The suicide of a young man and the murder he committed before he killed himself are being blamed on a cult led by his mother.
Ricky Rodriguez made this video before killing his former nanny and then taking his own life.
Also disturbing, former members who spoke to CNN say they witnessed Ricky Rodriguez having sex with his mother, Karen Zerby, the leader of the sect now known as "The Family International."
The sect's activities and history are detailed in a newly released book, "Jesus Freaks." The sect was founded in California in the 1960s by David Berg, who referred to himself as "Mo," short for Moses. Berg was a self-proclaimed prophet.
Former sect members tell CNN Berg encouraged adult-child sex. More often than not, they say, the chosen child was Rodriguez, the son of Karen Zerby, who Berg called his queen. Zerby became the leader of the sect when Berg died in 1994.
"Jesus Freaks" author Don Lattin says Berg "wanted his child to embrace sexuality, to be a sexual being as an infant and growing up."
Former members say Berg and Zerby wrote about their beliefs in papers distributed to members. It was Berg's how-to guide for raising sexual children. The Family International now says all "questionable publications were officially renounced and expunged between the late 1980s and early 1990s."
In Berg and Zerby's manifesto, Rodriguez was the main character.
Former member Davida Kelley told CNN, "I actually witnessed Karen Zerby having intercourse with her own son, Rick Rodriguez, at age 11." Kelley says she, too, had been abused by Berg, starting at age 5. "You were only required to have actual intimate intercourse with David Berg once you were, like, the mature age of, like, 12," she says sarcastically.
Berg was apparently so obsessed with sex he used it to expand his group around the world. Lattin says Berg sent women out to seduce men and lure them in to accept his gospel of Jesus. Lattin says Berg called the practice "Flirty Fishing."
CNN made several attempts to interview The Family International, but it refused. In a statement, the group acknowledged Berg taught sexual liberty without "instituting safeguards for the protection of minors." But it says that was corrected in 1986 and any infractions are an "excommunicable offense." The group also told CNN all of Davida Kelley's allegations are false and Zerby never abused her son.
Rodriguez, who escaped from "The Family International" in 2001, apparently was so deeply scarred that he was making plans to kill his mother. CNN has obtained a copy of a videotape he made two years ago, in which he warned, "She's gonna pay dearly, one way or the other," while brandishing a knife and loading guns at his kitchen table.
Within hours of finishing the tape, in January 2005, Rodriguez tracked down his childhood nanny, Angela Smith. Former member Kelley says "she was one of the many female adults that had intercourse with Rick Rodriguez."
In his first bloody act of revenge, Rodriguez murdered his nanny. He cut her throat and left her body in his Arizona apartment. But he was still on the hunt for his mother. Lattin says Rodriguez felt the need to take justice into his own hands because "most of the abuse was, like, 20 years ago, so the statute of limitations had expired. Most of it happened outside the U.S., so it's very difficult to prosecute."
A spokesman for the group told CNN its "policy for the protection of minors was adopted in 1986. We regret that prior to the adoption of this policy, cases occurred where minors were exposed to sexually inappropriate behavior between 1978 and 1986."
Some of those exposed to the alleged abuse may have chosen suicide to escape the pain. A Web site set up by people who grew up as children in the cult says at least 30 of them have committed suicide, though CNN has no way of verifying that.
Rodriguez became a part of that group. He failed to find his mother, something his wife says he couldn't live with. Elixcia Munumel remembers their last phone call: "He's like 'Baby, I love you.' He said, 'Come die with me.' "
Rodriguez died alone at age 29 in January 2005 on a deserted road, four years after he fled the sect. A single shot to the head ended the misery he fought so hard to escape. His mother is still the leader of the family. She has not been charged with a crime and lives in seclusion.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
Nelson Chai Named CFO For Merrill Lynch
Chief Executive of Merrill Lynch, John Thain, in his first big move named Nelson Chai CFO. Mr. Chai was his former finance chief at NYSE.
Mr. Chai will start his new position new week.
The previous CFO Jeffrey Edwards will remain on with Merrill Lynch in a new executive position which is still unknown.
Most of these decision are directly related to management changes due to a reported almost $8 billion in credit costs only a few weeks after estimating them at $4.5 billion.
Former CEO Stan O'Neal was fired in November on the heels of many other Wall Street executive cuts due to the subprime mortgage debacle.
Thain expressed with confidence that Mr. Chai will be successful at Merrill Lynch.
Mr. Chai will start his new position new week.
The previous CFO Jeffrey Edwards will remain on with Merrill Lynch in a new executive position which is still unknown.
Most of these decision are directly related to management changes due to a reported almost $8 billion in credit costs only a few weeks after estimating them at $4.5 billion.
Former CEO Stan O'Neal was fired in November on the heels of many other Wall Street executive cuts due to the subprime mortgage debacle.
Thain expressed with confidence that Mr. Chai will be successful at Merrill Lynch.
Sean Taylor Funeral, The Loss of a Hero
There were a few who shed tears for the athlete. Some more for the classmate and neighbor. But all mourned the hero.
Thousands were at the wake and vigil on Sunday during a large funeral for the murdered NFL star.
On the other side of the state, four men were taken into custody for killing the Redskins playeril cells on the other side of the state.
"We lost one of our best. The whole community feels it," said Khary Pestaina a former neighbor. A freshman in highschool Josh Persad said, "He's like my hero."
Taylor's jersey bearing the number 26 along with a photo of him in his Hurricanes uniform were on display.
His father Pedro Taylor said that he believes Sean is in heaven with God now. The family huddled together in prayer trying to stick to their faith.
The four men charge were all denied bond. One of the attorneys, Sawyer Smith for defendant Jason Mitchell said, "He looks like he's in shock." The other defendants include Eric Rivera, Charles Wardlow, and Venjah Hunte. All 4 are under the age of 20 and have now been charged with unpremeditated murder, home invasion with a deadly weapon, and burglary. It is unknown when they will be brought to Miami for trial.
Two confessed to armed burglary, Mitchell and Rivera. They also said that someone had a gun which was used on Taylor, who was unidentified. Police have also indicated that other confessions were made but had no comment.
Thousands were at the wake and vigil on Sunday during a large funeral for the murdered NFL star.
On the other side of the state, four men were taken into custody for killing the Redskins playeril cells on the other side of the state.
"We lost one of our best. The whole community feels it," said Khary Pestaina a former neighbor. A freshman in highschool Josh Persad said, "He's like my hero."
Taylor's jersey bearing the number 26 along with a photo of him in his Hurricanes uniform were on display.
His father Pedro Taylor said that he believes Sean is in heaven with God now. The family huddled together in prayer trying to stick to their faith.
The four men charge were all denied bond. One of the attorneys, Sawyer Smith for defendant Jason Mitchell said, "He looks like he's in shock." The other defendants include Eric Rivera, Charles Wardlow, and Venjah Hunte. All 4 are under the age of 20 and have now been charged with unpremeditated murder, home invasion with a deadly weapon, and burglary. It is unknown when they will be brought to Miami for trial.
Two confessed to armed burglary, Mitchell and Rivera. They also said that someone had a gun which was used on Taylor, who was unidentified. Police have also indicated that other confessions were made but had no comment.
Poughkeepsie Tapes
According to Shock Til You Drop, The Poughkeepsie Tapes will be hitting our theatres in the first part of 2008. The film, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on the 27th April 2007, sees a return to the Horror movies of yonder years.
This film is very much like Rosemary’s Baby, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, taking us back to the horror movies which seemed so real that you slept with one eye open for months after watching them.
The thing that makes this film totally different to the run of the mill horrors that have recently graced the silver screen is that it was shot in documentary style. This totally adds to the sheer horror and suspense. It’s a technique I find really exciting and provides a completely different viewing experience.
The film follows the story of the Water Street Butcher, a serial killer from Poughkeepsie for over ten years. The butcher’s slight mistake lead to SWAT team descending on his house only to find that the butcher was long gone. However, what the team found was just as horrific. A catalogued library of VHS tapes which he used to document his murderous career.
This film is very much like Rosemary’s Baby, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, taking us back to the horror movies which seemed so real that you slept with one eye open for months after watching them.
The thing that makes this film totally different to the run of the mill horrors that have recently graced the silver screen is that it was shot in documentary style. This totally adds to the sheer horror and suspense. It’s a technique I find really exciting and provides a completely different viewing experience.
The film follows the story of the Water Street Butcher, a serial killer from Poughkeepsie for over ten years. The butcher’s slight mistake lead to SWAT team descending on his house only to find that the butcher was long gone. However, what the team found was just as horrific. A catalogued library of VHS tapes which he used to document his murderous career.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Brad Pitt Announcement, See The Video
Brad Pitt will no longer be stripping for the camera, according to a report made by the National Enquirer. The 43 year old actor is no longer interested in baring his body for the camera, as he did in such films as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Thelma and Louise" for fear it would upset his children. He had a biological child with his wife, Angelina Jolie, and has adopted her adopted son, Maddox, as well as two other children with the actress who also proclaims to be a humanitarian.
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Pitt's announcement that he will no longer "get naked" in front of the cameras is bound to upset his legion of loyal fans. The 43 year old actor is one of the highest paid in Hollywood and a major box office draw. In addition to his previous film nudity, Pitt also appeared in several risqué male modeling magazines before landing his first Hollywood film role. After "Thelma and Louise" shot him to stardom, Pitt became a movie idol of sorts and there are hundreds of fan clubs devoted to him on the Internet.
Who Died On Desperate Housewives, Find Out
Overturned cars, splintered trees and wrecked furniture fill the once picture-perfect street at the center of "Desperate Housewives." Windows and roofs are smashed and Mrs. McCluskey's house, oh my, has been reduced to rubble. Death is in the air.
The aftermath of a hissy fit by a stressed homemaker or jealous lover? No, it's a tornado that has savaged suburbia -- and series creator Marc Cherry is reveling in the destruction and, of course, the drama.
"Causing all sorts of havoc, that's when I'm at my happiest," a mischievous Cherry said of the two-part episode that brings the ABC drama its cruelest crisis yet, for viewers as well as characters.
The first hour airs Sunday, with a cliffhanger ending (Who died? Who lived?) that won't be resolved anytime soon: The following episode is completed but has yet to be scheduled.
Filming wrapped just as the screenwriters' strike began November 5, shutting down "Desperate Housewives" and other network dramas and comedies. ABC and Cherry want the second hour to kick off a run of new episodes -- which would require the strike to wrap before the season does.
Meanwhile, fans will have to live with agonizing uncertainty. That's something most cast members, aside from stars Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria, are accustomed to.
"With the exception of the four women, I don't know that anyone can ever take their job completely for granted," Cherry told The Associated Press. "Good heavens, I killed off Mary Alice in the pilot, Mrs. Huber in episode seven of the first season. My attitude is, that's life. People come and go."
Inspiration for the big-ticket episode came, in part, from the success of last season's hostage crisis, in which Lynette (Huffman) was shot and other characters were killed.
"It taught me the value of doing something exciting," Cherry said. "Very often, if you're just trying to show the lives of ordinary women and trying to make the small events of their lives interesting or big, you get in trouble. Sometimes you can overwrite, sometimes people get too silly."
A natural disaster, on the other hand, provides "a perfect backdrop so that the stakes are high for everyone on every single level," he said.
As they were for production designer Thomas Walsh and the crew, who had the job of pulling off a big-screen sequence with a small-screen budget and time constraints: Although there was an extra $500,000 or so for production (an average hourlong TV episode costs roughly $2 million), the usual nine-day shooting schedule was unchanged.
Organization and planning were key in the transformation of the Universal Studios make-believe neighborhood.
A few miles away, a parking lot in an industrial section of Glendale was designated as a collection site for debris -- and the scavenging began. When Steven Spielberg finished with a set for the Indiana Jones sequel also being shot at Universal, "truckload after truckload" of lumber was carried away, Walsh said.
Set dressers raided thrift stores for household goods that were destined to be trashed, while tree cuttings from the studio lot and elsewhere were added to the pile.
"We were good stewards. We actually recycled," Walsh said.
The designer debris ultimately was carted back to the lot and attached to 4-by-8-foot wood pallets to allow for repositioning during filming and quick removal in case of emergency (there was none, Walsh said, and no injuries during filming).
When it came to simulating the tornado and its destructive path, the approach was strictly old school since computer-generated effects would be costly and time-consuming. Wind machines created impressive gusts; cranes lifted and dropped cars and air mortars sent flotsam flying.
The house occupied by Karen McCluskey (Kathryn Joosten) fell victim to an earth excavator. It was the only one destroyed; other damage, such as apparent gashes in roofs, was largely simulated.
There was Hollywood history attached to the demolished house, which was featured in "Father Knows Best," and to others: Gabrielle's (Longoria) home was seen in the movie "Harvey," while "The Munsters," "Marcus Welby, M.D." and "The Hardy Boys" -- "depending on what generation you are," Walsh said -- also used the structures that once occupied another part of the lot.
Was Walsh at all troubled by wiping away a bit of TV's past?
"Sets are amazingly disposable; that's a fact of life," he said. Besides, he said, "we're visual storytellers, not architects."
Cherry admitted to a pang when he saw the tattered set.
"I thought, 'Oh, my God, what have we done?' It really kind of hurt my heart a little bit to see my street so banged up," he said.
But he's more sanguine about erasing remnants of TV tradition.
"To me, it's kind of like my street to destroy at this point," Cherry said. "Even if we shut down production tomorrow, it's Wisteria Lane now. That street is Wisteria Lane."
The aftermath of a hissy fit by a stressed homemaker or jealous lover? No, it's a tornado that has savaged suburbia -- and series creator Marc Cherry is reveling in the destruction and, of course, the drama.
"Causing all sorts of havoc, that's when I'm at my happiest," a mischievous Cherry said of the two-part episode that brings the ABC drama its cruelest crisis yet, for viewers as well as characters.
The first hour airs Sunday, with a cliffhanger ending (Who died? Who lived?) that won't be resolved anytime soon: The following episode is completed but has yet to be scheduled.
Filming wrapped just as the screenwriters' strike began November 5, shutting down "Desperate Housewives" and other network dramas and comedies. ABC and Cherry want the second hour to kick off a run of new episodes -- which would require the strike to wrap before the season does.
Meanwhile, fans will have to live with agonizing uncertainty. That's something most cast members, aside from stars Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria, are accustomed to.
"With the exception of the four women, I don't know that anyone can ever take their job completely for granted," Cherry told The Associated Press. "Good heavens, I killed off Mary Alice in the pilot, Mrs. Huber in episode seven of the first season. My attitude is, that's life. People come and go."
Inspiration for the big-ticket episode came, in part, from the success of last season's hostage crisis, in which Lynette (Huffman) was shot and other characters were killed.
"It taught me the value of doing something exciting," Cherry said. "Very often, if you're just trying to show the lives of ordinary women and trying to make the small events of their lives interesting or big, you get in trouble. Sometimes you can overwrite, sometimes people get too silly."
A natural disaster, on the other hand, provides "a perfect backdrop so that the stakes are high for everyone on every single level," he said.
As they were for production designer Thomas Walsh and the crew, who had the job of pulling off a big-screen sequence with a small-screen budget and time constraints: Although there was an extra $500,000 or so for production (an average hourlong TV episode costs roughly $2 million), the usual nine-day shooting schedule was unchanged.
Organization and planning were key in the transformation of the Universal Studios make-believe neighborhood.
A few miles away, a parking lot in an industrial section of Glendale was designated as a collection site for debris -- and the scavenging began. When Steven Spielberg finished with a set for the Indiana Jones sequel also being shot at Universal, "truckload after truckload" of lumber was carried away, Walsh said.
Set dressers raided thrift stores for household goods that were destined to be trashed, while tree cuttings from the studio lot and elsewhere were added to the pile.
"We were good stewards. We actually recycled," Walsh said.
The designer debris ultimately was carted back to the lot and attached to 4-by-8-foot wood pallets to allow for repositioning during filming and quick removal in case of emergency (there was none, Walsh said, and no injuries during filming).
When it came to simulating the tornado and its destructive path, the approach was strictly old school since computer-generated effects would be costly and time-consuming. Wind machines created impressive gusts; cranes lifted and dropped cars and air mortars sent flotsam flying.
The house occupied by Karen McCluskey (Kathryn Joosten) fell victim to an earth excavator. It was the only one destroyed; other damage, such as apparent gashes in roofs, was largely simulated.
There was Hollywood history attached to the demolished house, which was featured in "Father Knows Best," and to others: Gabrielle's (Longoria) home was seen in the movie "Harvey," while "The Munsters," "Marcus Welby, M.D." and "The Hardy Boys" -- "depending on what generation you are," Walsh said -- also used the structures that once occupied another part of the lot.
Was Walsh at all troubled by wiping away a bit of TV's past?
"Sets are amazingly disposable; that's a fact of life," he said. Besides, he said, "we're visual storytellers, not architects."
Cherry admitted to a pang when he saw the tattered set.
"I thought, 'Oh, my God, what have we done?' It really kind of hurt my heart a little bit to see my street so banged up," he said.
But he's more sanguine about erasing remnants of TV tradition.
"To me, it's kind of like my street to destroy at this point," Cherry said. "Even if we shut down production tomorrow, it's Wisteria Lane now. That street is Wisteria Lane."
Don Rickles, Mr. Warmth
Eighty-one-year-old Don Rickles is the subject of “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project,” an HBO documentary premiering Sunday directed by John Landis. Read about it in the Times arts coverage here and watch this clip (left) with Ed McMahon looking back at the comedian’s relationship with Johnny Carson and “The Tonight Show.”
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