In 1920s Los Angeles, the mother-daughter duo of May Otis Blackburn and Ruth Wieland ran a female-dominated religious cult. The Blackburn Cult, as it was called in the newspapers of the time, came to the attention of the LAPD after a fraud investigation. But following the clues soon led to revelations of far worse offenses than simple fraud.

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Opening music from https://filmmusic.io. "Dark Child" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Closing music by Soma.

SOURCES

“Amazing Attempt of the Great Eleven Cult to Raise the Dead.” Shreveport (Louisiana) Times, April 6, 1930.

“Angel Gabriel Girls Quizzed.” Los Angeles Times, February 7, 1925.

“Apostles of Doom to Wait Whole Week.” Pomona Bulletin, February 7, 1925.

“Believe Body May Be That of H. Balcom.” Santa Ana Register, October 8, 1929.

“Cult Leaders Face Charges.” Los Angeles Times, October 4, 1929.

“Cult Queen Tells of Being Chained Two Months to Bed Post.” Los Angeles Times, October 11, 1929.

“Cult's Poison Rites Investigated as Rainbow Tells of Leader's Quest for Potion.” Los Angeles Times, October 12, 1929.

“Death Theory is Switched.” Long Beach Sun, October 10, 1929.

“Four Women Feared Slain in Cult Rites.” Oakland Tribune, October 9, 1929.

“Heart Murder Victim Seen as Rancher.” Long Beach Sun, October 18, 1929.

“Human Heart in Mail May Solve Crime.” Long Beach Sun, October 30, 1929.

“Kidnapping of Woman Feared.” San Francisco Examiner, March 21, 1927.

“Murder Victim Found on Ranch Near Westminster.” Santa Ana Register, October 7, 1929.

“Mystery of Simi Woman Revived.” Ventura County Star, December 17, 1937.

“New Chapter Written in Louise Volz Disappearance.” Ventura County Star, March 28, 1938.

“Pair Describe Death in Oven.” Los Angeles Times, October 10, 1929.

“Police on Search at Venice Cottage for Secret Grave of Young Cult Priestess.” Los Angeles Times, October 6, 1929.

“Probe L.A. Doom Cult.” Los Angeles Record, February 6, 1925.

“Sheriff Has New Theory.” Los Angeles Times, October 10, 1929.

“Vogel Adjudged Mentally Sick; to be Confined.” Los Angeles Times, January 9, 1925.

Fort, Samuel. Cult of the Great Eleven. Omaha: Nisirtu Publishing, 2019.

ESDA | Rowen, Margaret Matilda Wright (1871–1939) (adventist.org)

Secrets of Los Angeles, 1932-33: The Anton Wagner files | Esotouric

As Above So Below: The Meaning of The Esoteric Phrase | Mysterium Academy

Pioneer Era – Strathearn Historical Park and Museum (simihistory.com)

People v. Blackburn, 214 Cal. 402 | Casetext Search + Citator

Mary Harlene Satoris - Facts (ancestry.com)