Documentary Now (2015) s03e01 Episode Script
Batsh*t Valley (Part 1)
1 [Theme music playing.]
Good evening.
I'm Helen Mirren, and you're watching "Documentary Now!" season 52.
Now, what causes someone to start a cult? And what causes someone to join one? In 1980, a man known as Father Ra-Shawbard, and his followers descended upon a small town in Oregon to build a utopian community.
What followed is one of the strangest stories in American law enforcement history.
This is "Batshit Valley.
" Man: Even now, knowing what I know, I have no regrets about my time as a Shawbardite.
My only regret is that Father Ra-Shawbard was born before the world was ready for his message.
Woman: Being with Father Ra-Shawbard was like having a wonderful dream.
And when you wake up and tell people about the dream, only then do you realize how foolish it was.
Woman: Chinook is named for the Indians who settled this land.
They would never have let anyone take it away from them, so why would we? It's easy to look back and say we took it too far.
But when your town is under siege, you'll do anything you can to protect it.
Woman: People always say if I had been nicer to the townspeople, none of this would have happened.
Well, maybe I would have been nicer to the townspeople had they not been so fat and stupid.
Season 3, Episode 1 Man: Chinook, Oregon, is a quiet town, one not accustomed to visitors.
So it was quite a surprise two weeks ago when strangers dressed in yellow and black started arriving by the busloads.
They call themselves Shawbardites, and they are followers of this man, Father Ra-Shawbard, a self-proclaimed spiritual leader who is now calling Chinook home.
Woman: The sign to the gate at Shawbard Valley Ranch says, "Everyone welcome.
" And the days are filled with meditation, light stretching, and meals prepared from their own garden.
But here at the Shawbard Valley Ranch, the Shawbardites only eat the vegetables after the vegetables give permission.
And it seems as though we're here on a good day, as all of the vegetables have okayed themselves for consumption.
The whole thing sounded pretty out there to me.
But at that point, it wasn't like they were bothering anyone.
Woman: It's strange to think how things could have been so different without that sign.
When I heard on the news that they talk to food, I thought this would be the funniest sign.
People seem to like it.
It's been getting smiles from a lot of my customers.
Oh, that's lovely, yeah.
- It's funny, though.
- Uh-huh.
When I read about the sign in the grocery store, I was very upset.
It was very disrespectful.
[Echoing.]
Very disrespectful, very disrespectful I know they say that sign on the apples just proved that we were dead-set against them from the beginning, but, honestly, I don't think any of us were upset that they were here.
You know, we were just wondering why they were here.
Ra-Shawbard was my father.
I had a biological father, but he wanted me to have a job and take on responsibilities.
He never understood me.
But Father Ra-Shawbard did.
He just wanted me to be free and happy.
And isn't that what a father is supposed to want for his children? And that's why it was an honor to give him the money my real father gave me when he died.
I first saw Father Ra-Shawbard in a newspaper ad.
Woman: The words on the ad were so simple, but so profound "Purify.
Elevate.
Liberate.
" I called the number, and they gave me an address to send $40 for some tapes of Father speaking.
I sent it in, and when it didn't arrive, I called back and they said they didn't know what had happened, and I should try again.
I sent more money, and the tapes came.
Anyone who listened to those tapes had their life changed.
"There is the world we see, but there's also a second world that we do not" "How do we unlock the door for that world?" "And if there's a second world, could there be a third one?" "A fourth one? Could there be a sixth world?" I ordered a new tape every week.
And on my 20th, I received an invitation to Shawbard Valley Ranch, and I never looked back.
Babe, I want to tell you Woman: By the second day, I had completely forgotten about my husband and two children that I left behind.
I fell in love with you Ooh In the air, we can fly In the sea, we can dive Together, we could get high Ra-Shawbard: This is your home.
But in order for it to truly be your home, you have to abandon all the trappings of your former life.
So I ask all of you to write down the names of your family members that you are leaving behind and put them in this basket.
Along with their Social Security Number and their banking information.
And then you will be free.
I fell in love with you Man: We had created a paradise.
Fell in love with you And I think we would still be there if it wasn't for those awful townspeople.
Man: They'd have you believe we started the ill will.
But in the beginning, we actually tried to engage with the Shawbardites.
Woman: Well, I would argue that we went out of our way to make them feel welcome.
Oh, yeah, cover up that bird's head, we don't need The only problem was they were having these orgies.
And, hey, I don't have a problem with orgies.
If that is your thing, more power to you.
But they were very loud.
Well, we had to have a town meeting to discuss the orgies.
It was decided that I would go up to the ranch and see if I could convince them to you know, at the very least, close their windows.
But it did not go well.
Hello there.
I'm Marge Middleton.
I'm the Mayor of Chinook.
Yes, we know who you are.
Well, we just wanted to formally welcome you.
Is there something that we can help you with, Marge Middleton? Their spokesperson was a woman named Ra-Sharir, and she was not an easy person to deal with.
Well, it's about the orgies.
And? I'm sorry, have I done something to offend you? We saw your sign.
What sign is that? The one in the grocery store.
"We are happy to be here, love, the apples.
" Gosh, that's just Pam doing her Pam thing.
I hope you weren't offended by that.
Oh, you will know when I am offended.
You will know.
Now, please disperse.
This is a private property.
So, you know, we went home.
You know, I think we would have been willing to chlalk it up to different world views, but that night, they installed a speaker system and hooked it up to the orgy room.
[Amplified moaning.]
They used a lot of specific words about body parts and and where they wanted them put.
The next morning, I did what I had to do.
I issued them a $100 fine for violating the sound ordinance.
Man: A lousy hundred bucks.
They treated it like an act of war.
It's only been a month, but tensions are starting to rise between the town of Chinook and the Shawbardites, who don't seem to want to follow their rules.
[Echoing.]
This is not about sound.
No! This is about one religion exerting power over another religion.
Woman: Most of us were of the mind that Ra-Sharir was overreacting.
And, mercifully, Father agreed.
We are not here to make enemies.
We're here to make peace with ourself.
The world has enough aggression and escalation without us adding to it.
Plus, I don't think we want people digging around in our thing.
Do What do you guys think? Well, she paid the fine.
I came into my office the next day to find $100 worth of pennies spilled all over my desk.
There was also a dead snake, but it was just a little one.
Man: Halloween.
It's usually a night where the town gets together for some spooks and scares.
But tonight, the spooks and scares were a little too real as Ra-Sharir, a member of the Shawbardites, made it clear that when it comes to judging carved pumpkins, Mayor Middleton doesn't know jack 'o-lantern.
It is my honor to announce that this year's Pumpkin Patch Pal is Sally Walters! Congratulations.
What?! What madness is this? Are you the Mayor of Stupid? Man: - Sit down.
- You sit down! All of you sit down.
Nobody thinks that is the best pumpkin.
No one! Give me one reason why my pumpkin is not the winner! Now, I'll concede that Ra-Sharir had a well-carved pumpkin, but it didn't seem right to award an adult for what was clearly a children's contest.
Ra-Sharir, you're an adult.
And this isn't a contest for adults.
Where does it say that? Huh? Show me in the rules, where does it say that? I demand to speak with someone.
- You want to talk with someone? - Yeah.
I'll admit, I said something I shouldn't have, but I was upset, and it just came out.
Why don't you go talk to your vegetables.
[Laughter.]
Man: There was no doubt that Marge hit a nerve.
We all assumed it was only a matter of time before Ra-Sharir retaliated.
Man: A break-in last night at the local paper here in Chinook, nothing stolen, nothing broken.
But something added to today's paper an obituary for the still very alive Mayor Marge Middleton.
There was no proof that Ra-Sharir did it.
But it was definitely in her voice.
"Today, Marge Middleton lost her long battle with stupidity.
She will not be remembered by her friends and family, as they are too stupid to do so.
Services will be held wherever stupid people are buried.
" Man: Yeah, you had to give Marge credit.
She kept her cool through the whole thing.
Right up until the story went national.
Tonight, a small town in Oregon may lose its name, thanks to the efforts of newcomers who intend to use the power of the ballot box.
We are currently in the process of registering our members to vote in the next municipal election.
The first act of our majority will be to give this town a name worthy of its beautiful surroundings "Ra-Shawbarda.
" Man: They had the votes.
There was no doubt.
But Marge saw the writing on the wall, and God love her, she took action.
We felt that for the next nine months, there was a more fitting name.
Man: For over 200 years, this small part of Oregon has been known as Chinook.
But today, it has a new name.
When motorist enter town, they will see this sign as they drive into Ra-Shawbard's Butthole.
Woman: You heard me right, the new name of the town is Ra-Shawbard's Butthole.
I thought it was pretty funny.
But I had never seen Ra-Sharir more angry.
This is a sacrilege! This is the mockery of a holy man! A man of who every part is sacred, including his butthole, of which this town knows nothing.
Father had already admonished Ra-Sharir once, so we just assumed he would put his foot down to stop her escalation.
But this was when we started to realize, something was off with him.
[Muttering indistinctly.]
Woman: He was always in a daze.
And he seemed unable to walk.
So his chair was attached to a motorized wheelchair that brought him on stage.
Man: This was when Ra-Sharir announced that he had taken a vow of silence.
Father will use his silence to contemplate solutions to what plagues this world.
It's okay.
It was such a trusting place that I don't think it ever occurred to any of us that his diminished state, followed by his vow of silence had been chemically induced by Ra-Sharir.
Man: Ra-Sharir had always been Father Shawbard's mouthpiece, but now she was taking control of his checkbook.
I always felt like we were using our money to make a better life for ourselves.
But now she spent it to make lives worse for others.
Well, if the people of what was formerly Chinook were looking for a reaction with their name change, they got one.
It seems that the Shawbardites have been secretly purchasing all the land around the town and now have it encircled.
Man: Heck, I tip my cap to their ingenuity.
Buying up land is the American Goddamn dream.
But now they've installed these speed bumps.
So many speed bumps that at 500-feet worth to be exact.
We decided to take the News 9 van overthe speed bumps to give you an idea of what it feels like.
Back to you, Bob.
It was destroying our mufflers.
And then to make matters worse, the Shawbardites had secretly purchased the town muffler shop and converted it into a green juice stand.
Ra-Sharir: I think the people of this town should see this as an opportunity.
If your muffler shop is closed, buy green juice.
You'll be healthier and happier.
You're a monster! When are you gonna leave us alone? Why don't you go back to your butthole! This is America.
You cannot open a juice bar in a muffler shop.
I don't care who your god is, you need permits.
Man: They used to fix mufflers, then they served juice.
Then the juice was muffled.
But have we heard the last of it? This is war.
We figured war meant she'd T.
P.
the grade school.
Ra-Sharir: Advance! Positions.
Man: We didn't think she'd go so far as to arm themselves.
Fire! [Gunfire.]
It was terrifying! Man: It was a scary time.
The shooting range was very near the room we had orgies in.
And more than once, a bullet came through the wall.
It was clear that the only person who could stop Ra-Sharir was Father Ra-Shawbard.
But he was out of it.
He was certain that Ra-Sharir had been giving him a cocktail of Valium and barbiturates.
He said he needed to speak to the whole community, but he would need something to get his energy back.
It did surprise me that a man who spoke of the purity of mind and soul had cocaine.
A good deal of cocaine, as it turns out, in his bedside drawer.
Ra-Shawbard: Yeah, talky, talky, talky.
Back back, baby back.
They think I can't hear, but I hear everything.
I hear the mice think, I hear the plugs conspiring, and I realize in my silence, that I am not communing with God.
I am God, and my power will be challenged by no man and no mouse.
Woman: In the state he was in, it was easy for Ra-Sharir to manipulate him.
This is wonderful news! I believe she convinced him to prove that he was a god.
Ra-Sharir: Today, Father Ra-Shawbard will prove his divinity by allowing an automobile to harmlessly pass through his corporeal body.
- Who? - You, Father.
Man: One of the Shawbardites jumped in a car and barreled down towards Father Ra-Shawbard, who was going to prove to us that he was a god.
I should have said something, but I actually believed it might be true.
And if it was, I wanted to see it.
Where Where are you going? Send someone to get my blue hat.
I'm a little chilled.
[Engine revving.]
Ra-Sharir? Oh, my God! Woman: It was troubling that he was asking for a hospital, as he had sworn off the use of modern medicine.
And then he said the words that brought our whole world crashing down.
And after we heard that you are surprised with what happened next? Got together Splendors of before When you go down Breath is the answer to everything.
Oh, yeah.
Feel it? Look up to the sky.
Let your body feel it.
Oh, yes.
Oh.
Feeling it this morning.
Body's saying thank you.
Gracias.
Ra-Sharir? Man: Oh, my God! Wayne: Listen, you idiots, I work for the [echoing.]
FBI! And after we heard that you are surprised with what happened next? Season 3, Episode 2 Doss: My name is Bill Doss.
I'm former FBI.
Wayne Delancey, A.
K.
A.
Father Ra-Shawbard, was my informant.
In the late '70s, I was assigned to the elite cult unit of the FBI.
We had been formed after the tragedy of Jonestown for the unique purpose of stopping cult activity.
I reached out to a colleague of mine Larry Cooper.
Larry had been profiling serial killers.
We're having drinks one night, and I said, "Larry, how the hell am I ever gonna know what a nut bag like Jim Jones is thinking?" Larry looks at me and says, "What if the nut bag worked for you?" The problem with profiling serial killers is that you can only do it after they've killed a bunch of people.
This way, we could learn what we need to and no one would get hurt.
It was a hell of a plan on paper.
Doss: Our first order of business was to find ourselves a front man.
Someone had to run the cult, right? And then, like a gift from the gods, Paternius just falls into our lap.
Doo doo doo doo You know I'll be waiting on the corner Whoo-whoo Paternius real name Wayne Delancey had a health food store on Sunset Boulevard that specialized in yogurt.
He called the place Counter Culture.
The place had a staff of about 20 girls, not a bra between 'em.
Cooper: The guy is raking it in.
Buys a nice house in the hills, lives there with 50 or so of his followers.
They call themselves Paternians.
Local P.
D.
tossed it our way because it qualified as cult activity.
So we stopped by the yogurt stand to take a look.
Within five minutes, it's clear the whole thing is a front for a drug-dealing operation.
We arrested Wayne in the back loading the cocaine into little bags himself.
He just gave us a look like, "Oh, man.
" [Camera shutter clicks.]
So we figured, "Jackpot.
" We could use this interrogation to get inside the head of a cult leader.
Wayne, if it wasn't a spiritual journey, what was it? I've just always really loved getting high.
What about the women? Turns out they really love getting high, too.
He was always real fast with a quip.
Yeah, I was jealous of it.
- We're gonna have to clip your wings.
- No, no, I get it.
Time to get this old boy back on the reservation and let him play possum till the next time.
Crazy Horse taps me on the shoulder and says, "Let's ride.
" I don't really know what that means, but how about we make a deal? That's a beautiful word, "deal" and you're talking to a dealer.
Doss: So the three of us move into an office, we start making a plan.
I gotta say, that damn Wayne, he may have been half a kook, but, boy, when it came to cults, he was smart as all get-out.
We asked him, "How do you get members?" He said we should take out an ad with nonsense words on it.
"Purify.
Elevate.
Liberate.
" People just started calling in and started sending money for tapes.
There is the world we see, but there's also a second world that we do not.
How do we unlock the door to that world? Who has the keys? Who lives there? What do they have for breakfast? He couldn't be Paternius anymore, so we had to come up with a new identity.
Cooper was from Pittsburgh, big Steelers fan.
Cooper: Oh, yeah, man, I love the Steelers.
Doss: Wayne suggests everyone in the cult should just be the players names rearranged.
Cooper: Bradshaw became Shawbard.
Greene and Harris became Negree and Sharir.
Father calls me Ra-Temblar.
"Tem" is for the temple, and "blar" is for the blaring of the message of love.
I was named after God's kindness.
Nope.
You weren't named after kindness, you were named after Jack Lambert, meanest son of a bitch to ever play the game.
When God saw Jack Lambert play football, he pissed his pants.
Wayne even thought everyone should wear Steeler colors.
These people thought they were on a path to enlightenment.
And unbeknownst to them, they were dressed like a bunch of drunks at a tailgate.
[Laughs.]
We had a lot of fun.
I don't think about it much because of how it ended, but those were good times to be in the elite cult unit of the FBI.
Doss: It's like sending your kid off to college.
We even loaned out a Rolls-Royce from evidence for him to drive to Oregon.
I remember patting on the hood and telling him, "Screw who you want, do what you want, but stay off the drugs, Wayne.
" Everything got off to a great start.
People were showing up every day, and they were totally under Ra-Shawbard's control.
So we started our experiment to see how easily cult members would surrender their free will to a leader.
Cooper: These people ate up everything Wayne told them to do.
He had them talking to vegetables, dancing for hours on end, spinning in circles.
It was genius.
But my favorite was Wayne's signature heliumtopic meditation.
Doss: Once a week, members would suck on helium and then admit what they were most ashamed of.
[Helium hissing.]
[High-pitched voice.]
When I was 15 I stole my grandmother's locket from my mother's jewelry drawer.
I pawned it to get money to go to Florida with my friends.
Doss: After they confessed, the rest of the group would wail on them with pool noodles.
And then finish up with a big old orgy with one great Wayne detail they had to scream their orgasms into jars so that they could be saved.
[Men, women moaning pleasurably.]
He told us that we should save our moments of ecstasy should there ever come a time when darkness falls.
It's a career case.
I figured I might be in line for deputy director, if not director one day.
When we showed the world what these cults were really about, who would ever join one again? Of course, we we didn't count on Ra-Sharir.
Ra-Sharir showed up after the first wave.
[Laughs.]
And immediately engrained herself into Wayne's inner circle.
Doss: Wayne told us she was a true believer like he'd never seen.
I told him, "Don't you ever let her forget who's in charge.
" And, remember, stay off the drugs, Wayne.
" Cooper: He had a wicker chair, and Ra-Sharir started calling it his throne.
We should have seen that as a red flag.
Doss: I didn't care about the throne.
What I cared about is, somehow this Ra-Sharir was becoming the spokesperson for the cult that I started.
When I read about the sign in the grocery store, I was very upset.
Then she goes and she makes it a national news story by threatening to rename the town.
Tonight, a small town in Oregon may lose its name.
Ra-Sharbarda.
I reached out to Wayne, I made it very clear, I said, "Wayne, you've gotta put a stop to her.
" You're a little out of your lane, Wayne.
Any chance you can pull your friend Ra-Sharir back for us? Wayne: Who? Ra-Sharir, Wayne.
The one who seems to be running things over there.
What? Ra-Sharir? Yeah, that's right Ra-Sharir.
Where? Oh, yeah, man.
Ra-Sharir, she's Yeah, she's what a dynamite lady.
Bill you gotta meet her.
How the (bleep) am I gonna meet her, Wayne? I'm an FBI agent, and she's a cult member.
Who is? Goddamn it.
Ra-Sha Wayne, are you back on drugs? That was our one rule, you son of a bitch! Whoa! Take it easy.
Uncalled for.
[Receiver clicks, dial tone.]
I always really regretted yelling at him.
Especially since it was the last time I ever spoke to him.
News today out of the Shawbard Valley Ranch, where Ra-Sharir has announced that Father Ra-Shawbard has taken a vow of silence.
Father will use his silence to contemplate what plagues this world.
Doss: I saw him in that chair, and I realized we had to get him out.
We made a plan.
Larry would go in undercover and extract Wayne.
One day passes, and I-I don't hear from Larry.
Then two days, then three.
Then on the fourth, I see him on the news, dancing with other cult members.
Thinking, "Boy, Larry's really going deep cover on this one.
" Then he calls.
Cooper: Bill? Larry! Where the hell have you been? Uh, it's not Larry anymore.
- My name is Ra-Tunbol.
- What?! I'm Ra-Tunbol now.
And I'm finally home.
Ra-Tunbol? God! It's not Tunbol, it's Blount! He named you after hall-of-fame cornerback Mel Blount! Be happy that the man you once knew as Larry Cooper has found a peace he never knew in the life he's leaving behind.
You're not a cult member, Larry.
Did you ever think you might be a member of a cult? The cult of law enforcement? (Bleep) you, Larry! I did go in to extract Wayne.
That was always the plan.
But every time I talked to a Shawbardite to get information, I left the conversation feeling better about myself.
I'd been divorced twice, and my kids didn't talk to me.
Maybe it's cause I drank too much back then or never called them.
Maybe it's because I spent too much damn time hanging out with serial killers.
Point is, the Shawbardites taught me to forgive myself.
And once I did I was happy.
Well, I knew I had to go to the brass.
Jack Fancy was our section chief.
Walking into his office, thinking it couldn't be worse, and when I opened the door, he's watching Ra-Sharir on the news.
This is an attack by the federal government on a religion of peace.
Tonight, we bring you video out of Shawbard Valley Ranch, but we warn you what you're about to see is graphic.
Ra-Sharir? Man: Oh, my God! So I'm watching this.
Bill walks in, and I turn to him and say, "Do you notice that driver looks a lot like Agent Cooper?" "By the way, where is Agent Cooper?" He just started to cry.
Yeah, I cried.
I cried hard.
Cried for a real long time.
Stratus: If you thought things couldn't get worse for the people of the town formerly known as Chinook, you'd be mistaken, as over half of the townspeople now are infected with pink eye.
Medical officials say they've seen an influx of affected patients and are worried that they've got a full-scale epidemic on their hands.
In an effort to get to the bottom of why so may in our town have fallen ill, our local law enforcement has pulled security video from all eating establishments.
We do not think it is a coincidence that a town that has never had this problem before is having it now after a group of Shawbardites touched all the items in the salad bar without even getting a salad.
So if our friend Ra-Sharir is watching, I'd just like to say one thing enough is enough.
Doss: Turns out Ra-Sharir wasn't satisfied with giving conjunctivitis to Chinook.
She was building a pink-eye army to infiltrate all of Oregon.
It was diabolical because pink eye is so contagious.
Around this time, we got a hit on Ra-Sharir from Interpol.
Her real name is Saavi Chambal, and she was a known hypnotist.
She was also wanted in five countries.
Doss: Turned out, she had a history of joining cults with the suspected goal of convincing everyone to go off themselves so she could get away with the money.
We even found some photos that led us to believe she was at Jonestown.
That was all we needed to surround the ranch.
[Siren wailing.]
Woman: Tensions are running high here outside of Shawbard Valley Ranch, where federal agents have surrounded the area.
Man: The path to Shawbard Valley Ranch has been completely blocked by a barricade of Mason jars.
And what's in these jars is anyone's guess, but it could be noxious gases.
Fancy: There was a theory that we were dealing with chemical warfare.
I called Agent Doss to see what he thought.
Doss: I told Agent Fancy it was probably the jars they screamed their orgasms into.
Then he hung up on me.
The hope was that the joy of the orgasm jars would turn back the violent urges of the law enforcement.
It did not.
Ra-Sharir: They are coming for us.
You can hear them getting closer.
-Shh.
Doss: - Sick to my stomach.
I knew the power Ra-Sharir had over those people, and now I knew what she was planning to do.
But they do not know that we have a better life waiting for us after this one, huh?! Our fear was that she would give a suicide order, and that's exactly what she did.
So tell me, are you ready to die today, huh? I thought I was going to have the blood of 200 people on my hands.
I said, are you ready to die today?! Man: Um, no.
What? Who said that? I just don't think, like, in general, that's what we're here for.
Are you not here to follow Father Ra-Shawbard? We are, but, like, where is he? He is recovering, and I speak for him.
If I may, I think what we're all reacting to is how aggressive things have gotten here.
A month ago, this place had a really good vibe.
Now, there's, like, guns everywhere and itchy eyes.
And there are hardly any orgies.
And it's just not what we all signed up for.
Everyone look at me! Here's the thing the eyes are the most important tool a hypnotist has.
A hypnotist with pink eye is like a boxer with two broken hands.
Look at me-e-e-e.
Doss: Thank God for pink eye.
Fancy: In a standoff situation, the dream is everyone comes out with their hands up.
This was that dream.
[Helicopter blades whirring.]
Reporter: The siege at Shawbard Valley Ranch is over before it started, with members turning themselves in to federal agents.
Most were released within the course of a day, save for one, Ra-Sharir, who is in police custody.
Doss: We had multiple witnesses who corroborated that Ra-Sharir had tried to pink eye the entire state.
We could have put her away for years.
But she had an ace up her sleeve.
I simply played them a tape that I thought they might find interesting.
[Reel whirs.]
[Helium hissing.]
[High-pitched voice.]
I'm an FBI agent.
My partner and I recruited a man named Wayne Delancey to start this cult and then run it to our specifications.
[Inhales sharply.]
[Helium hissing.]
The U.
S.
government is responsible for everything that has happened here.
[Normal voice.]
I'm sorry.
[Sobbing.]
I cannot speak to why she was released, but she was released.
Today, the final member of the Shawbard Valley Ranch was released from federal custody, and Ra-Sharir had a message for everyone.
You want to know what I think? Tough titties! [All shouting.]
Cooper: I took my pension and never looked back.
I spent the next few years getting in touch with my kids.
It's not perfect, but three out of four of them call me Dad.
I kicked around, did some odd jobs.
But something was still missing for me.
And so I went out and found it.
I think the thing about me that surprises people the most is that I stayed in Chinook.
[Chuckles.]
The reality was, despite how it ended, I'd enjoyed my time here.
Mm.
Man: I mean, sure, it was weird at first.
But you get used to things.
Plus, she makes a hell of a green juice.
Well, sure, I'm surprised we're friends.
But what can I say? My God teaches me to forgive.
That doesn't mean I forget.
Every day when I go to pay for my juice I do it in pennies.
Fancy: What do I think happened to Wayne Delancey? He's probably dead.
Agents on the scene searched Shawbard's domicile but couldn't find him.
Based on his injuries from the car accident and the fact that he never saw a doctor, our best guess, he's buried on the premises somewhere.
If I ask you to picture Wayne Delancey with his beard shaved off, wearing an FBI jacket and sunglasses, you think it would look anything like this? And if he is dead, do you want to explain to me why every year on the anniversary of the raid, I get a Pittsburgh Steelers postcard sent from a different corner of the globe? When people find out I'm a Shawbardite, they are surprised that I still adhere to the teachings of a con man who was only pretending to be a spiritual leader.
And the only thing I can tell them is that I was sad before I met him and happy when I knew him.
And I don't know what more to want from anyone other than that.
I do wish he hadn't stolen from me, though.
[Birds chirping.]
Good evening.
I'm Helen Mirren, and you're watching "Documentary Now!" season 52.
Now, what causes someone to start a cult? And what causes someone to join one? In 1980, a man known as Father Ra-Shawbard, and his followers descended upon a small town in Oregon to build a utopian community.
What followed is one of the strangest stories in American law enforcement history.
This is "Batshit Valley.
" Man: Even now, knowing what I know, I have no regrets about my time as a Shawbardite.
My only regret is that Father Ra-Shawbard was born before the world was ready for his message.
Woman: Being with Father Ra-Shawbard was like having a wonderful dream.
And when you wake up and tell people about the dream, only then do you realize how foolish it was.
Woman: Chinook is named for the Indians who settled this land.
They would never have let anyone take it away from them, so why would we? It's easy to look back and say we took it too far.
But when your town is under siege, you'll do anything you can to protect it.
Woman: People always say if I had been nicer to the townspeople, none of this would have happened.
Well, maybe I would have been nicer to the townspeople had they not been so fat and stupid.
Season 3, Episode 1 Man: Chinook, Oregon, is a quiet town, one not accustomed to visitors.
So it was quite a surprise two weeks ago when strangers dressed in yellow and black started arriving by the busloads.
They call themselves Shawbardites, and they are followers of this man, Father Ra-Shawbard, a self-proclaimed spiritual leader who is now calling Chinook home.
Woman: The sign to the gate at Shawbard Valley Ranch says, "Everyone welcome.
" And the days are filled with meditation, light stretching, and meals prepared from their own garden.
But here at the Shawbard Valley Ranch, the Shawbardites only eat the vegetables after the vegetables give permission.
And it seems as though we're here on a good day, as all of the vegetables have okayed themselves for consumption.
The whole thing sounded pretty out there to me.
But at that point, it wasn't like they were bothering anyone.
Woman: It's strange to think how things could have been so different without that sign.
When I heard on the news that they talk to food, I thought this would be the funniest sign.
People seem to like it.
It's been getting smiles from a lot of my customers.
Oh, that's lovely, yeah.
- It's funny, though.
- Uh-huh.
When I read about the sign in the grocery store, I was very upset.
It was very disrespectful.
[Echoing.]
Very disrespectful, very disrespectful I know they say that sign on the apples just proved that we were dead-set against them from the beginning, but, honestly, I don't think any of us were upset that they were here.
You know, we were just wondering why they were here.
Ra-Shawbard was my father.
I had a biological father, but he wanted me to have a job and take on responsibilities.
He never understood me.
But Father Ra-Shawbard did.
He just wanted me to be free and happy.
And isn't that what a father is supposed to want for his children? And that's why it was an honor to give him the money my real father gave me when he died.
I first saw Father Ra-Shawbard in a newspaper ad.
Woman: The words on the ad were so simple, but so profound "Purify.
Elevate.
Liberate.
" I called the number, and they gave me an address to send $40 for some tapes of Father speaking.
I sent it in, and when it didn't arrive, I called back and they said they didn't know what had happened, and I should try again.
I sent more money, and the tapes came.
Anyone who listened to those tapes had their life changed.
"There is the world we see, but there's also a second world that we do not" "How do we unlock the door for that world?" "And if there's a second world, could there be a third one?" "A fourth one? Could there be a sixth world?" I ordered a new tape every week.
And on my 20th, I received an invitation to Shawbard Valley Ranch, and I never looked back.
Babe, I want to tell you Woman: By the second day, I had completely forgotten about my husband and two children that I left behind.
I fell in love with you Ooh In the air, we can fly In the sea, we can dive Together, we could get high Ra-Shawbard: This is your home.
But in order for it to truly be your home, you have to abandon all the trappings of your former life.
So I ask all of you to write down the names of your family members that you are leaving behind and put them in this basket.
Along with their Social Security Number and their banking information.
And then you will be free.
I fell in love with you Man: We had created a paradise.
Fell in love with you And I think we would still be there if it wasn't for those awful townspeople.
Man: They'd have you believe we started the ill will.
But in the beginning, we actually tried to engage with the Shawbardites.
Woman: Well, I would argue that we went out of our way to make them feel welcome.
Oh, yeah, cover up that bird's head, we don't need The only problem was they were having these orgies.
And, hey, I don't have a problem with orgies.
If that is your thing, more power to you.
But they were very loud.
Well, we had to have a town meeting to discuss the orgies.
It was decided that I would go up to the ranch and see if I could convince them to you know, at the very least, close their windows.
But it did not go well.
Hello there.
I'm Marge Middleton.
I'm the Mayor of Chinook.
Yes, we know who you are.
Well, we just wanted to formally welcome you.
Is there something that we can help you with, Marge Middleton? Their spokesperson was a woman named Ra-Sharir, and she was not an easy person to deal with.
Well, it's about the orgies.
And? I'm sorry, have I done something to offend you? We saw your sign.
What sign is that? The one in the grocery store.
"We are happy to be here, love, the apples.
" Gosh, that's just Pam doing her Pam thing.
I hope you weren't offended by that.
Oh, you will know when I am offended.
You will know.
Now, please disperse.
This is a private property.
So, you know, we went home.
You know, I think we would have been willing to chlalk it up to different world views, but that night, they installed a speaker system and hooked it up to the orgy room.
[Amplified moaning.]
They used a lot of specific words about body parts and and where they wanted them put.
The next morning, I did what I had to do.
I issued them a $100 fine for violating the sound ordinance.
Man: A lousy hundred bucks.
They treated it like an act of war.
It's only been a month, but tensions are starting to rise between the town of Chinook and the Shawbardites, who don't seem to want to follow their rules.
[Echoing.]
This is not about sound.
No! This is about one religion exerting power over another religion.
Woman: Most of us were of the mind that Ra-Sharir was overreacting.
And, mercifully, Father agreed.
We are not here to make enemies.
We're here to make peace with ourself.
The world has enough aggression and escalation without us adding to it.
Plus, I don't think we want people digging around in our thing.
Do What do you guys think? Well, she paid the fine.
I came into my office the next day to find $100 worth of pennies spilled all over my desk.
There was also a dead snake, but it was just a little one.
Man: Halloween.
It's usually a night where the town gets together for some spooks and scares.
But tonight, the spooks and scares were a little too real as Ra-Sharir, a member of the Shawbardites, made it clear that when it comes to judging carved pumpkins, Mayor Middleton doesn't know jack 'o-lantern.
It is my honor to announce that this year's Pumpkin Patch Pal is Sally Walters! Congratulations.
What?! What madness is this? Are you the Mayor of Stupid? Man: - Sit down.
- You sit down! All of you sit down.
Nobody thinks that is the best pumpkin.
No one! Give me one reason why my pumpkin is not the winner! Now, I'll concede that Ra-Sharir had a well-carved pumpkin, but it didn't seem right to award an adult for what was clearly a children's contest.
Ra-Sharir, you're an adult.
And this isn't a contest for adults.
Where does it say that? Huh? Show me in the rules, where does it say that? I demand to speak with someone.
- You want to talk with someone? - Yeah.
I'll admit, I said something I shouldn't have, but I was upset, and it just came out.
Why don't you go talk to your vegetables.
[Laughter.]
Man: There was no doubt that Marge hit a nerve.
We all assumed it was only a matter of time before Ra-Sharir retaliated.
Man: A break-in last night at the local paper here in Chinook, nothing stolen, nothing broken.
But something added to today's paper an obituary for the still very alive Mayor Marge Middleton.
There was no proof that Ra-Sharir did it.
But it was definitely in her voice.
"Today, Marge Middleton lost her long battle with stupidity.
She will not be remembered by her friends and family, as they are too stupid to do so.
Services will be held wherever stupid people are buried.
" Man: Yeah, you had to give Marge credit.
She kept her cool through the whole thing.
Right up until the story went national.
Tonight, a small town in Oregon may lose its name, thanks to the efforts of newcomers who intend to use the power of the ballot box.
We are currently in the process of registering our members to vote in the next municipal election.
The first act of our majority will be to give this town a name worthy of its beautiful surroundings "Ra-Shawbarda.
" Man: They had the votes.
There was no doubt.
But Marge saw the writing on the wall, and God love her, she took action.
We felt that for the next nine months, there was a more fitting name.
Man: For over 200 years, this small part of Oregon has been known as Chinook.
But today, it has a new name.
When motorist enter town, they will see this sign as they drive into Ra-Shawbard's Butthole.
Woman: You heard me right, the new name of the town is Ra-Shawbard's Butthole.
I thought it was pretty funny.
But I had never seen Ra-Sharir more angry.
This is a sacrilege! This is the mockery of a holy man! A man of who every part is sacred, including his butthole, of which this town knows nothing.
Father had already admonished Ra-Sharir once, so we just assumed he would put his foot down to stop her escalation.
But this was when we started to realize, something was off with him.
[Muttering indistinctly.]
Woman: He was always in a daze.
And he seemed unable to walk.
So his chair was attached to a motorized wheelchair that brought him on stage.
Man: This was when Ra-Sharir announced that he had taken a vow of silence.
Father will use his silence to contemplate solutions to what plagues this world.
It's okay.
It was such a trusting place that I don't think it ever occurred to any of us that his diminished state, followed by his vow of silence had been chemically induced by Ra-Sharir.
Man: Ra-Sharir had always been Father Shawbard's mouthpiece, but now she was taking control of his checkbook.
I always felt like we were using our money to make a better life for ourselves.
But now she spent it to make lives worse for others.
Well, if the people of what was formerly Chinook were looking for a reaction with their name change, they got one.
It seems that the Shawbardites have been secretly purchasing all the land around the town and now have it encircled.
Man: Heck, I tip my cap to their ingenuity.
Buying up land is the American Goddamn dream.
But now they've installed these speed bumps.
So many speed bumps that at 500-feet worth to be exact.
We decided to take the News 9 van overthe speed bumps to give you an idea of what it feels like.
Back to you, Bob.
It was destroying our mufflers.
And then to make matters worse, the Shawbardites had secretly purchased the town muffler shop and converted it into a green juice stand.
Ra-Sharir: I think the people of this town should see this as an opportunity.
If your muffler shop is closed, buy green juice.
You'll be healthier and happier.
You're a monster! When are you gonna leave us alone? Why don't you go back to your butthole! This is America.
You cannot open a juice bar in a muffler shop.
I don't care who your god is, you need permits.
Man: They used to fix mufflers, then they served juice.
Then the juice was muffled.
But have we heard the last of it? This is war.
We figured war meant she'd T.
P.
the grade school.
Ra-Sharir: Advance! Positions.
Man: We didn't think she'd go so far as to arm themselves.
Fire! [Gunfire.]
It was terrifying! Man: It was a scary time.
The shooting range was very near the room we had orgies in.
And more than once, a bullet came through the wall.
It was clear that the only person who could stop Ra-Sharir was Father Ra-Shawbard.
But he was out of it.
He was certain that Ra-Sharir had been giving him a cocktail of Valium and barbiturates.
He said he needed to speak to the whole community, but he would need something to get his energy back.
It did surprise me that a man who spoke of the purity of mind and soul had cocaine.
A good deal of cocaine, as it turns out, in his bedside drawer.
Ra-Shawbard: Yeah, talky, talky, talky.
Back back, baby back.
They think I can't hear, but I hear everything.
I hear the mice think, I hear the plugs conspiring, and I realize in my silence, that I am not communing with God.
I am God, and my power will be challenged by no man and no mouse.
Woman: In the state he was in, it was easy for Ra-Sharir to manipulate him.
This is wonderful news! I believe she convinced him to prove that he was a god.
Ra-Sharir: Today, Father Ra-Shawbard will prove his divinity by allowing an automobile to harmlessly pass through his corporeal body.
- Who? - You, Father.
Man: One of the Shawbardites jumped in a car and barreled down towards Father Ra-Shawbard, who was going to prove to us that he was a god.
I should have said something, but I actually believed it might be true.
And if it was, I wanted to see it.
Where Where are you going? Send someone to get my blue hat.
I'm a little chilled.
[Engine revving.]
Ra-Sharir? Oh, my God! Woman: It was troubling that he was asking for a hospital, as he had sworn off the use of modern medicine.
And then he said the words that brought our whole world crashing down.
And after we heard that you are surprised with what happened next? Got together Splendors of before When you go down Breath is the answer to everything.
Oh, yeah.
Feel it? Look up to the sky.
Let your body feel it.
Oh, yes.
Oh.
Feeling it this morning.
Body's saying thank you.
Gracias.
Ra-Sharir? Man: Oh, my God! Wayne: Listen, you idiots, I work for the [echoing.]
FBI! And after we heard that you are surprised with what happened next? Season 3, Episode 2 Doss: My name is Bill Doss.
I'm former FBI.
Wayne Delancey, A.
K.
A.
Father Ra-Shawbard, was my informant.
In the late '70s, I was assigned to the elite cult unit of the FBI.
We had been formed after the tragedy of Jonestown for the unique purpose of stopping cult activity.
I reached out to a colleague of mine Larry Cooper.
Larry had been profiling serial killers.
We're having drinks one night, and I said, "Larry, how the hell am I ever gonna know what a nut bag like Jim Jones is thinking?" Larry looks at me and says, "What if the nut bag worked for you?" The problem with profiling serial killers is that you can only do it after they've killed a bunch of people.
This way, we could learn what we need to and no one would get hurt.
It was a hell of a plan on paper.
Doss: Our first order of business was to find ourselves a front man.
Someone had to run the cult, right? And then, like a gift from the gods, Paternius just falls into our lap.
Doo doo doo doo You know I'll be waiting on the corner Whoo-whoo Paternius real name Wayne Delancey had a health food store on Sunset Boulevard that specialized in yogurt.
He called the place Counter Culture.
The place had a staff of about 20 girls, not a bra between 'em.
Cooper: The guy is raking it in.
Buys a nice house in the hills, lives there with 50 or so of his followers.
They call themselves Paternians.
Local P.
D.
tossed it our way because it qualified as cult activity.
So we stopped by the yogurt stand to take a look.
Within five minutes, it's clear the whole thing is a front for a drug-dealing operation.
We arrested Wayne in the back loading the cocaine into little bags himself.
He just gave us a look like, "Oh, man.
" [Camera shutter clicks.]
So we figured, "Jackpot.
" We could use this interrogation to get inside the head of a cult leader.
Wayne, if it wasn't a spiritual journey, what was it? I've just always really loved getting high.
What about the women? Turns out they really love getting high, too.
He was always real fast with a quip.
Yeah, I was jealous of it.
- We're gonna have to clip your wings.
- No, no, I get it.
Time to get this old boy back on the reservation and let him play possum till the next time.
Crazy Horse taps me on the shoulder and says, "Let's ride.
" I don't really know what that means, but how about we make a deal? That's a beautiful word, "deal" and you're talking to a dealer.
Doss: So the three of us move into an office, we start making a plan.
I gotta say, that damn Wayne, he may have been half a kook, but, boy, when it came to cults, he was smart as all get-out.
We asked him, "How do you get members?" He said we should take out an ad with nonsense words on it.
"Purify.
Elevate.
Liberate.
" People just started calling in and started sending money for tapes.
There is the world we see, but there's also a second world that we do not.
How do we unlock the door to that world? Who has the keys? Who lives there? What do they have for breakfast? He couldn't be Paternius anymore, so we had to come up with a new identity.
Cooper was from Pittsburgh, big Steelers fan.
Cooper: Oh, yeah, man, I love the Steelers.
Doss: Wayne suggests everyone in the cult should just be the players names rearranged.
Cooper: Bradshaw became Shawbard.
Greene and Harris became Negree and Sharir.
Father calls me Ra-Temblar.
"Tem" is for the temple, and "blar" is for the blaring of the message of love.
I was named after God's kindness.
Nope.
You weren't named after kindness, you were named after Jack Lambert, meanest son of a bitch to ever play the game.
When God saw Jack Lambert play football, he pissed his pants.
Wayne even thought everyone should wear Steeler colors.
These people thought they were on a path to enlightenment.
And unbeknownst to them, they were dressed like a bunch of drunks at a tailgate.
[Laughs.]
We had a lot of fun.
I don't think about it much because of how it ended, but those were good times to be in the elite cult unit of the FBI.
Doss: It's like sending your kid off to college.
We even loaned out a Rolls-Royce from evidence for him to drive to Oregon.
I remember patting on the hood and telling him, "Screw who you want, do what you want, but stay off the drugs, Wayne.
" Everything got off to a great start.
People were showing up every day, and they were totally under Ra-Shawbard's control.
So we started our experiment to see how easily cult members would surrender their free will to a leader.
Cooper: These people ate up everything Wayne told them to do.
He had them talking to vegetables, dancing for hours on end, spinning in circles.
It was genius.
But my favorite was Wayne's signature heliumtopic meditation.
Doss: Once a week, members would suck on helium and then admit what they were most ashamed of.
[Helium hissing.]
[High-pitched voice.]
When I was 15 I stole my grandmother's locket from my mother's jewelry drawer.
I pawned it to get money to go to Florida with my friends.
Doss: After they confessed, the rest of the group would wail on them with pool noodles.
And then finish up with a big old orgy with one great Wayne detail they had to scream their orgasms into jars so that they could be saved.
[Men, women moaning pleasurably.]
He told us that we should save our moments of ecstasy should there ever come a time when darkness falls.
It's a career case.
I figured I might be in line for deputy director, if not director one day.
When we showed the world what these cults were really about, who would ever join one again? Of course, we we didn't count on Ra-Sharir.
Ra-Sharir showed up after the first wave.
[Laughs.]
And immediately engrained herself into Wayne's inner circle.
Doss: Wayne told us she was a true believer like he'd never seen.
I told him, "Don't you ever let her forget who's in charge.
" And, remember, stay off the drugs, Wayne.
" Cooper: He had a wicker chair, and Ra-Sharir started calling it his throne.
We should have seen that as a red flag.
Doss: I didn't care about the throne.
What I cared about is, somehow this Ra-Sharir was becoming the spokesperson for the cult that I started.
When I read about the sign in the grocery store, I was very upset.
Then she goes and she makes it a national news story by threatening to rename the town.
Tonight, a small town in Oregon may lose its name.
Ra-Sharbarda.
I reached out to Wayne, I made it very clear, I said, "Wayne, you've gotta put a stop to her.
" You're a little out of your lane, Wayne.
Any chance you can pull your friend Ra-Sharir back for us? Wayne: Who? Ra-Sharir, Wayne.
The one who seems to be running things over there.
What? Ra-Sharir? Yeah, that's right Ra-Sharir.
Where? Oh, yeah, man.
Ra-Sharir, she's Yeah, she's what a dynamite lady.
Bill you gotta meet her.
How the (bleep) am I gonna meet her, Wayne? I'm an FBI agent, and she's a cult member.
Who is? Goddamn it.
Ra-Sha Wayne, are you back on drugs? That was our one rule, you son of a bitch! Whoa! Take it easy.
Uncalled for.
[Receiver clicks, dial tone.]
I always really regretted yelling at him.
Especially since it was the last time I ever spoke to him.
News today out of the Shawbard Valley Ranch, where Ra-Sharir has announced that Father Ra-Shawbard has taken a vow of silence.
Father will use his silence to contemplate what plagues this world.
Doss: I saw him in that chair, and I realized we had to get him out.
We made a plan.
Larry would go in undercover and extract Wayne.
One day passes, and I-I don't hear from Larry.
Then two days, then three.
Then on the fourth, I see him on the news, dancing with other cult members.
Thinking, "Boy, Larry's really going deep cover on this one.
" Then he calls.
Cooper: Bill? Larry! Where the hell have you been? Uh, it's not Larry anymore.
- My name is Ra-Tunbol.
- What?! I'm Ra-Tunbol now.
And I'm finally home.
Ra-Tunbol? God! It's not Tunbol, it's Blount! He named you after hall-of-fame cornerback Mel Blount! Be happy that the man you once knew as Larry Cooper has found a peace he never knew in the life he's leaving behind.
You're not a cult member, Larry.
Did you ever think you might be a member of a cult? The cult of law enforcement? (Bleep) you, Larry! I did go in to extract Wayne.
That was always the plan.
But every time I talked to a Shawbardite to get information, I left the conversation feeling better about myself.
I'd been divorced twice, and my kids didn't talk to me.
Maybe it's cause I drank too much back then or never called them.
Maybe it's because I spent too much damn time hanging out with serial killers.
Point is, the Shawbardites taught me to forgive myself.
And once I did I was happy.
Well, I knew I had to go to the brass.
Jack Fancy was our section chief.
Walking into his office, thinking it couldn't be worse, and when I opened the door, he's watching Ra-Sharir on the news.
This is an attack by the federal government on a religion of peace.
Tonight, we bring you video out of Shawbard Valley Ranch, but we warn you what you're about to see is graphic.
Ra-Sharir? Man: Oh, my God! So I'm watching this.
Bill walks in, and I turn to him and say, "Do you notice that driver looks a lot like Agent Cooper?" "By the way, where is Agent Cooper?" He just started to cry.
Yeah, I cried.
I cried hard.
Cried for a real long time.
Stratus: If you thought things couldn't get worse for the people of the town formerly known as Chinook, you'd be mistaken, as over half of the townspeople now are infected with pink eye.
Medical officials say they've seen an influx of affected patients and are worried that they've got a full-scale epidemic on their hands.
In an effort to get to the bottom of why so may in our town have fallen ill, our local law enforcement has pulled security video from all eating establishments.
We do not think it is a coincidence that a town that has never had this problem before is having it now after a group of Shawbardites touched all the items in the salad bar without even getting a salad.
So if our friend Ra-Sharir is watching, I'd just like to say one thing enough is enough.
Doss: Turns out Ra-Sharir wasn't satisfied with giving conjunctivitis to Chinook.
She was building a pink-eye army to infiltrate all of Oregon.
It was diabolical because pink eye is so contagious.
Around this time, we got a hit on Ra-Sharir from Interpol.
Her real name is Saavi Chambal, and she was a known hypnotist.
She was also wanted in five countries.
Doss: Turned out, she had a history of joining cults with the suspected goal of convincing everyone to go off themselves so she could get away with the money.
We even found some photos that led us to believe she was at Jonestown.
That was all we needed to surround the ranch.
[Siren wailing.]
Woman: Tensions are running high here outside of Shawbard Valley Ranch, where federal agents have surrounded the area.
Man: The path to Shawbard Valley Ranch has been completely blocked by a barricade of Mason jars.
And what's in these jars is anyone's guess, but it could be noxious gases.
Fancy: There was a theory that we were dealing with chemical warfare.
I called Agent Doss to see what he thought.
Doss: I told Agent Fancy it was probably the jars they screamed their orgasms into.
Then he hung up on me.
The hope was that the joy of the orgasm jars would turn back the violent urges of the law enforcement.
It did not.
Ra-Sharir: They are coming for us.
You can hear them getting closer.
-Shh.
Doss: - Sick to my stomach.
I knew the power Ra-Sharir had over those people, and now I knew what she was planning to do.
But they do not know that we have a better life waiting for us after this one, huh?! Our fear was that she would give a suicide order, and that's exactly what she did.
So tell me, are you ready to die today, huh? I thought I was going to have the blood of 200 people on my hands.
I said, are you ready to die today?! Man: Um, no.
What? Who said that? I just don't think, like, in general, that's what we're here for.
Are you not here to follow Father Ra-Shawbard? We are, but, like, where is he? He is recovering, and I speak for him.
If I may, I think what we're all reacting to is how aggressive things have gotten here.
A month ago, this place had a really good vibe.
Now, there's, like, guns everywhere and itchy eyes.
And there are hardly any orgies.
And it's just not what we all signed up for.
Everyone look at me! Here's the thing the eyes are the most important tool a hypnotist has.
A hypnotist with pink eye is like a boxer with two broken hands.
Look at me-e-e-e.
Doss: Thank God for pink eye.
Fancy: In a standoff situation, the dream is everyone comes out with their hands up.
This was that dream.
[Helicopter blades whirring.]
Reporter: The siege at Shawbard Valley Ranch is over before it started, with members turning themselves in to federal agents.
Most were released within the course of a day, save for one, Ra-Sharir, who is in police custody.
Doss: We had multiple witnesses who corroborated that Ra-Sharir had tried to pink eye the entire state.
We could have put her away for years.
But she had an ace up her sleeve.
I simply played them a tape that I thought they might find interesting.
[Reel whirs.]
[Helium hissing.]
[High-pitched voice.]
I'm an FBI agent.
My partner and I recruited a man named Wayne Delancey to start this cult and then run it to our specifications.
[Inhales sharply.]
[Helium hissing.]
The U.
S.
government is responsible for everything that has happened here.
[Normal voice.]
I'm sorry.
[Sobbing.]
I cannot speak to why she was released, but she was released.
Today, the final member of the Shawbard Valley Ranch was released from federal custody, and Ra-Sharir had a message for everyone.
You want to know what I think? Tough titties! [All shouting.]
Cooper: I took my pension and never looked back.
I spent the next few years getting in touch with my kids.
It's not perfect, but three out of four of them call me Dad.
I kicked around, did some odd jobs.
But something was still missing for me.
And so I went out and found it.
I think the thing about me that surprises people the most is that I stayed in Chinook.
[Chuckles.]
The reality was, despite how it ended, I'd enjoyed my time here.
Mm.
Man: I mean, sure, it was weird at first.
But you get used to things.
Plus, she makes a hell of a green juice.
Well, sure, I'm surprised we're friends.
But what can I say? My God teaches me to forgive.
That doesn't mean I forget.
Every day when I go to pay for my juice I do it in pennies.
Fancy: What do I think happened to Wayne Delancey? He's probably dead.
Agents on the scene searched Shawbard's domicile but couldn't find him.
Based on his injuries from the car accident and the fact that he never saw a doctor, our best guess, he's buried on the premises somewhere.
If I ask you to picture Wayne Delancey with his beard shaved off, wearing an FBI jacket and sunglasses, you think it would look anything like this? And if he is dead, do you want to explain to me why every year on the anniversary of the raid, I get a Pittsburgh Steelers postcard sent from a different corner of the globe? When people find out I'm a Shawbardite, they are surprised that I still adhere to the teachings of a con man who was only pretending to be a spiritual leader.
And the only thing I can tell them is that I was sad before I met him and happy when I knew him.
And I don't know what more to want from anyone other than that.
I do wish he hadn't stolen from me, though.
[Birds chirping.]