1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: From UFOs two, ghosts and government cover ups. History is 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to now. Hello, 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: welcome back. We'll welcome for the first time to stuff 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know. I'm Bend and I'm Matt, 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: and today we're going to start the podcast with a 7 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: a little bit of a of a dark thing, a 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: little bit of a weird thing. All right, I like it, 9 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: Let's do it. Okay. So this is a question that 10 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: I want to throw out to you and then we'll 11 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: answer it at the end of the episode. Sound cool, 12 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: all right, I'm excited. Okay. How many serial killers do 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: you think are active right now? By which I mean uncaught, 14 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: Maybe they're in the hibernation phase after they've done them 15 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: of murder of some sort um. How many do you 16 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: think there are? I would estimate worldwide? Um, you know what, 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: let's keep it in the US. Just in the US 18 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: twenty okay, and that's you know, that number sounds scary 19 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: at first, but there three hundred something million people here 20 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: and of those twenty there are twenty. Then a lot 21 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:29,199 Speaker 1: of them won't be active for a while, right there. Yeah, 22 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: it'll be like the B T K killer Dennis Radar, 23 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,839 Speaker 1: who UM was out of it was not murdering people 24 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: for what a decade more um, and then finally got 25 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: caught when he came back, which is a story for 26 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: different day. So as we begin met, I have to ask, um, 27 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: what is a serial killer? Most basic level, UM, it's 28 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: someone who kills for a reason. It was for they feel, Um, 29 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: they feel that they need to kill for some reason 30 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: or another. They're compelled to do so. It's a compulsion. Um. 31 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: There are various number of reasons. Because they get sexual 32 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: pleasure out of doing so, Because they feel that they 33 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: are called to to kill a certain type of person 34 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: for pseudo religious reason maybe Yeah, that happens quite often UM. 35 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: Or because they feel like they're gaining something from it, 36 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: that they're gaining some kind of power by taking the 37 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,119 Speaker 1: life of somebody else. And there there are several other 38 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: reasons there. There's a we have a great article on 39 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: how stuff works. If you want to read that how 40 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 1: serial killers work. It goes over some of that basic 41 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: level serial killer stuff. Yeah, that's a that's a actually 42 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: that's a great primer for serial killers. No one thing 43 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: that we should also mention is that serial killer is 44 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: sort of an umbrella term in a lot of ways. Uh. 45 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: For instance, the iceman of famous mob Hitman killed quite 46 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: a few people for monetary gain because it was kind 47 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: of his job or his career path. And then on 48 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: the other side, we have people, um who have received 49 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: heavy physiological trauma early in their life and they don't 50 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 1: process emotions the same way that a person with all 51 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: the cylinders firing does. And this is not to say 52 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: that neurological damage automatically makes somebody a monstrous human being, um, 53 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: but it can impair what we would consider to be 54 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: the essential functioning of of of a human Oh yeah, 55 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: and one last caveat the people were speaking about are 56 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: not spree killers and they're also not um like mass 57 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: murderers generally, people who would just go in and kill 58 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of people at one time and then 59 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: either get caught, kill themselves, or be done with it. 60 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: These are people who kill generally and then they will 61 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: it's it's horrible to say, but not kill for a period, 62 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: then kill again, and maybe they will also and they'll 63 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: also typically uh cover up their crime if possible. Just 64 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: spree killer wouldn't do exactly. So here is where we 65 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: get to a disturbing and fascinating idea that a long 66 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: time ago. Now, you and I did an episode asking 67 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: if serial killers are controlled by a cult. This is 68 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: one of the darker conspiracy theories we've run into, and 69 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: it's one that fascinates us both. I think, oh yeah, well, 70 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: because you have the people the serial killers talking about 71 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: certain groups like the four Pie movement was mentioned, the 72 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: Hand of Death. Again, the this is from their mouths. 73 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: These uh, these organizations were mentioned, right, yeah, And let's 74 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: do a little bit of background tiers. So let's start 75 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: with a Hand of Death. So Henry Lee Lucas oddest tool. Um, 76 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 1: they were something that rarely happens in the acknowledged world 77 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: of serial killers. They were a team, they worked in 78 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: pairs and um, they were lovers for a time. They 79 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: also claimed to have killed. Eventually, they claimed to have 80 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: killed hundreds of people, especially Henry Lee Lucas, and they 81 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: said they did this at the orders of an organization 82 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: called the Hand of Death. That they were trained to 83 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: murder people, um, as part of a satanic ritual or 84 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: some sort of dark magic thing. And they claimed furthermore 85 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: that the Hand of death was not just based in 86 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: this training camp area. They claimed that it was a national, 87 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: perhaps even world wide organization that spanned the height and 88 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: depth of human society, all the way down to low 89 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: lifes like them, and all the way up to the 90 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: financial socio political elites of the US and the world. Um, 91 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: it's so crazy, man. Even David Burke Awitz uh he 92 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: he said that he had assistance that were from the 93 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: Four Pie cult um. He claimed to have insider knowledge 94 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: of a murder that still is unsolved. Um, it's the 95 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: artist Perry Stanford Memorial Church murder of nineteen seventy four. 96 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: You can type that into a search bar and you 97 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,119 Speaker 1: will find information about it. Yeah, and people arguing both 98 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 1: for and against Burke awits his knowledge of this. Yeah. Absolutely, 99 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: And um, now the Four Pie churches is pretty interesting. 100 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: We talked about those in the video. Can you give 101 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: us like a high level? I can. I might go 102 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: down a bit of a rabbit hole here. Just tell 103 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 1: me when ready for me to stop. Okay, okay. So 104 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: the Four Pie movement was allegedly linked to this thing 105 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: called the Process Church of the Final Judgment Um, which 106 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: was kind of a It was a cultish movement UM 107 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: back in the nineteen sixties, and man, I it's it's 108 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: pretty crazy, Okay, So it was it started off as 109 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: an offshoot from the Church of Scientology, the Process church 110 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: was and they they it's kind of weird. Man. I 111 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:36,679 Speaker 1: don't want to get too deep into what they believe 112 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,239 Speaker 1: or anything, but it kind of it has a link 113 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: that I think you'll be interested in. So they believe 114 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: that their personality traits in each one of us, uh, 115 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: and they marked they called called them there four of 116 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: them Jehovah, Lucifer, Satan, and Christ and and they essentially 117 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: worship all four and they believe that you kind of 118 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: have to worship each one to really attain enlightenment. What's 119 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: a difference than if I could ask between Satan and Lucifer. 120 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: Lucifer is more of the uh hedonistic kind of a 121 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: person um, self aggrandizing, look for knowledge, that kind of thing, 122 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: some more Promethean kind of a light bringer, yea lucifer Um. 123 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: And then Satan is just more uh aggressive kind of 124 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: a kind of yeah. But then there's some of that 125 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,719 Speaker 1: in Jehovah as well. It's really interesting. It's passing and 126 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: I recommend anyone who wants to learn more about this. Uh, 127 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: there are a couple of things you can do. The 128 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: first thing would be to read The Process Um by 129 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: Gary Lakshman L. A. C. H M A n Um, 130 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: which is just a quick article from the fort In Times, 131 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 1: but it's really fascinating read um. And there's also there 132 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: are a couple of books that you can read. But 133 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: here's here's the thing. What's the link. The link to 134 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,559 Speaker 1: me is the four pie also known as four P. 135 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: It's been mentioned as the four P movement UM. So 136 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: if you look at the symbol that was used for 137 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,559 Speaker 1: this group, the Process Church, it looks somewhat like a swastika, 138 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: kind of a little bit like a swastika, but it's 139 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: really four ps that are linked at the circular part 140 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 1: of the P, but it's in a square, but it's 141 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: four ps right in the Process Church. And I found 142 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: that really interesting, just as one of the you know, 143 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: the conspiracy theory kind of connection that really doesn't mean anything, 144 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 1: but it still makes you go just enough to be disturbing. 145 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: And we'll come back to those folks. We also have 146 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: side note for this met there's a very interesting story 147 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: here in the cult angle of the Man's murders. Now, 148 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: Manson already was leading a cult, and the question is 149 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: was this cult involved with some other larger network. This 150 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: is just a story that I wanted to get out 151 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: there because not a lot of people know it. During 152 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: the period leading up to Helter Skelter, when Manson and 153 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: his group were on a darker precipitous decline from there 154 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: otherwise utopian philosophy or or whatever thing mayd going on, 155 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: they went out to the desert right, and uh, their 156 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: ideas got crazier and crazier. Of course, the ultimate stated 157 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: aim for the murders that the Manson family ultimately committed 158 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: where that they were trying to trigger a global race 159 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 1: war um that would be between black people and white people, 160 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: and the whole time, the Manson family would hide out 161 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: in some magic cave where they would have all the 162 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: supplies they needed, and then after the black part of 163 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: the world's population killed all of the white people, Manson, 164 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 1: who was cartoonishly racist right, thought that his family would 165 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: climb out of this magic cave and take over, because, 166 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: of course, he assumed black people are incapable of making 167 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: of of making authoritative decisions, which just gives me just 168 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: gives you like a peek into how ugly this guy's 169 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: mind is. Right, Yeah, and just insane. It's so insane. 170 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: It is so insane. I don't know how you can 171 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: believe it. I guess it helps if you are yourself 172 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: a very racist person. But he um. But the reason 173 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: I bring up all this crazy stuff is at the 174 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: same time that this was happening, there was a miner 175 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: named Paul Crockett who lived nearby. And Paul Crockett is 176 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: a very mysterious character in the Helter Skelter story. He was, remember, 177 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: this older retired miner, but he had knowledge somehow of 178 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: scientology and other similar practices. Now, when I say cultish, 179 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: you guys know what I'm talking about. I know that 180 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 1: evil might say that we're saying something bad about scientology. No, 181 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: we're saying he had knowledge of this, and he had 182 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: knowledge of other things that helped him um rescue some 183 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: of the people in Charles Manson's family, and they had 184 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: these amazing psychological battles with each other where Manson was 185 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:25,599 Speaker 1: trying to get in his head and Paul Crockett was. 186 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: It was very it was very Yoda uh Emperor Palpatine 187 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: kind of kind of the forces of light and evil 188 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: there and when when we talk about this, when we 189 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: talked about the manipulation UH that Manson had, There's been 190 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: a lot of conspiratorial thoughts UM or conspiratorial arguments that 191 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: Manson was somehow getting orders from somewhere else, not just 192 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: influenced by the dianetics and stuff he studied in prison, 193 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: not just influenced by his contact with counterculture cults in California, 194 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: which was a strangely difficult sentenced to say, but that 195 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: he was also UM working at the behest of this. 196 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: Now here we have these ideas, and each of these three, 197 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:16,679 Speaker 1: these three examples have some sort a different level of credence. 198 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: So for me, UM, the most plausible one is David 199 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: Berkowitz UM, because another guy named Stanley Baker Uh was 200 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: caught Committee murders. He said he was recruited by four 201 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: pie in University of Wisconsin, and David Berkowitz, you know, 202 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: originally he copped to all the murders. He didn't change 203 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: his story until the nineties, but he was already in 204 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: jail forever. No way he was getting out. Um, didn't 205 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: someone also attempt to murder him? Yes, and he changed 206 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,319 Speaker 1: his story because of that, Yes, someone also attempted to 207 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: murder him imprison Uh. Some of the investigators in the 208 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: Berkowitz Kuh think that there's credence to the idea that 209 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: his people who lived nearby, the car brothers C. A. R. R. 210 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: Had a role in this um and they both died 211 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: in during parts of the investigation. UM. So I would 212 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: say that as the most credence, and then the Manson stuff, 213 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: it's it's difficult to tell because it's a question of 214 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: how much weight are we putting on people hanging out 215 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: together in California, you know what I mean? Just because 216 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: you and I go to a party with it happened 217 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 1: to be in the same room with someone doesn't mean 218 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: that we're planning an international Satanic panic. Yeah. And just 219 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: because a couple of members of the Processed Church went 220 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: and visited Manson one time doesn't necessarily mean anything, right, Yeah, 221 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: just like just because the process Church was an offshoot 222 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: of people made by people who met via scientology doesn't 223 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: mean that it's in any way condone by or related 224 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: to the actual church. So no, no, not at all, 225 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 1: And gosh, I hope nobody got that from what I 226 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: was saying. No, I don't think. Okay, I don't think. 227 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: Just just to clarify the process, Church used the idea 228 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: of uh using the E meter, and they just kind 229 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: of changed that around a little bit into their own 230 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: thing and used it to to measure emotion rather than uh, 231 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 1: whatever it is that he made emeter, which is uh. Well, 232 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: I I just have to say that this is also 233 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:41,239 Speaker 1: in the Church of Scientology. It's a hugely bad heretical 234 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: thing to do, to to mess with in any way 235 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: these ideas or to have your own ideas inserted in there. Um. 236 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: I think one of the terms for it is squirreling, 237 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: and that makes you an sp or suppressive person, which 238 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: is very bad. And now you don't want to be that. No, 239 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: it's anathema or shutting kind of. So anyway, we're we're 240 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: talking about all these different organizations, the and these different stories. 241 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: The least plausible story is uh the hand of death 242 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: story with Henry Lee lucas an oddest tool. Now I 243 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: think it's the least plausible because they're not because there's 244 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: not a conspiracy. I think this actually does have a 245 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: genuine conspiracy. But you know what I'm talking about. You 246 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: know why I don't think that Henry Lee Lucas really 247 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: killed over three people. Well, yeah, one of the biggest 248 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: things you look at with serial killers is their level 249 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: of intelligence in order to get away with a huge 250 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: number of murders like that. And let's face it, if 251 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: you look at Henry Lucas an honest tool, Um, they're 252 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: not the sharpest knives in the kitchen. Yeah, they're not 253 00:16:55,280 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: the brightest bulbs in the pack. Ye right, yeah, the 254 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: um for a number of reasons, especially in the case 255 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: of Lucas, who suffered some fairly horrific injuries in his childhood. Um, 256 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,640 Speaker 1: these are not men's A level criminals. They're not as 257 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: intelligent as say Ted Bundy, for instance, so their claims 258 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: um don't really have the best credibility at all. Let's 259 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: even just not considering the fact the fact that serial 260 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: killers are prone to wild exaggeration because they are crazy. Um, 261 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: there's or you know, if you're a serial killer, you're 262 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 1: listening to this right now, you have a dysfunction. You 263 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: don't have superpowers, you really don't. But these, uh, some 264 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:52,640 Speaker 1: of these problems can be exploited by the real conspiracy, 265 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: which I submit to you, was that law enforcement saw 266 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: in Henry Lee Lucas and artist tool a way to 267 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: close a bunch of unsolved, unsolved, unresolved cases. And you 268 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: can see this because the crimes that they're agreeing to 269 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 1: committing at times were physically impossible for them to commit. Now, 270 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: they would say that maybe it was somebody else in 271 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: the cult right in the hand of death if you 272 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: pushed them towards that. But Lucas also said that he 273 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: was confessing to things because he would get better treatment 274 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 1: in the prison system, which is just way more plausible 275 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 1: to me. So well, I can see that that that's 276 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: one of the biggest things you have to do as 277 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: a law enforcement agency is to close cases. And you know, 278 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: sometimes if there's a scary thing, you have to you 279 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: have to find a way to make it stop. Even 280 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:53,640 Speaker 1: if it doesn't actually stop the killings, it's gonna it's 281 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: gonna quell the fears. You're thinking of McNulty and the wire, 282 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: That's exactly what I'm thinking of. Yeah, uh so, the 283 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: the idea here is is frightening in its own way. 284 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: That there could be people who were waiting to hear 285 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: what happened to their missing parents, the missing child, the 286 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: missing friend, and to be told a lie that there 287 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: was this guy who couldn't possibly done the murder, but 288 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: he says he's done it. And false confessions are distressing, 289 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: but it also really really throws a lot of the 290 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 1: credibility of this cult story to the wayside. Now we 291 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 1: do know that there are people who really have been 292 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,640 Speaker 1: parts of cults. Uh. This guy named Jeffrey Lundgren part 293 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: of a heretical offshoot of the Church of Latter day 294 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: Saints or the Mormon Church. Um. He killed people, killed 295 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 1: a family of five. Guy named Aldolfo constanzo Um was 296 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 1: a drug dealer and worked with Cartel's and practiced black magic, 297 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,959 Speaker 1: where we would have a cauldron of people's bodies, they 298 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: would eat from it, they would use it the magical rituals. 299 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: It didn't prevent him from being caught at all. It's 300 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: almost as if that didn't work. I'm not going to 301 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 1: go ahead and say that what he was doing made 302 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: him a charlatan, but it certainly didn't keep him alive. 303 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,639 Speaker 1: Fair point, fair point, fair point. But so with with 304 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: those cults. These were um like the Manson cult. They 305 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: were tight knit groups of people who had been psychologically 306 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: exploited right and had their egos slowly erased by a 307 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: charismatic leader of some of some sort, and then had 308 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: that enforced by intimidation and fear. Um, this is a 309 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:58,120 Speaker 1: regrettably easy thing to do. Now, Ben, we talked about 310 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: a lot of the past series killers that we know about, um, 311 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 1: about what makes them a serial killer and about what 312 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: um strange circumstances they found themselves in. But here's where 313 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: it gets crazy. There are serial killers out there right now, 314 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: probably with all I mean. I say probably because I 315 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 1: can't prove it. But they're out there right now, sitting somewhere, 316 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: maybe in a van, maybe in their shock up on 317 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 1: the mountain, maybe in their mansion, maybe in a church. 318 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 1: Maybe in a church they're just hanging out plotting. Maybe 319 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: they're not plotting. Maybe today they're just having a sandwich 320 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: and reading the newspaper. Um, you know, maybe they're hugging 321 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: their children right now. But they're there, out there, right now. Yeah, 322 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 1: it is true. Uh. No one knows to answer our 323 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: original question, No one has any idea how many active 324 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 1: serial killers could exist. When I was UM, when I 325 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 1: was looking into some of this stuff earlier, it hit 326 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: me and I always remember this thought stayed with me 327 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: which is um. The serial killers that are caught, right, 328 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: are often caught because there they were in a decline, 329 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: a psychological decline of some sort. Right, So what if 330 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:29,959 Speaker 1: we're just getting the dregs of the serial killer population. 331 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: What if we're just finding the people who were not 332 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 1: able to sustain their monstrous appetite or to maintain they're 333 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,400 Speaker 1: terrifying addiction to death, or they just weren't that good 334 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: in the first place at being at playing that creepy role. Right, Yeah, exactly, 335 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 1: because there are for every um, for every person who 336 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 1: gets caught, um, because they have done things that clearly 337 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: implicate them in a crime, there are other people who 338 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: are probably getting away with something right now, No, not 339 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: very many, I don't. I don't think that it's a 340 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 1: common thing. But there I'm sure that a simple search 341 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: will show us cases of you know what, one one 342 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,879 Speaker 1: type of serial killer that gets around a lot is 343 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 1: the medical practitioner. But every once in a while kills 344 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 1: a patient. Yeah, not every day, not every year, but hey, yeah, 345 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: maybe when you're in the hospital. But but we don't 346 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: want to be alarmist. This is very small thing. The 347 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: question is is there any sand to this conspiracy theory 348 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: that serial killers could be part of a cult. Well, 349 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: let's talk about the thing that you left us with 350 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: on and on our video that we made about this. Okay, 351 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: this can yourcy theory relies heavily how did you put it? 352 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:08,000 Speaker 1: Relies heavily on the the information or the statements of 353 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,400 Speaker 1: people who are insane. Oh. Yeah, that that's the little 354 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: caveat there. Yeah. That the main weakness of this conspiracy 355 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: theory is that relies heavily on the statements of serial 356 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 1: killers who are again nuts bonkers. Yeah. I mean, you 357 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: watch any interview with Charles Manson, any of them. I 358 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: don't care which one. Just watch it, check it out. 359 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: And people might say that he's a different case because 360 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: it's not because he didn't physically commit you know, the 361 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: Tate la Banca murders. But it's clear. But it's not 362 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:46,120 Speaker 1: a healthy thing to want to do, to kill multiple 363 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: people for no reason. That is a nice way to 364 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,919 Speaker 1: put it. And and um, I guess I guess one 365 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 1: thing that we do need to talk about is that 366 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: a lot of these these cult theories originated during a 367 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 1: moral panic in the United States was called the Satanic Panic. 368 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:06,120 Speaker 1: And the Satanic Panic was this idea that there were 369 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: numerous cases of child abductions, rapes, and murders um at 370 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: the behest of a secret Satanic network that ran the 371 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: the world as we know, it went all the way 372 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: up the government's all over the world. And that gave 373 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 1: us one fascinating fact about the only pardon it was 374 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 1: ever received when George Bush was governor of Texas, which 375 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 1: we just have to mention, people will get mad if 376 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: we don't he he pardoned, Well, it was it was 377 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: George W. Bush as then governor. And then wasn't it 378 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:50,199 Speaker 1: also Jeb Bush who also made Florida in Florida, who 379 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:53,920 Speaker 1: made a bit of a strange pardon and who was 380 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: that for been oddest tool was pardoned in Florida, and um, 381 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 1: George be A. Bush pardoned Henry Lee Lucas in Texas. 382 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 1: This was the I believe, the only pardon on the 383 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: execution board. Or didn't they just they stayed their execution 384 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 1: or what it? What was it exactly then? But I 385 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: mean both men died in prison. Yeah, yeah, but they 386 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: weren't executed because because of the Bushes Um. Now, you know, 387 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: we don't know the story behind that, but that's one 388 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: of the facts that people will always point out to 389 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,439 Speaker 1: us when we say, well, no, they probably weren't part 390 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: of a cult. They're probably making it up. To be honest, Matt, 391 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 1: you and I do not know the story about those 392 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 1: uh stays of execution. I haven't seen I haven't seen 393 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: any literature on exactly why either of those pardons occurred. Now, 394 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 1: I do think that there might be I'm gonna rate 395 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: this one as wildly exaggerated, but to a degree possible. 396 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: I think it's completely possible that there are groups of 397 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: people who plan or execute murders for ritualistic or ideological purposes, 398 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: um some of and and we know for a fact 399 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: that there killers who remain uncaught. There's a stretch of 400 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 1: highway in what is it Canada where uh an abnormal 401 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 1: amount of people turn up missing. Uh, there is, I 402 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,120 Speaker 1: think it's in Canada. There's also what's called the train 403 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: murders spelled t R A n e U. Used to 404 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: be called the Smiley Face Killer. I don't know if 405 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 1: that's real or if it's an urban legend. Maybe people 406 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: can tell us more about it. But long story short, 407 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 1: too late, ha ha uh. Is there an international community 408 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 1: of devil worshippers? Killing people. Most likely, there's no way 409 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:56,120 Speaker 1: it could happen and remain a secret. Is there are 410 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: there groups of small, small groups of lunatics rather who 411 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: are killing people. Absolutely, there's no way around it. There's 412 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:10,920 Speaker 1: certainly small groups of lunatics consistently killing people, and it 413 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: is not unreasonable to say that some of those groups 414 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: have yet to be caught. Sure, it makes me think 415 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 1: of pulp fiction and the guys are on the pawn shop. 416 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,920 Speaker 1: You just every once in a while catch somebody in 417 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: their trap and execute them. And that, Oh man, that 418 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:33,880 Speaker 1: really creeps me out and I enjoy that. It makes 419 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: my imagination run wild. But then I think we're gonna 420 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: be giving people nightmares by talking about this. Well also, yeah, 421 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: well we are talking about our statistical anomalies. It's there's 422 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: statistical anomalies, but there are it's also just kind of 423 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: a reality. We a lot of times on our show 424 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 1: we talked about the human nature, in the nature of 425 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: humanity and what the darker side of it, what it 426 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 1: leads to, and that's exactly what this is. Yeah, it is. 427 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: We would we would like to hear what you think. 428 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: Thank you guys for listening to our episode on the 429 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: serial killer cults, conspiracy Matt, what what do you want 430 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 1: to have people tell us about. I'd like to hear 431 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:21,480 Speaker 1: um some conspiracy theories about serial killers, especially active serial killers. 432 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: If you have any information, let us know the stories 433 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: you've heard, and then also let us know whether you 434 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: believe them. Yes, please don't cut out letters from magazine 435 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: and rearrange them into a letter and send it to us, 436 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: or do we please God, don't do that? Uh? If 437 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: you rather not cut out pieces of newspaper and send 438 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: us those publications, you can be our friends on Facebook. 439 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: We would love it help us keep our jobs. You 440 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: can send us a tweet on Twitter. We are conspiracy 441 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: Stuff at both of those, and you can always send 442 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: us an email directly. Our address is conspiracy at discovery 443 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 1: dot com. From one on this topic, another unexplained phenomenon, 444 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: visit test tube dot com slash conspiracy stuff. You can 445 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: also get in touch on Twitter at the handle at 446 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 1: conspiracy stuff