Hey there, strangers, it's Laura. If you're enjoying our show and you're looking for your next listen, I have got just the thing. It's a brand new podcast from Crime House called Conspiracy Theory's Cults and Crimes. Each week, Vanessa Richardson will uncover the true stories behind the world's most shocking crimes, deadly ideologies, and secret plots,

from mass suicides and political assassinations to government experiments and even UFO cults.

If you love mystery, madness, and diving deep into the world's most unbelievable true stories,

you will not want to miss this show.

We have a clip here from the first episode about the Heaven's Gate cult, which is out now.

And if you like what you hear, don't forget to follow conspiracy theories, cults, and crimes

on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.

Sometimes the most shocking stories have the most ordinary beginnings.

That was certainly the case for Heaven's Gate and its leader Marshall Applewhite.

Born in 1932, in the small city of Spur, Texas, Marshall had a typical

All-American upbringing, and religion was a very important part of his childhood. His father

was a well-known Presbyterian minister in the area, and he encouraged Marshall to live a life of

virtue, one that his family and God would

be proud of. Marshall was eager to please. Growing up, he attended church regularly and wanted to

become a minister just like his father. But while Marshall was a staunch Christian, he was also

interested in looking elsewhere for the answers

to life's biggest questions. So when it was time for him to go to college in the late

1940s or early 50s, Marshall decided to study philosophy at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.

And he made a splash on campus right away. Classmates remembered Marshall as

an extrovert with a magnetic personality. Along with joining the association of prospective

Presbyterian ministers, Marshall was a talented singer who led the school's acapella group.

It seemed like whatever Marshall set his mind to,

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