Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2005, Page 112
Terrorism
Phases of Conditioning
Psychologist Anthony Stahelski defines ―five phases of social psychological conditioning in
the making of a terrorist. Depluralization: The stripping away of all other group member
identities. Self-deindividuation: The stripping away of each member‘s personal identity.
Other deindividuation: Stripping away the personal identities of enemies. Dehumanization:
Identifying enemies as subhuman or nonhuman. Demonization: Identifying enemies as evil.
The author discusses these phases in ―Terrorists are made, Not Born,‖ Anthony Stahelski,
Ph.D., Journal of Homeland Security, March, 2004. (FAIR News, February, 2005)
Marcus Wesson
“Cult-Like” Figure
A prosecutor in the Fresno, CA, trial of Marcus Wesson, who allegedly murdered nine
family members last year during the course of a child custody dispute, says Wesson lived a
life of incest and polygamy and admired David Koresh, late leader of the Branch
Davidians. She said he was a ―cult-like‖ leader who beat family members with a stick or
baseball bat and held bible study sessions three times a day, some at 1:00 am. (Joreme
Barut-Phillips, Reuters, Internet, 3/4/05)
How He Controlled Family
Ruby Ortiz, testifying at the trial of Marcus Wesson, accused of murdering nine members
of his family, says she was happy when she married him at the age of 13, but that he
eventually became cruel and jealous, isolated his children from the outside world, believed
he was Jesus Christ, and beat them with a baseball bat if they disobeyed him or didn‘t learn
their Bible lessons.
The prosecution argues that Wesson controlled his children partly through ―sex and
rejection,‖ and made a murder-suicide pact with them to be invoked if authorities came to
break up the family. In 1999, while Wesson was away from home, the women in the group
saw a suspicious car outside. They took out the suicide notes he had induced them to sign,
as well as the guns and poison to do the job. But after praying, they decided to call Wesson,
who said not to act. It is alleged that the plan was eventually carried out, resulting in the
deaths for which Wesson is now being tried. The prosecution is based on the legal doctrine
of aiding and abetting, which says that the defendant is guilty of murder if he instigates,
encourages, or promotes the deaths.
Ortiz says Wesson used the Bible to persuade his daughters and children to marry him and
bear his children. He told them, she reports, ―God‘s people are becoming extinct. We need
to preserve God‘s children. We need to have more children for the Lord.‖ Wesson, added
Ortiz, who is now 22, was fascinated by Branch Davidian leader David Koresh, who had
multiple wives and many children. (Pablo Lopez, Fresno Bee, Internet, 3/11 and 3/16/05)
Son Says Father is Insane
The son of accused mass murderer Marcus Wesson has told a trial court that his father is
insane. In a conversation recorded by authorities, Wesson reportedly told his family: ―The
Lord has me mentally hooked up to you guys 24-hours a day. Whatever I think goes to you
spiritually.‖ He also says he‘s in jail so that he can lose weight — the grossly overweight
Wesson appears to have lost half his body weight during his year in jail. (Pablo Lopez,
Fresno Bee, Internet, 3/22/05)

Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2005, Page 113
Wife Says She Would Still Die for Him
Rosa Solorio, one of the wives of accused mass murderer Marcus Wesson, told a jury that
she still loves him — he allegedly killed two of their children — and that she is still willing to
die for him. In a taped police interview, Solorio allegedly reported that Wesson, using his
fingers to simulate a gun, taught his children to shoot themselves in the temple or heart as
part of a suicide pact to be carried out if authorities came to split up the family. But in
court, she denied this, saying, ―They [police] put words in my mouth.‖ She said her life has
been difficult since the deaths, that she sleeps in a car or in the park, and often goes to the
scene of the crimes to make sure the yard is clean. (Pablo Lopez, Fresno Bee, Internet,
3/25/05)
His Attitudes Glimpsed
Marcus Wesson, on trial accused of murdering nine members of his family, told one of his
wives, Rosa Solorio, during a jailhouse visit, that the end of the world, the second coming of
Christ, was imminent, and that God took responsibility for the killings. Wesson says God
told him, according to a court transcript, that the children had to die because [Wesson
apparently quoting God]: ―They weren‘t ready. They would have been in darkness. That‘s
why I removed your family.‖ ―To hear some crap like that scared me,‖ Wesson told Solorio,
adding that he didn‘t die because the Lord said he wasn‘t ready. ―He wants me to do some
serious work for him.‖
Solorio, who believes Wesson is innocent, says she thinks God speaks through him, and
sometimes to her. She said Wesson had ―visions‖ and could predict the future. Wesson also
told Solorio that he feels electricity in his head, and that the Lord told him: ―I‘ve never seen
that, except at the beginning of time, when angels were mixing with men.‖ The transcripts
indicate he thinks God gave him an ―angelic brain.‖
Vintage Press in 2002 rejected Wesson‘s manuscript, ―In the Night, of the Light, for the
Dark.‖ Solorio says he recently wrote another book, ―The Metaphysical Aspects of Spiritual
Vampirism.‖ (Pablo Lopez, Fresno Bee, Internet, 3/29, 31/05)
Witchcraft
Witchcraft Treatment Alleged
Two women have sued a Geneva, IL, hospital for allowing a psychologist to use witchcraft to
treat them. One of the women says she was taught spells and told to divorce her husband.
She then moved in with the psychologist, a woman, who forced her to do the housework
and take nude pictures of her [the psychologist]. (UPI in Washington Times, Internet,
3/28/05)
Batch 2
Apostolic Faith Church Body of Jesus Christ of the Newborn Assembly
Critic of Group Murdered
Carolyn Clark, a member of the Apostolic Faith Church, in Ashatabula County, OH, was
beaten to death with a gun six weeks after accusing the church, in an affidavit, of numerous
incidents of abuse and cult-like behavior, such as mind control and physical and sexual abuse.
Police say that five of Clark‘s 13 children were in the apartment when she was killed. They
arrested her estranged husband Ralph on a charge of aggravated murder only a day after
awarding her custody of their minor children.
Church leader Charles Keyes says that his congregation of about 275 meets four times a
week and that many of the members work at church businesses in order to finance a new
church building. (NewsChannel5, Internet, 5/11/05)