Mark James Kilroy was born in Chicago on March 5, 1968, the eldest son of Jim and Helen,

who were employors a chemical engineer and a volunteer paramedic.

Not long after he was born, his family moved down to Texas and Mark spent most of his childhood

living in a small town called Santa Fe, not far from Houston.

As it grew into his teenage years, Mark proved to be that rare breed of person that excels in both

athletics and academia, leading him to earn a basketball scholarship from a Texas State University.

By all accounts, Mark was such a talented basketball player that there's a chance he could have

turned pro, but he was also a mature and practical young man. And in 1989, he opted for a transfer

to the University of Texas at Austin to become a pre-med student in preparation for his medical

college admission test. Mark's parents had instilled a strong work ethic in their son,

and there's no doubt that Mark worked his butt off to earn his shot at medical school.

But all work in no play make Jack a doll boy, and by spring break of 1989,

Mark was about ready to let off a little steam. Even a few college buddies hatched a plan to

drive down to South Padre Island for seven days of sun and surf. The trip seemed like it would

be a whole world of fun, but for one of them, spring break would bring a truly harrowing and deeply

disturbing ordeal that remains ingrained on the minds of all who hear it. This is the story

of the Santa Elena death cult. On March 10th, 1989, a friend of Mark's drove over to Austin to

pick him up for their trip. They made a brief stop in Santa Fe to pick up two other friends,

then hit the road for the nine hour drive down to South Texas, arriving at the Sheraton hotel

just before midnight. The following morning, they awoke to a college kids' fantasy come to life.

Beer sponsors were staging a variety of entertainment events, including free movies,

music concerts, free calls home, surf simulator activities, and opportunities to appear on TV

...