Related
Translate
Get RNB via RSS
 |
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Get RNB via Email
 |
 Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Follow: Twitter
Most Popular
This Week:
- Guyana’s Jonestown suicide site gets plaque
- Gaddafi preaches Islam to Rome beauties
- Scientology practices ‘putting people at risk’
- Recession: Muslim schools in UK under threat of closure
- Australian senator tells Parliament of widespread criminal conduct within the Church of Scientology
- When a child dies, faith is no defense
- Techie Holy water and geeky bishops
- Muslim terrorists smuggle fatwas promoting Jihad out of secure UK prisons
- Israel Charges Extremist With Attempted Murder Of Messianic Family
- Scientology’s feet held to the fire in Australia: Struggle between a church and the state
Last fugitive in case against Oregon cult members appears in court
More articles on this topic: RajneeshAP, Dec. 21, 2002
http://www.cnn.com/
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — A cult leader of the defunct Rajneesh Ranch in central Oregon pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to murder a U.S. Attorney and was sentenced to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Phyllis McCarthy, 55, voluntarily flew from South Africa to plead guilty.
In an emotional court statement Friday, the former president of the Rajneeshee commune described the cult’s grip as “psychological torture.” But McCarthy said she took personal responsibility for going along with the abortive 1985 plot to murder Charles Turner, who was then Oregon’s U.S. attorney, after he began investigating the cult.
McCarthy alluded to her failure to speak out at meetings when the idea of killing Turner was broached.
“I cannot forgive myself for not being tougher at the time,” she said.
Turner was not satisfied. “One year for a conspiracy to murder a presidential appointee?” said Turner, who retired in 1993. “That’s just laughable.”
McCarthy’s conviction may mark the end to the criminal cases stemming from the Rajneeshees’ occupancy of a 64,000-acre ranch from 1981 to 1985.
Thousands were drawn to the compound by the group’s charismatic leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, known to the outside world for his obsession with flashy Rolls-Royce automobiles.
Most cult leaders fled the country as FBI agents descended on the ranch to investigate sham marriages, wiretapping and an intentional salmonella poisoning that sickened hundreds of people in The Dalles.
As part of the investigation, prosecutors uncovered the plot to murder Turner.
Seven people were indicted in the murder conspiracy. All but Catherine Jane Stubbs have been convicted. Stubbs remains at large in Germany, but a court there ruled in 1991 that she could not be extradited.
Rajneesh was deported in 1986. He died in India in 1990.
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
 Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
 Previous entry: Just do the L. Ron-ron Next entry: BBC film inflames faithful
RNB Homepage with latest headlinesFind Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
