Daniel U. Perez has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Patricia Hughes. At his trial, she even said that she was made to tape an 8-year old undressing as well at least twice. The Family International, also known as the Children of God, was founded in Huntington Beach, California, by David Brandt Berg in 1968. Sara McGrath was brought into Perez's family by her mom, a real estate agent who first helped Lou Castro find the right property when he came to town. 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. 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 . Daniel Perez and his followers lived on a 20-acre compound, near Valley Center and Kechi, which contained several residential buildings and a swimming pool. It was in Angel's Landing that Emily had moved into the master bedroom with Daniel Perez. It does not specify what type of job he is working. Years later Sarah thought that Brian may have taken his own life mostly due to him never getting over Trishs death and Castors teachings on death and crossing over. Mona took out a $750,000 policy on her life naming Lindsey as her beneficiary and Trish as Lindseys caregiver. Police identified the arrested members as Ryan Kramer, Christopher Royer, Sarah Rudolph, Karin Raymond, Jason Castillo, John Robertson and Obdulia Franco. 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. (Photo courtesy of Oxygen. Their mother believed that he was an angel who could predict peoples death. The girl said she actually heard a splash and a scream and then saw Perez wet and out of breath. He was finally . She also said she was the reincarnation of both Jesus Christ and Marilyn Monroe. Applewhite plus 38 other people between the ages of 26 and 72 died in three groups over three days. Investigators found 48 bodies inside. Perez was 46-years-old at this time. Other members of the cult are still in prison. After guests arrived, the venue burst into flames. However, there was little information linking Perez to the deaths. The group didnt stay there long and within a few months moved to Wichita, Kansas. An addition to the small group was Jennifer Hutson. Castro told Emily to take Nicole into a nearby pool house and not come out. The evidence conclusively shows that Mr. Perez used people as mere objects to fulfill his desire for money, sex and a lavish lifestyle, Bribiesca said. As reported by Daily Mail, Daniel Perez was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2010. As the twos relationship deepened Sarah shared with Daniel about all of the group members deaths along with the group expectation that they serve Castro, but most importantly that the group was supported financially by the life insurance payouts they had received over the years. would soon join the group in Wichita. 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. Things somewhat took a turn for the better when she met her boyfriend Daniel McGrath. Daniel Perez had been living there when he met Trish Gomez. I remember saying, Am I fixed now?'. 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. 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. [Perez] is either very unlucky, with close friends dying, or hes involved in some way in making it happen, Sedgwick County Sheriffs Offices Detective Ron Goodwyn told Oxygen. Authorities said Perez fled to Tennessee to avoid questioning about his followers' suspicious deaths. 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. He had prepared a fabricated story that had cleared his name since initially, the police thought that her death was an accident. The woman, 26-year-old. It was extremely scary, she said. Upon his arrival in Kansas, Daniel Perez introduced himself as Lou Castro and managed to convince numerous people he was an angel, who could perform medical miracles and predict the future. . In this photo, the body of one of the victims, actress Sharon Tate, is taken from her house in California in 1969. After three months the small group moved back to Wichita, Kansas where they lived in some townhomes while looking for permanent housing. 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. Judge Joseph Bribiesca ordered that Perez would serve his sentences consecutively, making it so Perez will not be eligible for parole until he is 120 years old. One such episode, 'Angels and Demons,' presented the heinous crimes committed by self-proclaimed psychic Daniel Perez, whose known alias is Lou Castro (amongst others.) One day he and another detective showed up at Angels Landing with glossy photographs of made-up suspects. She would also disclose that one day Lou had sat her and her sister, Emily down and told them that it was time for their mother to die. On April 21, 2010, authorities arrested Perez at his new home in Tennessee after learning about what had been going on at Angels Landing in the past years through interviews with members of the commune. Angel's Landing was the location where Daniel Perez's cult was housed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. So it surprised many when he had been crushed to death under a vehicle when his jack slipped. Four crime scenes, thirty-two gunshot wounds, eight members of the Rhoden family left dead in their homes. Cults have made headlines around the world for many years and continue to fascinate in documentaries and popular podcasts. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Pictured from left, Charles Manson followers Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten. [Perez] was now known for two things: Money no one could explain and the death of Patricia Hughes, Goodwyn told producers. I remember saying, 'Am I fixed now?'. Powered by. In 2006, her husband Brian Hughes was killed when a carjack failed and he was crushed. What Detective Goodwyn theorized was that instead of dealing drugs to afford their lifestyle Castro had talked people into taking out large life insurance policies and then indoctrinating them into killing themselves. Sarah would tell investigators about the abuse she suffered for years from Lou Castro. There were also multiple houses built on the scene. Goodwyn found a disturbing pattern of expensive life insurance policies being taken out on people in Perez's circle, then cashed in by members. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The two along with Monas 14-year-old daughter Lindsey and son Cody moved in together. Judge Joseph Bribiesca ordered that Perez would serve his sentences consecutively, making it so Perez will not be eligible for parole until he is 120 years old. It is also the place where he drowned Patricia Hughes to collect on her life insurance money. Indian mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh attracted followers by the thousands in the 1970s. In 2008, she would also lose her mother in a freak car crash. The outlet shared that in 2015 Perez was handed two life sentences, plus 406 months with no possibility of parole for 80 years. To evade law enforcement, Perez would consistently be on the move, relocating constantly from one state to another. He left the care of his daughter to Hutson, who died in a traffic accident in 2008. They also testified to the ongoing sexual violence by Daniel Perez and the deaths of six people connected with the group (Mona, Lindsey, Jim, Tricia, Jennifer, and Brian). Powered by. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The Wichita Eagle noted that the Kansas Bureau of Investigations sex offender registry showed Perez raped girls ranging in age from 8 to 16. This "angel," however, wasactually namedDaniel Perez, and was found guilty in February 2015 of fraud, child exploitation, rape and first-degree murder. Jennifer would end up divorcing her husband and moving her and the girls to Wichita, Kansas in June 2001. The investigation into Daniel Perez centered around what investigators called his unexplained wealth, according to The Wichita Eagle. In 1994, a man who spoke against the cult was killed in his home, along with his wife and baby. The problem was they didnt have a crime, just suspicions. Where Are Sara and Emily from Dateline's Angels and Demons Now? And the FBI contacted them back.. Daniel Perez, also known as Lou Castro, was sentenced to life in prison for murder and the rape of children in his cult, known as the Angel's Landing commune. His current whereabouts are unknown. Insurance salesman Bill Hatton confirmed Daniel Perez collected $2 million from the death of Patricia Hughes alone. Not to be deterred, Castro and Trish repeatedly visited the insurance agency while the search for the downed plane continued. According to both Emily and Sarah, Trish was like a second mother to them. They are one count first-degree murder, eight counts of rape, seven counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, three of aggravated assault, one of sexual exploitation of a child, and eight of making false information. Perez, now 62, is behind bars at the Lansing Correctional Facility, according to theKansas Sex Offender Registry. age 17. The witnesses testified to the groups transient movements over a 15-year period that included a number of states (Texas, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, and Mexico). Daniel Perez, who also went by Lou Castro and many other names, traveled around the United States convincing people, mostly women, that he was a 1,000-year-old angel with magical powers. Castro and Trish attempted to cash in Monas policy, but the insurance company would not release the money since Monas body had not been recovered. I wasnt sure that I was going to be able to do it. In interviews she granted for "Wild Wild Country," she largely spoke kindly of Rajneesh, who died in 1990. I dont think [cults] are common, McGrath said. He was found guilty of 28 crimes in Sedgwick County District Court in Kansas in 2015. Brian was a diesel mechanic and from those that knew him, he was always safety conscious when working under vehicles. Actor Joaquin Phoenix was born into the Children of God. Lou Castro lived extravagantly inKansas with hiscult-likefamily and was found guilty of rape and the murder of Patricia Hughes. The raid led to a shootout that left four agents dead, followed by a 51-daystandoffwith the FBI. More than 900 people died at Jonestown. 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