We’re dropping into the feed today to share incredibly exciting news AND an invitation for you. Ashley Flowers and Max Cutler are holding a special event to celebrate the release of their books! It’s happening July 13th, and you can join them virtually or in-person. Listen to this message from Max to hear all about it, then go to parcast.com/cults to register!

And a huge bonus: Max is matching all ticket sales up to $125,000 in a donation to Season of Justice, the nonprofit dedicated to helping law enforcement and families solve cold cases. Go to parcast.com/cults to register now!

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On March 10th, 1928, 9-year-old Walter Collins vanished. Months later, police found the lost boy and reunited him with his mother Christine. But she protested that the rescued boy wasn't her son at all, and went on to sue the police officers who pressured her to take in the child.

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This is a story of murder, manipulation, and a confession that unraveled an entire community in the small town of Knutby. In the early 2000s, what seemed like an open-and-shut case revealed layers of gut-wrenching secrets — and it all starts with text messages from God.

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A mother, her teenage daughter, and her daughter’s friend went on a hike on a warm summer day in 1954. One of them never returned. As police investigated the site of her so-called accident, they came to a harrowing conclusion. 

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A small-time crook made global headlines after kidnapping Freddy Heineken, the billionaire beer heir, then spent the next decades building an empire of his own. Wim Holleeder is the Netherlands’ most notorious crime boss — an untouchable gangster whose downfall came at the hands of his own family. 

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An hour outside of Dublin, the scenic Wicklow Mountains and surrounding towns have developed a dark reputation. Inexplicable disappearances and unsolved murders have plagued the area for four decades, prompting the creation of a special task force to investigate whether the cases were the work of a serial killer. 

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On March 31st, 1922, an entire family was violently murdered on their farm. The gruesome investigation revealed a web of village feuds, incest, and even claims of paranormal activity. The massacre remains Germany's most incredible unsolved case.

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He was the 20th century's greatest outlaw. She was a peerless beauty trapped in a loveless marriage. Together they perpetrated a spree of brutal violence that left its mark on Brazil forever. This is the story of Lampião the Bandit King and his love, Maria Bonita. 

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In 1974, a missing persons case in Reykjavik, Iceland, turned into a murder investigation when six people confessed to two killings. The only problem: There were no bodies. No evidence. And the six suspects had no memory of committing any crimes.

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A family camping trip in 1980 ended with a cry that became a punchline, and a mother accused of murder. It would take three decades for the Australian government to acknowledge what Lindy Chamberlain had been saying all along — that her nine-week-old daughter Azaria had been killed by dingoes. But in that time, the shoddy investigation and sensational media coverage ensured there was more than one victim in this case. 

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