Heaven’s Gate Part 1 with Serial Killers & Murderous Minds

The First Degree

Alexis Linkletter and Jac Vanek

News, Society & Culture, True Crime

4.5 • 10.4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2026

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this special true crime crossover, we joined Vanessa Richardson and forensic psychologist Dr. Tristin Engels on Serial Killers and Murderous Minds for a two-part deep dive into Heaven’s Gate. For part 2 and our extended discussion with Dr. Engels , follow Serial Killers and Murderous Minds wherever you listen to podcasts. In the 1970s, Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles emerged with a radical message: they were celestial beings sent to guide humanity to the “Next Level.” What began as a small spiritual study group slowly transformed into a tightly controlled community built on isolation, strict behavioral codes, and the rejection of earthly identity. As belief deepened, individuality disappeared, and devotion to the mission became absolute. In Part 1, Vanessa and Dr. Engels examine how Applewhite’s personal crises, religious fixation, and apocalyptic thinking evolved into a doctrine that demanded total surrender. It’s a chilling look at how ordinary people searching for purpose and connection became entangled in a worldview where doubt was no longer allowed to exist. To hear us in Part 2, including our extended discussion with Vanessa Richardson and Dr. Engels, be sure to follow Serial Killers and Murderous Minds wherever you get your podcasts. Follow and listen here: https://play.megaphone.fm/fsc89gpqrvo6x6s_v1clyw 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the first degree, the true crime podcast that you might end up on. My name is Jack Fannick. I'm sitting here with the Lexus Link Letter. And today we have something different for you. Something we're really, really excited about. And it's going to be a little bit of a different episode. What do we have for them today, Lex? Yeah, we did something different. So we're starting to make some new friends in the true crime podcast space. And two of those new friends are Vanessa
0:22.9	Richardson and Dr. Tristan Engels of the serial killers and murderous minds podcast. So we did a
0:28.7	collab episode with them about one of Jack's favorite cults. Yes, this whole collab episode is about
0:36.3	Heaven's Gate. It was actually the case that got me into true crime as a whole when I was a little, little gal at 10 years old. It's a really fascinating episode. We love them so much. And we hope you enjoy it.
0:50.4	Yes, and enjoy the smooth, smooth voice of Vanessa Richardson because, dear Lord, I could listen to her all day.
0:57.1	All day.
1:01.2	Hey, Firsteys, it's me, Jack, and I'm here with Alexis.
1:04.5	And today we're doing something a little bit different and we're really excited to share it with you.
1:09.5	Right.
1:09.9	So we recently joined Vanessa Richardson and forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels on the
1:15.6	Crimehouse podcast, serial killers and murderous minds for two-part deep dive in the
1:21.2	Heaven's Gate cult, examining not just what happened, but why.
1:25.5	And if you know the first thing about me and true crime,
1:28.1	you know that this was the case that originally got me into true crime
1:32.0	when I was only 10 years old.
1:34.0	I was absolutely fascinated with the Heavens Gate Colt
1:37.6	and everything that transpired for some reason.
1:40.9	I was really interested in those matching Nikes as a kid, and it is kind of just
1:46.4	transferred on into adulthood almost 30 years later. We talk about this cult all of the time,
1:52.4	and it's just really crazy how two people can totally reinforce each other's delusions
1:57.9	so completely that reality itself just starts to disappear.
2:02.3	Yeah, and I just think the whole thing about cults that have always fascinated us is just like how
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