someone so publicized, they have access to personal information and can feel a closeness to them because there is so much access. It is especially difficult for a young person to separate their fantasy with reality when the final words of the serial killer they are fantasying about leaving the courthouse are “see you in Disneyland”! For the majority of us, these dreams die when puberty arrives or, in the case of the fans of the Night Stalker, some hussy beats them to it.

          Doreen Lioy wrote over 75 letters to Richard Ramirez before he proposed in 1995. Although I have no proof of this, Doreen had to have received just as many death threats after her wedding day than Selena Gomez after announcing her relationship with Justin Bieber.

      

Post 1/Disclaimer

          First and foremost I would like to make aware to all readers that this blog will contain violent and offensive details about crimes and situations. I do not in any way condone the behavior of criminals especially those accused of violent crimes such as murder, rape, etc. I have created this blog because I am a student in my second year of college and am trying to figure out what a degree in history will mean to me. My fascination with history is not limited to but mainly consists of crimes, events, wars, etc. caused by deficiencies or control over the human mind. In posts to come you can expect content having to do with serial killers, cults, some bits about me, and a lot of innapropriate humor. 

I also run and etsy shop with my boyfriend selling vintage items we collect and creating handmade and custom embroidery, you can take a peek see at http://www.etsy.com/shop/sickcityco

Enjoy!