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May 29, 2025 154 mins
What began as a backwoods commune in Canada turned into one of the most horrific cults in history — led by self-proclaimed prophet Roch Thériault, whose reign of terror is almost too disturbing to believe. 

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ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.
DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
IN THIS EPISODE: Deep in Quebec's wilderness, Roch Thériault assembled believers to await the apocalypse he claimed would arrive February 1979. His spiritual settlement transformed into history's most disturbing cult experiment, where unauthorized surgeries, calculated torture, and mind control tactics replaced daily prayers. For twelve years, the "Ant Hill Kids" remained secluded from authorities, their isolation enabling atrocities as their self-proclaimed Moses pursued increasingly dangerous delusions.

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:25.607 = Show Open
00:04:41.589 =PART 1: THE FOUNDATION OF MADNESS
00:07:14.970 = The Making of Moses
00:18:02.162 = The Prophet Emerges
00:28:36.412 = Eternal Mountain
00:41:05.850 = PART 2: DESCENT INTO DARKNESS
00:41:32.068 = The First Death
00:49:21.345 = The Second Settlement
01:00:34.694 = The Final Atrocities
01:12:52.195 = PART 3: AFTERMATH AND LEGACY
01:13:17.481 = The Prison years
01:20:54.620 = The Survivors’ Stories
01:31:42.097 = Cultural Impact and Collective Memory
01:42:25.997 = PART 4: UNDERSTANDING THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE
01:42:59.741 = The Psychology of Cult Control
01:54:39.106 = The Psychology of Roch Thériault
02:05:54.259 = The Question of Evil
02:21:58.286 = PART 5: LESSONS FROM DARKNESS
02:32:40.752 = Show Close

SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
BOOK: “Alliance of the Sheep” (“L'alliance de la brebis)” by Gabrielle Lavallée: https://amzn.to/4dDwv1u (Only available in the original French. An English translation has apparently not been authorized or published.)
BOOK: “Savage Messiah" by Paul Kaihla and Ross Laver: https://amzn.to/3FzXxKn
FILM: “Savage Messiah”: https://amzn.to/43O6yJ8
https://theprofilehhs.com/4728/editorials/the-ant-hill-kids-theriaults-early-beginnings-stage-1/
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