Jeff Peterson has spent years trying to pull his kids out of the Zion Society - until the cult’s hunger for money creates an opening. When his ex-wife Carla asks for help selling the group’s lingerie line, “Sweet Things,” Jeff hires a private investigator to pose as a Las Vegas buyer and go undercover inside Northwood.

What she captures on camera changes everything. But there’s a catch: Jeff’s custody deal comes with a vow of silence - until Detective Mike King’s investigation collides with Jeff’s case, freeing him to talk. With corroboration in hand and the clock ticking, Mike prepares to raid the quiet neighborhood at dawn.

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From inside the Zion Society, Erin (heard in rare archival audio) explains how predators exploit vulnerability - love-bombing, isolation, and religion used as camouflage. In Northwood subdivision recruiter and enforcer Carla tightens her grip, controlling access to Arvin Shreeve and pushing new women through a coded doctrine of “Zion vs. Babylon,” obedience, and fear.

Meanwhile, Jeff Peterson’s family is torn apart when his wife disappears into the cult with their children. Jeff’s custody battle becomes a desperate negotiation - money, legal threats, and silence agreements - while Erin begins describing what’s happening behind closed doors: coercion, sexual control, and escalating punishment for resistance.

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Investigator Mike King is officially assigned to investigate Erin’s allegation - quietly, urgently, and under the threat of destroyed evidence and stockpiled weapons. But Erin’s aunt isn’t waiting for law enforcement. She drives into Northwood to reach Erin and her young daughter - and is met with intimidation and violence from Shreeve and his followers. As Erin’s family fights to pull her out, the cult’s control tightens…and the clock starts ticking.

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Welcome to a new season of American Nightmares!

A pristine neighborhood in Ogden, Utah hides something rotten. When a couple moves into Northwood subdivision in 1981, they’re welcomed with free landscaping, shared supplies, and a sense of family - until the community’s leader, Arvin Shreeve, reveals a secret doctrine of polygamy and sexual manipulation.

Nearly a decade later, on July 9, 1991, a woman walks into the Weber County Attorney’s Office and confesses to detective Mike King that she was part of the Zion Society, a cult she says was abusing children.

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NEW True Crime Series from Gamut Podcast Network.

Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult begins February 3rd.

It was just another quiet neighborhood in small town America. At least, that's how it looked. But the immaculately groomed yards, trimmed hedges, and brightly colored flower gardens hid an insidious secret.

More than a hundred residents were members of a cult called The Zion Society. Hiding in plain sight, they hoarded guns and ammunition. They created, sold, and modeled sexy lingerie. They took children away from parents and groomed them for sexual abuse.

Their beliefs were centered around satisfying the perverted desires of one man - their leader: an unassuming, soft-spoken landscaper. Neighbors knew something was amiss, but it wasn't until a brave young woman broke away from the secretive group and confessed to authorities that everything began to unravel for this dangerous cult. This is the story of that unraveling told by the people who lived it.

Subscribe to Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardens-of-evil-inside-the-zion-society-cult/id1748894795

https://open.spotify.com/show/5w7xyH8ttWZKc64D9q08H4

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He was known as the Terror of East Baltimore who wrote poetry and went to readings.

A convicted criminal at 15 who started a prison riot. That's just a some of what we've learned about Edward Watts/Baari Shabazz — the man police say is responsible for the 1998 murder of Sherry Crandell. A man Sherry's oldest son calls a monster.

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How did a 2012 murder in Baltimore, a name from an obituary, and DNA entered into an ancestry database lead to solving the 1998 murder of Sherry Crandell? 

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In this bonus episode, Mike King (American Nightmares: Garden of Evil, Season 5 - Coming Feb 3) sits down with investigative journalist Paul Wagner (American Nightmares: Murder in a Safe Place, Season 2) to revisit the Sherry Crandell case — and to unpack the long road that led to justice.

Together, they break down the original investigation, the controversial hospital-wide DNA dragnet, and the relentless efforts of a retired detective who refused to let Sherry’s case fade into obscurity. The conversation also explores how Wagner’s reporting helped keep pressure on the case when leads ran dry and answers seemed impossible.

Most importantly, they examine the 2025 breakthrough that finally identified Edward Barry Watts — also known as Baari Shabazz — as Sherry Crandell’s killer through investigative genetic genealogy. Paul and Mike discuss what this moment means for Sherry’s family, the ethical questions surrounding genetic genealogy, and the growing power of this technology to solve violent crimes once thought unsolvable.

#ProfilingEvil #MurderInASafePlace #AmericanNightmares #SherryCrandell #PrinceGeorgesHospital #CheverlyMaryland #ColdCase #GeneticGenealogy #BaariShabazz #EdwardWatts #BernieNelson #FBI #HospitalMurder #VictimJustice #TrueCrimePodcast #InvestigativeJournalism

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Welcome back for Day 3 of our special preview of Profiling Evil, hosted by Mike King.

In this episode, we dive deep into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of 5-year-old Summer Wells. Was she abducted, did she suffer a tragic accident, or could there be foul play involved? We examine the various theories, possible suspects, and the heartbreaking question: Could Summer still be alive, just waiting to be found like other children who have reappeared decades later? Join us as we look into this unsolved case, and ask the difficult questions surrounding her fate.

#SummerWells #TrueCrime #MissingChildren #UnsolvedMysteries #Abduction #TrueCrimeCommunity #FindSummerWells #ColdCases #TrueCrimeTheories #JusticeForSummerWells

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Did you enjoy Megan's conversation with Mike King? Check out a special bonus episode of Mike's show: Profiling Evil.

On October 1, 2017, America faced an unfathomable tragedy. Stephen Paddock opened fire from his Mandalay Bay Hotel suite, killing 60 and injuring over 800 during the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Despite extensive investigations, his motives remain unclear, leaving a trail of unanswered questions.

In this deep dive, Profiling Evil's Twisted Tales unravels the layers of Stephen Paddock's life—from his troubled childhood under the shadow of a criminal father to his calculated and chilling final act. What shaped this man? How did a seemingly ordinary life end in unthinkable violence? Join us as we explore the intricate psychological, familial, and societal factors that defined one of the most infamous mass shootings in U.S. history. Stay tuned as we connect the dots, uncover hidden truths, and learn from these dark tales. Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and RING the BELL for more crime insights.

Visit ProfilingEvil.com for podcasts, videos, and more. Together, we’ll unravel the mysteries.

#LasVegasShooting #StephenPaddock #Route91HarvestFestival #MandalayBay #LasVegasMassacre #MassShooting #ProfilingEvil #TrueCrime #CrimeDocumentary #GunViolence #PsychologyOfViolence #CriminalProfiling #TwistedTales #CrimeStories #ProfilingEvilTwistedTales

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Welcome to Profiling Evil!

In this episode, Chad Daybell drops Letter #9 about his “third near-death experience” from 2017, complete with a Spirit Woman in Black, a minute-long blackout where family says he turned purple, and a “fiery dart” that he and Tammy interpreted as a spiritual weapon. Let’s unpack how this letter fits Chad Daybell’s Death Row Marketing Plan. It’s a rebranding campaign that uses religious imagery, paranormal claims, and nostalgia to push the public away from the facts that Chad Daybell was convicted of murdering his wife, Tammy Daybell, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. Shortly after Tammy’s death he secretly married Lori Vallow in Hawaii while JJ and Tylee were buried on his property. Walk through the manipulation tactics, the psychology, spiritual bypassing, magical thinking, dissociation, impression management, and the quiet sales pitch back to his books and speaking circuit. We’ll keep JJ, Tylee, Tammy, Charles Vallow, Brandon Boudreaux, and Colby Ryan front and center, where they belong.

#ChadDaybell #LoriDaybell #LoriVallow #TammyDaybell #JJVallow #TyleeRyan #CharlesVallow #BrandonBoudreaux #ColbyRyan #AlexCox #MelanieGibb #ZulemaPastenes #DaybellLetters #Letter9 #ThirdNDE #WomanInBlack #FieryDart #IdahoMurders

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