age 17. For 15 years, Daniel Perez a self-described "seer" who claimed to be a 1,000-year-old angel led a traveling group of mostly women from state to state. And more horrors occurred behind closed doors. The couple still lives in Wichita, Kansas. As the cult became more doomsday focused, it got more followers, who brought in more money. Several former members have alleged they were sexually assaulted and beaten as children. He had met the group through Brian whom he had worked construction with. I dont think [cults] are common, McGrath said. McGrath said she and her family joined the commune after Perez met her mother, Jennifer Hutson, a Wichita real estate agent who sold him a house, in 2001. Some were shot, some were found with bags over their heads and some had been injected with tranquilizers. When he found out what was going on, he sent an email to the FBI website in 2010. Tonight on NBC's Dateline NBC, correspondent Dennis Murphy looks into the case of Angel's Landing and cult leader Daniel Perez, also known as Lou Castro, who told his followers he was a. While other 13-year-olds were getting boyfriends and holding hands, I was holding onto my secret and losing the people I loved one by one. She was eight months pregnant. When Brian died in a freak accident atthe autobody shop where he worked in March2006, Goodwyndove into every bit of personal and financial information he could oneveryone living atAngels Landing. To evade law enforcement, Perez would consistently be on the move, relocating constantly from one state to another. She's seen here leaving the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, after sentencing. For more on the shockingAngels Landing story, including Sara's firsthand account of living with Daniel Perez and the incredible lengths law enforcement went to catch him, watch Deadly Cults atOxygen.comand airingSundays at 7/6conOxygen. Insurance agents and car salespersons also testified. Within a few months, her life had completely changed. The movement still has followers in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Castro immediately took an interest in the young girl and she posed provocatively in a swimsuit as he took pictures. There was nothing I could do, she said I remember saying, Am I fixed now?'. In 2007, about 30 members of the group holed up in a cave in Russia's Penza region. This led to the big break in the case. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen. Sara became even more concerned when some of Perez's more disturbing predictions came true. While working on the real estate transaction Jennifer had spent a lot of time with Castro and soon their friendship developed into something more. The cult was never banned in Japan, and lives on in offshoots including Aleph and Hikari no Wa, which have an estimated 1,500 followers today. Debuting in 1992, it has discussed many cases that have left the audience shocked at the violence and atrocities. Kramer and Raymond were released from jail on personal recognizance bonds, with more hearings scheduled for later this month. Kuznetsov, who was not with them, had told them to wait there for the end of the world, which he thought was coming in 2008. Sara was 17 when she was introduced to the cult and to Perez. It is also the place where he drowned Patricia Hughes to collect on her life insurance money. Prosecutors said at his trial that he aimed to use life insurance proceeds from the deaths of his followers to live a lavish lifestyle. It turned out that he was collecting the payments from the life insurance policies of the deceased members, and this could explain how he was able to afford such an extravagant property as well. He had become depressed and was talking to Perez more often, one of the survivors, Sara, told Oxygen. Manson instructed followers to kill people because he believed the murders would provoke the race war. [Perez] was telling him, One day youll get your chance to go to the other side,' she said. Jennifer soon bought the adjoining ten acres and built two homes on it. He collected more than $1 million in life insurance payouts from Hughes death alone. The 2003 drowning death of 26-year-old Patricia Hughes at the group's compound outside of Wichita, Kansas, was originally ruled an accident. Emilys sister, Sarah did not move with the group as she was living on her own outside of Angels Landing. He was convicted of first-degree murder, eight counts of rape, eight other sex crimes, eight counts of making false writing and three counts of aggravated assault. His followers were the ones that had taken on this responsibility. Mack was also fined $20,000 and willhave to do 1,000 hours of community service as part of her sentence, CBS New Yorkreported. Emily was 10-years-old at the time. So now Lou Castro has a connection to four other deaths. She also said she was the reincarnation of both Jesus Christ and Marilyn Monroe. moved to Lees Summit, Missouri. Perez, now 62, is behind. All rights reserved. The outlet shared that in 2015 Perez was handed two life sentences, plus 406 months with no possibility of parole for 80 years. The episode ofDateline,titled Angels & Demons, features interviews with Daniel Perez, commune members Sara and Emily as well as with Detective Ron Goodwyn and more. They occurred within a seven-year time span. Daniel Perez sits in a Sedgwick County courtroom during the first day of his murder trial on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015 in Wichita, Kan. Perez, 55, is charged with first-degree premeditated. It's unclear how many members the group still has. I wasnt sure that I was going to be able to do it. I did not reach out and talk to anybody about it, she said. The various group members would tell the jury about the control that Perez/Castro had over the group. Investigators in Sedgwick County, Kansas learned that Lou Perez and the Angels Landing commune was tied to six deaths which were ruled accidental. After three months the small group moved back to Wichita, Kansas where they lived in some townhomes while looking for permanent housing. On April 21, 2010, a search warrant was executed for Venegass Tennessee residence. Tragically, Brian was killed in what would be ruled an accident in South Dakota. The two are closer than ever with each other and their father. What followed was a years-long investigation,which was difficult becauseGoodwyn didn't have police reports,official victimsorknow Perez'strue identity. I remember saying, 'Am I fixed now?'. According to Sedgwick County Sheriffs Offices Detective Ron Goodwyn, around every two and a half years, bank account balances would get low, and then someone would die. K.L. You can survive a traumatic event, she told Fox News. Daniel U. Perez, who went by the name Lou Castro, was the leader of a commune living there. Two years later a local family of four, the Wagners, are arrested and charged with the crimes. She initially pleaded not guilty. Sara and her younger sister Emily were barely teenagers when their mother, Jennifer Huston, packed their bags up and moved into Angels Landing in Kansas to be a part of Daniel Perezs cult. He also claimed he could predict when someone would die. Aldrete and the other follower were arrested on the spot. "Smallville" actress Allison Mack (seen here) was subsequently accused of recruiting "DOS" slaves by convincing women they were joining a female empowerment group that would help them overcome weaknesses. He eventually attracted several thousand followers. From that search, investigators discovered 11 firearms, 2 wallets that contained identification for Lou Castro and Joe Venegas along with a social security card and birth certificate for Joe Venegas. Tonight on NBC'sDateline NBC,Dennis Murphy interviews cult leader Daniel Perez, also known as Lou Castro, who told his followers at Angel's Landing that he was a 1,000-year-old angel who could see the future. While police do not believe that there was any foul play associated with Carlson's death, seven members of the group were arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse and two counts of child abuse. In 2008, she would also lose her mother in a freak car crash. Before Raniere's arrest, in 2017, a New York Times expos accused NXIVM of fronting a cult called "DOS" or "The Vow." Tonight on NBCsDateline NBC, correspondent Dennis Murphy looks into the case of Angels Landing and cult leader Daniel Perez, also known as Lou Castro, who told his followers he was a centuries-year-old angel who could see the future, predict their deaths and heal their injuries. The group rented a mansion in Southern California, where members took phenobarbital mixed with applesauce and washed it down with vodka, then put plastic bags over their heads. In 1993, the ATF and Texas National Guard raided the Waco compound. Noor Malhotra August 7, 2020 Sara and her younger sister Emily were barely teenagers when their mother, Jennifer Huston, packed their bags up and moved into Angel's Landing in Kansas to be a part of Daniel Perez's cult. In August 2006, Sherri Cox and her 8-year-old daughter, C.C. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He claimed that he was not home the day Trish Hughes drowned and he had no part in her death. K.L. With those certificated, Trish was paid the death benefits. After guests arrived, the venue burst into flames. According to the outlet, six purported accidental deaths over seven years led to millions of dollars in life insurance payouts. The problem was that some of them ended up dying in tragic accidents leaving behind large insurance policies. The 35-year-old has come forward to share her harrowing experience on Oxygens newest docuseries titled Deadly Cults, which recounts the horrific homicide cases involving cult leaders who executed manipulative control to sway unsuspecting followers. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen. Goodwyn began working with federal agents and found the identity Perez was likely about to inhabit next, in Tennessee. Kuznetsov (pictured here with followers) reportedly attempted suicide when his doomsday prophecy didn't come true. As reported by Columbia Daily Herald, authorities linked Daniel Perez to a total of six accidental deaths, for which Perez collected an estimated $4.2 million. At the time, there were. Daniel Perez, AKA Lou Castro. The witness, who was 11 at the time of the crime, was told to wait in an office nearby with Patricia's daughter for 20 minutes . Trish, age 26, was pronounced dead with her cause of death being accidental drowning. Investigators would later learn Hughes was collecting millions of dollars in life insurance payouts, and that six deaths ruled as accidents were connected to the cult. Sedgwick County/Kansas Department of Corrections. The deadly and devastating secrets of this traveling commune will come tumbling out, Friday on #Dateline at 9/8c. Here, locals and relatives of the cult victims wait in a Ugandan church compound during a mass burial in 2000. But in the 1990s, authorities in Canada began investigating the group amid accusations of sexual misconduct, and people started to leave. Jones taught a blend of Christianity, socialism and communism, with an emphasis on racial equality. Castro told a friend, Phillip Young, that he didnt think that Brian would be returning to the group. Daniel Perez was back in Corpus Christi, Texas, but had assumed the new identity of Lou Castro. Ron Lafferty's brother, Dan Lafferty, seen here in 2003, is serving a life sentence in connection to the murders. Oxygen reports authorities could not find any information about the man who called himself "Lou Castro." In Angel'sLanding, a 20-acre property located in a rural area north of Wichita, Perez convinced his communal family that he had magical powers, including the ability to see the future, The Wichita Eagle reported. By 1978, the population there had swelled to about 900. The couple remained in contact via phone over the next year, but K.L. Lou Castro Told His Followers He Was A 1,000-Year-Old Angel. Although he did not have a job, he had money. Emily was the 11-year old who witnessed the crime and would eventually reveal to authorities the truth behind the murder of Patricia Hughes. The outlet noted that the Kansas Bureau of Investigations sex offender registry showed Perezs victims range in age from 8 to 16. Heoncetailed him to a restaurant and tried unsuccessfully several times to get his prints, but the cult leader proved elusive. If it werent for them and my husband, I wouldnt have been able to do it., He was sentenced to two life sentences in prison. The Family International, also known as the Children of God, was founded in Huntington Beach, California, by David Brandt Berg in 1968. In January 2002, Castro had forced Emily to have oral, vaginal, and anal sex with him. The case of Daniel U. Perez is explored on Oxygen's 'Deadly Cults' true-crime docuseries. In 2003, 26-year-old Patricia Hughes, a follower, drowned atthe compound. On the stand, he said the beating he received in Mexico had caused him to have amnesia for years. The penalty for a Class III offense may be any, all or any combination of the following: Restriction to inmates own cell, not to exceed three days;restriction from privileges, not to exceed 20 days;extra work for up to two hours per day, not to exceed 10 days;a fine not to exceed $10.00;restitution; oran oral or written reprimand.. He went on to tell Emily that after Trish passed that she would put Nicole into the pool then pull her out and call 911. After the fire, police found hundreds of other bodies in compounds across Uganda. Former cult member Sara McGrath, who lived with Angel's Landing leader Daniel Perez, recounts the untimely death of her mother Also on the properties were barn-like structures that housed the groups various vehicles and Castros large model airplane collection. Sarah would tell investigators about the abuse she suffered for years from Lou Castro. One of the survivors, Sara, told Oxygenin 2020 that when Perez raped her repeatedly, he would say he was fixing her. Daniel Perez, whose alias is Lou Castro, is the self-proclaimed 'seer' that foresaw Patricia dying. His current whereabouts are unknown. Perez was charged with multiple criminal counts, including first-degree murder. In all, 74 cult members and former cult members died. Goodwyn intensified his investigation, afraid that after another two years there might be another death. In September 2008, Detective Goodwyn was notified that Jennifer Hutson was killed in a car accident. Later, Jones had his followers kill themselves by drinking a cyanide-laced drink. Lou Castro was a man with a shadowy past who somehow convinceda number ofpeople that he was an angel,could heal the sick and see into the future. Days later, two Solar Temple buildings in Switzerland went up in flames. Both sisters want to help other people who are facing similar manipulations and abuse at the hands of others. Angel's Landing was the location where Daniel Perez's cult was housed. The sisters are trying their hardest to move past the massive abuse they have faced at his hands. He ran the Angel's Landing Commune back in the early 2000s where he would manipulate and murder to help finance his lavish lifestyle. Angel's Landing Cult Mar 6 2022 Length: 1 hr and 1 min Podcast Listen for free View show details Summary Lou Castro (aka Daniel Perez, master manipulator) was a man who seemed to have this ability to draw families to him and convince them of the seemingly impossible. Angel's Landing is a 20-acre compound in Sedgwick County, Kansas.

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