January 10, 2024 • 47 mins
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Prepare to be unsettled as we unravel the final chapters of Gwen Shamblin's legacy and the Remnant Fellowship Church. The heartache begins with the tragic demise of young Joseph Smith, the tremors of which expose a disturbing connection between Shamblin's ideologies and the extreme discipline his parents practiced. Experience a profound sense of urgency as we reveal the church's cunning legal maneuvers and the alarming expansion of a controversial child weight loss program. Our narrative weaves through testimonies from those once ensnared by the church's demanding clutches, detailing the harrowing impact on both their wallets and wellbeing.
Amidst a backdrop of opulence and secrecy, the personal life of Gwen Shamblin emerges—a tale of grand estates, a lavish wedding to Joe Lara, and legal skirmishes that hint at the enigmatic nature of the church. The echoes of a hushed family tragedy bring to light the cult's inner workings, cultivating an atmosphere heavy with silence and suspicion. As the story unfolds, Gwen's fervent defense against cult accusations paints a portrait of a woman battling tumultuous public perception while steering her controversial church.
Source Material for All 3 Episodes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wmx-gisrSJb3-E53_GOOmJxffZYY7nG1tt09EeVTCLE/edit?usp=sharing
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, hey, crime connoisseurs, I'm your host,
grace D.
Today we're finishing up withGwen Shamblin and Reminette
Fellowship Church.
To recap last week we coveredthe tragic death of Joseph Smith
On October 8, 2003, firstresponders were called to the
Smith residence for anunconscious, unresponsive child.
(00:22):
Joseph was taken to CobbHospital and then transferred to
Scottish Rite Children'sHospital.
Joseph ultimately died the nextday.
First responders in hospital,saf, saw bruises all over Joseph
and when they called themedical examiner's office, the
hospital informed them that hedied of swelling in the brain
(00:43):
due to child abuse.
Scarring, bruising, lacerationsand burns were all found all
over Joseph's body.
There were marks in loopingpatterns, and former Cobb County
detective David Schweizercompared a glue stick with the
fresh marks on Joseph's body andit was a perfect match.
(01:03):
Joseph's parents, big Josephand Sonia Smith, are members of
Reminette Fellowship.
Gwen Shamblin and members ofReminette Fellowship paid for
the Smith's legal fees.
They were found guilty onseveral counts, including felony
murder, involuntarymanslaughter, first-degree
cruelty to children, aggravatedassault, false imprisonment and
(01:27):
reckless conduct.
The judge gave them the maximumsentence life in prison plus 30
years.
And now we're going to jumpback into chronological order
for the rest of the case.
This is the final episode ofGwen Shamblin and Reminette
Fellowship Church.
(02:23):
In September 2003, gwen took herway down workshop methods and
made a version for kids.
The program, called the LastExodus, is taking her message to
children, 15% of whom are obesenationwide.
The 8-week class is gearedtoward people 8 to 28 and, for
(02:45):
$125, includes prayer lectures,motivational speeches and, of
course, bible study.
By May 2004, about 500 classeshad been held since the program
began in September.
Some participants were membersof Reminette Fellowship.
(03:05):
The Last Exodus was run byGwen's son Michael, his wife
Erin, gwen's daughter Elizabethand her husband Brandon.
The building of ReminetteFellowship Church was completed
in 2004 on 40 acres that Gwenpurchased in Brentwood,
(03:25):
tennessee.
Gwen preached that membersshould give their money to
Reminette Fellowship Church, theonly true church, and that all
other churches were fraudulent.
If a congregant fell ill withcancer, gained weight or had
disobedient children, gwendeclared that it was God's
(03:46):
judgment.
In the way down.
Gina Wilson said that Gwen toldher followers quote they had to
repent for bad things they haddone if bad things were
happening to them, but theynever held that same standard to
themselves.
End quote.
(04:07):
Following up to Joseph's death,news Channel 5 investigates
uncovered the church'scontroversial practices for
disciplining their children,including an internal recording
in which Gwen had praised theSmiths for how they treated
Joseph.
Former members of ReminetteFellowship admitted to hot glue
(04:28):
sticks being such a normal thingwithin the church.
It's been said that you wouldgo into church service, walk
down the aisles and see the gluesticks just sticking out of
diaper bags like it was no bigdeal In their firm beliefs.
Investigation News Channel 5investigates also revealed other
(04:51):
controversial practices,including demands that followers
not take psychiatricmedications to deal with mental
illness.
In their 2004 report, theyrevealed how Reminette
Fellowship followers consideredGwen to be a prophet.
During the interview with NewsChannel 5, gwen admitted that
(05:13):
she would be willing to lie toprotect her church.
Some former members said thatGwen Shamblin's Reminette
Fellowship church held avice-like grip over its
membership.
According to an article fromthe Guardian, church leaders
like Gwen heavily influencedmembers' finances, marriages,
(05:35):
social media and contact withthe outside world.
In the HBO Max docu-series theWay Down, glenn Wingerd talks
about his daughter who wasrecruited and joined Reminette
Fellowship.
He said in the docu-seriesquote you know you talk to your
kids about drunk driving, thedangers of drug taking, how to
(05:58):
have safe sex, but you neverexpect to have to teach them not
to join a cult.
End quote Gwen and the leadersof Reminette Fellowship had
their hands in everything withthe church members.
People were not allowed to poston social media without
permission from church leaders.
(06:18):
Reminette Fellowship members areassigned a leader as their
church counselor.
Ted Enger, one of the leaders,was one of the main counselors.
He is described as the meanestleader in the church.
In the Way Down, oneex-Reminette member recalled him
telling her that she wouldnever get to heaven because she
(06:39):
was too fat.
Another remembered when he wastrying to change his last name,
saying it was French andpronounced on gay.
One ex-member, lauren Alvarez,recounted being allowed only 10
bites a day and after that shewas fasting every other month.
No food, just a little bit ofbroth.
(07:01):
That was it.
This caused irreparable damageto her body.
After Laura left, she becamepregnant with her daughter and
Laura became very ill.
The doctors did a biopsy andasked her if she was ever
bulimic or anorexic.
She told them that she used tostarve herself.
(07:22):
The doctors then told her thather kidneys had holes in them
from her body eating away atitself due to starvation.
If you wanted to visit yourfamily who were not members of
Remnant Fellowship or if theywanted to visit you, you had to
talk to your designated leaderfirst.
(07:44):
If you were having maritalproblems, you would speak with
your assigned leader to fixthings.
And by fix things I mean if thehusband was having an affair
and the wife wanted him out ofthe house, like Gina Wilson, the
leaders would say to let himcome back home, he's really
sorry, he won't do it again.
(08:04):
And then tell the woman theyneeded to be submissive to the
husband and give him everythinghe wanted whenever he wanted,
and there wouldn't be issues.
This particular incidenthappened to Gina Wilson with Ted
Anger.
Gwen made her wealth on thebacks of her congregants.
(08:25):
Within Remnant Fellowship therewere real estate and financial
planning companies, businessindustries.
The church's business arm builtcustom homes and provided
plumbing, electrical work andair conditioning work.
Mindy Alvarez, laura's mom,said in the way down quote
(08:47):
everyone worked for free.
She would tell them you'redoing it for God.
Everybody in the church, thecongregation were, the workers
were cooks, there was daycare,there was everything.
While they were making theirmoney end quote.
As a Spanish speaker.
(09:08):
Mindy spearheaded the way downmethod to the Latin community in
Arizona Before moving toNashville.
Remnant Fellowship offered her ajob.
Mindy said quote they offeredto meet my pay, which at the
time was probably $21, $22 anhour end quote.
But when Mindy got her firstpaycheck for $8 an hour, she
(09:33):
asked Gwen about the discrepancyQuote and I'll never forget
this.
She said Mindy, you need tohumble yourself.
This is your pay and never,ever expect a raise.
I was sorry because I thought Iwasn't humble and I shouldn't
ask for more and that I shouldbe content.
(09:56):
End quote.
Mindy was also expected to workon the weekends, but because
this was officially consideredchurch time, she never got paid
for those days.
Mindy says that Gwen broke herfamily and the only thing she
can do is pick up the pieces,because that's what Gwen left.
(10:18):
It would be several yearsbefore anything else notable
would come up.
In 2017, gwen filed for adivorce with David, her husband.
40 years.
Up until now, gwen wasultimately against divorce in
the church.
Someone went to their leaderswanting to leave their husbands
(10:40):
who were abusive or unfaithful,and they would be instructed to
have to work things out.
What could they do to satisfytheir husbands so that they
would remain faithful or notabuse them?
Helen Bird, a former member ofRemnant Fellowship, said in her
interview with the Way Downquote All of those years you
(11:03):
have told people to sufferthrough their marriage, but
whenever the spirit hits you,you done had a whole change of
heart.
Now it's okay to get divorced,end quote.
Now there is speculation aboutwhy we don't see or know much
about David, even though Gwenwas in the public eye for their
(11:23):
whole marriage Because he didn'tsubscribe to Gwen's religious
philosophies and lives in alarger body.
David supported Gwen and herwork and he was even the CEO of
the Way Down workshop.
But when Gwen started RemnantFellowship, david took a step
back.
He didn't attend RemnantFellowship Church services,
(11:46):
festivals and other significantevents.
The reason why David was absentis unknown, but several people
speculate in the Way Down thathe stayed in the background
because, as a man with amaster's in divinity, he felt
uneasy about his wife'steachings on religion and
dieting.
(12:07):
David was blindsided by Gwenwanting a divorce.
He begged her to reconsider andto try to work things out, but
she had decided that she wantedout Phil Williams with News
Channel 5 Investigates, who hadbeen covering Gwen Shamblin, the
Way Down workshop and RemnantFellowship for decades,
(12:29):
discovered that Gwen suddenlyagreed to a settlement after
David Shamblin's attorneys fileda subpoena to require Remnant
Fellowship to reveal allpayments and fringe benefits
provided to her and to Joe Lara,as well as any non-disclosure
agreements that the church hadsigned with current or former
(12:50):
members.
That divorce settlement, filedin court, details how the couple
split 18 pieces of property.
Those properties are now valuedat more than $20 million.
Gwen also had to pay Davidanother $3 million out of her
own pocket.
Among the properties that shegot to keep in the divorce was a
(13:15):
luxury beach house in Destin,florida, located in a gated
community known as Destiny bythe Sea.
Gwen's Beach House has fourbedrooms and five baths and is
located right on the Gulf ofMexico.
Property records show that Gwenand David paid $1,940,000 for
(13:39):
it in 2010.
In 2021, zillow valued it at$4,241,200, more than double
what they had paid 13 years ago.
The home recently sold onDecember 11, 2023 for $3,020,000
(14:00):
.
Take a listen to the real estatelisting for the home.
Your personal oasis on the Gulfawaits From the moment you step
inside.
This home will captivate yoursenses with its intricate
architectural details and Tuscanstyle columns.
The two-story library at theentrance sets the tone for the
(14:23):
breathtaking views that awaityou in the stunning open concept
living, dining room area andadjoining kitchen.
Every room in this home boastsgreat attention to detail, from
the carefully planned layout tothe opulent decor.
You will immediately feel likeyou have been transported to
(14:43):
your own private villa.
The owner's suite will takeyour breath away, with its very
own separate sitting area,fireplace and two private
bathrooms.
The third floor has everythingnecessary to provide additional
guests with an ultra-privateretreat.
Home is sold furnished with fewminor expectations.
(15:07):
In Gwen's YouTube videos, oneappears to have been recorded
from the balcony of the beachhouse.
Included in it is a discussionof Joe Lara's love of scuba
diving Back in Brentwood, justdown the road from the church.
The divorce settlement showsthat Gwen also got to keep the
(15:29):
couple's pre-Civil Warplantation home known as Ashlawn
.
The current value of thatproperty is $6,920,900.
Just two months after Gwen andDavid's divorce was final, gwen
Shamblin married Joe Lara in alavish wedding at Remnant
(15:51):
Fellowship on August 18, 2018.
Their wedding was wild.
It was held where theyperformed the church services,
there were archways of flowersand Gwen's wedding dress was
like that out of a fairy tale.
They pulled out all the stopsand had such a luxurious wedding
(16:12):
that was planned all in twomonths.
They posted a video titled theCovenant Wedding of Gwen
Shamblin to Joe Lara on theirYouTube page highlighting the
nuptials and the reception.
You can also find their YouTubechannel Life with Gwen and Joe.
(16:33):
So who was Joe Lara?
Joe Lara was an actor whoportrayed Tarzan in the TV movie
Tarzan in Manhattan and thenthe follow-up TV series.
He met fellow actor NatashaPavlovich.
The two dated off and on for awhile and ended up having a
daughter together.
(16:54):
Joe and Natasha moved toNashville for Joe to pursue his
country music career.
They had agreed that if hismusic career didn't take off by
the time their daughter reachedkindergarten, they would move to
Chicago to be near her family.
Well, their daughter reachedkindergarten age in 2015, and
(17:15):
Joe's music career wasunsuccessful, but he refused to
move when the time came.
Instead, he filed a policereport in an attempt to obtain
sole custody of theirfour-year-old daughter, alleging
that Natasha had sexuallyabused her.
A police investigation laterdiscovered that Joe was lying
(17:38):
and he and Natasha officiallyseparated.
Natasha said in the way downquote when he met Gwen I feel
like he won the lottery and healso was cast in her production.
End quote Remnant fellowshipmembers were seemingly unaware
of Joe's custody battle withNatasha.
(18:00):
Among the many expensive giftsthat Gwen spent on her new man
were flight lessons.
Joe's ex Natasha said, quotewhen he met Gwen, he started to
renew his pilot's licensebecause he hadn't flown in seven
and a half years until about2017, when Gwen paid for it.
In a very short time I'd say ina year he got multiple new
(18:26):
flight ratings and he also got ahelicopter's license.
End quote.
Soon after their marriage,property records show, gwen
began transferring her realestate holdings not into
Remnant's name but into thenames of various trusts,
effectively shielding the realidentity of the owners.
(18:47):
The Beach House is listed asthe 4714 Ocean Trust and the 902
Franklin Trust now owns AshlawnLake.
Property along Center Hill Lakeis listed as the Highway 56
Farm Trust.
(19:07):
At some point throughout all ofthis, members began turning on
each other after Gwen's daughterElizabeth lost her
five-month-old son HenleyShamlin Hannah, the members of
Remnant were alerted to thetragic news and were asked to
pray for baby Henley.
That following Sunday, was aneerie feeling for members.
(19:29):
Gwen nor the church leadersever acknowledged the loss of
baby Henley.
They were told it would nolonger be mentioned and that the
congregation was expected toact normal In the way down.
Several former members spokeabout the tragedy.
Gina said details about theinfant's death are sparse,
(19:52):
admitting quote, no one everreally acknowledged that he died
.
I mean through word of mouth.
It kind of spread but therewasn't an official anything from
Gwen.
End quote.
Rachel Phillips explained thatthings were kept private because
, quote, the way that Remnantworks when it comes to death is
(20:12):
you don't grieve, you move on.
End quote.
But Helen Bird suspected thatthe death was kept under wraps
because the shamlins preachedthat bad things happened to
immoral people.
She said, quote, there is aconcerted effort to sort of hide
(20:32):
things so that you can keepthat facade of.
This is the most perfect placeon earth and this is God's
kingdom.
So when Elizabeth lost a child,it wasn't really talked about.
End quote.
As the news spread, membersbegan to panic.
The number called.
(20:53):
Everyone was looking atthemselves saying wasn't me, did
I cause this?
Remember?
Gwen instilled guilt and fearin everyone and said that when
things like this happened it wasGod's judgment and someone
caused him to be upset with thechurch.
She said it got to a pointwhere Gwen started interrogating
(21:15):
members In the docu series.
She said that the leaderscalled them in saying, quote
we're bringing in the strugglersto assess how you're doing,
because God is bringing judgmenton this church and we want to
know where it's coming from.
End quote.
In 2019, joe fought withNatasha for custody of their
(21:38):
daughter.
Gwen and Joe underwentdepositions where questions
about the church, thedisciplining of children and
other things were questioned.
Gwen was called to testify inthe child custody case.
Natasha's attorney pressed Gwenabout the controversies
(21:59):
surrounding remnant fellowship.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Are you aware that a lot of folks have, at least
online, expressed that theythink remnant fellowship is a
cult?
Check to the floor.
I'm not aware of a lot.
It's kind of like a lot ofpeople know and you have to
define a lot.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
The testimony from Gwen revealed the church was so
worried about its image that sheadmitted remnant fellowship had
a web team dedicated to tryingto manipulate its Google search
results.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
It's the purpose of this Google placement to push
negative websites down in thesearches for remnant fellowship,
or to push the truth of what itis about us to the top.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
You know, the funny thing with depositions is that
when you read them, you're justreading what was verbally said
back and forth between partiesand then with this podcast, it's
audio.
So you're just hearing whatshe's saying, but what's not
being able to be witnessed isthe eye rolls, the shoulder
(23:19):
shrugs, the perturbed look onher face.
You can somewhat hear the sizeand the in her tone of the way
that she's speaking, like shelooks and is acting like.
I want to eff you all up andthat's a shame like when you
read a deposition that you don'tget to see that sense of
(23:42):
everything.
So I'm going to post links tothe videos of the deposition so
that you guys can go and watchthem for yourselves.
Phil Williams of News Channel 5investigates had asked Gwen in
2004 about allegations that herfollowers viewed her as a
prophetic figure.
(24:03):
They asked are you a prophet?
Gwen said, quote.
I don't believe.
I know what my gift name is, soI will tell you.
I'm still wrestling with that.
I've been told that for years.
End quote.
But 15 years later in the videoof the deposition she was asked
(24:25):
quote what is your positionwith Remnant Fellowship?
She replied I am one of theleaders.
Do you have any kind ofofficial title with the church.
I am Gwen.
End quote After years ofportraying herself as a
prophetic role, gwen resistedany such labels.
(24:47):
In the deposition they asked doyou consider yourself to be a
pastor?
Though?
She said honestly my backgroundChurch of Christ.
Being a female, I've tried toresist any title.
But Gwen.
What followed was a lengthylegal battle over the custody of
(25:10):
their daughter.
In the end, a judge ruled thatJoe and Natasha would be awarded
50-50 custody in 2020.
On May 29th 2021, gwen, joe andfive other Remnant Fellowship
leaders boarded a small privatejet and headed to Palm Beach,
(25:32):
florida, for a we, the PeoplePatriots Day rally in support of
former President Donald Trump.
Shortly after takeoff and byshortly, I mean within minutes
while flying over Percy PriestLake in Tennessee, something
went wrong and the plane wentdown.
Everyone on board died,including Brandon, hannah, gwen
(25:56):
Sonnenlohn and Elizabeth'shusband.
That same day, a wedding formembers of Remnant Fellowship
was taking place.
Gwen Wyngerd, from earlier inthe episode, whose daughter was
recruited to join RemnantFellowship, was getting married
that day to Jackson Rector.
Her parents had learned aboutthe crash hours before the
(26:20):
wedding and thought the weddingwould be postponed.
So Gwen called David RectorJackson's father and asked him
if the wedding was still on.
And lo and behold, the weddingwas still set to go.
So Gwen and Carrie got readyfor their daughter's wedding and
went to the ceremony.
When they arrived, theyexpected the members to look as
(26:44):
if they had been crying and sad.
Yet as they looked around, theynoticed that the members were
all still smiling andhappy-go-lucky.
Gwen and Carrie thought surelythey must not know about the
accident, but they knew.
At least several people did, sothey chose not to say anything
to their daughter, delaney,about it because she seemed
(27:06):
happy.
This was baffling to Gwen andCarrie, but as we've learned,
this is the way of RemnantFellowship you do not grieve,
you do not mourn, you go onbeing happy.
By June 1st 2021, searchers hadrecovered both aircraft engines
, a significant portion of thefuselage and unidentified human
(27:32):
remains.
Authorities confirmed those onboard were Joe Lara, who was
piloting the plane, gwenShamblin-Lara, david and
Jennifer Martin, jonathan andJessica Walters and Brandon
Hannah.
Nearly two years later, onMarch 22nd 2023, the National
(27:56):
Transportation Safety Board'sfinal report determined the
cause of the accident.
On May 29, 2021, the plane tookoff from Smyrna Airport at
10.50am.
Flight tracking data revealedthat after takeoff, the plane
entered the clouds at 1300 feetand made a series of heading
(28:19):
changes, along with severalclimbs and descents, before it
entered a steep descending leftturn.
The plane started a right turnand climbed to an altitude of
2900 feet before descending to1800 feet, then climbing again
to 3000 feet and then finallydiving into the lake.
(28:41):
Weather reports for that dayindicated the presence of an
overcast cloud layer at 1300feet in the area around that
time.
The accelerations associatedwith the plane's increasing
airspeed were likely perceivedby the pilot as the airplane
(29:01):
pitching up, although it was ina continuous descent.
This occurred because Joe wasexperiencing a type of spatial
disorientation, a somatographicillusion, and he probably didn't
effectively use his instrumentsduring takeoff and climb.
As a result, joe most likelyexperienced a high workload
(29:26):
managing the flight profile,which would have hurt his
performance.
As such, the plane entered ahigh acceleration, usual
altitude and the descending leftturn, from which he was not
able to recover.
The NTSB investigation reviewedJoe's pilot training in the
(29:47):
CE-500 type aircraft andreported that at the end of a
12-day series of trainingsessions at a flight school in
January 2020, quote the pilotdid not meet the requisite
performance level to attempt theCE-500 type rating check ride.
End quote.
Joe would return to his localinstructor for more training and
(30:12):
subsequently passed his checkride.
Nonetheless, on severaloccasions a pilot who flew in
the accident aircraft with Joejudged him as weak when flying
in instrumental meteorologicalconditions.
In the audio recordings from thecommunication between Joe Lara
(30:34):
and AirTraft Control releasedfrom the accident, you can hear
what sounds like an alarm goingoff in the background when Joe
is responding.
Take a listen.
When Joe responds 1-300-66Bravo Kilo, you can hear what
(31:20):
sounds like the alarm in thebackground.
It's faint but if you listenclosely you can hear it.
I'll play that part again totry and isolate it so you guys
can hear it more.
My heart goes out for Elizabethbecause in such a short time
(31:42):
she lost a child and then withthis accident she lost her
mother, her husband, and JessicaWalters was one of her best
friends.
You can see in photos as timegoes on from before she lost
baby Henley till the accident.
She just is like withering away.
(32:04):
Her eyes are cold and dead likeand her face is sunken in and
she looks emaciated.
Gwen's children, michael andElizabeth, were announced to
continue remnant fellowship.
However, since then Elizabethis listed as one of 37 church
(32:25):
leaders and has hardly shown upin person, but she does attend
services through the conferencecalls.
Michael's relationship with thechurch was always rocky.
In the docu-series, a formermember who uses a pseudonym and
is shrouded in the dark alludesto having an affair with Michael
(32:45):
and that he told her he wouldget so angry that he shot at the
church Because his mother'sdeath.
He's divorced his wife andsevered ties with the way down
ministries and remnantfellowship church.
It's been reported that Gwendidn't leave anything to remnant
(33:05):
fellowship in her will.
The will signed in 2011originally left everything to
David Shamblin, with Elizabethand Michael listed as successors
, but because the coupledivorced in 2018, tennessee law
provides that David, theex-husband, was no longer
(33:26):
eligible to be the beneficiaryof the will.
In regards to the will, remnantfellowship provided the
following statement to NewsChannel 5.
Quote In regards to Gwen'sestate, gwen, michael and
Elizabeth decided almost twodecades ago to give
approximately $10 million ofwhat would have been Michael and
(33:51):
Elizabeth's inheritance to thebuilding and grounds of Remnant
Fellowship Church.
Gwen also donated way downministries and its proceeds, as
well as all her intellectualproperties, over to the church.
This was an incredible gift ofgenerosity from Gwen and her
(34:11):
family's inheritance, and thechurch would expect no more.
End quote.
In 2017, elizabeth said thatGwen practically handed her and
Michael's inheritance away.
At the time of her death, Gwenwas one third of the way through
a nine week video series ongreed, a series in which she
(34:34):
urged Remnant followers toprepare to give up all of their
wealth.
In her video about greed, gwenwarned quote Most of the world
has abandoned true religion andare now converts to building up
their own pocketbooks.
Yet God is a God of justice andhe will not be mocked.
(34:54):
End quote.
Gwen promoted the notion thatgreat things came to those who
bowed before God and that thebad ones were the consequences
of unfaithfulness.
Consequently, her untimelydemise was an enormous
complication for the church thatsent them into an identity
(35:15):
crisis tailspin.
Former member Helen Bird saidquote when bad things happen,
it's God's judgment.
So if he takes seven of yourleaders out at the same time,
what other message could havebeen sent?
According to them, this isGod's judgment.
End quote.
Since the way down, god greedand the cult of Gwen Shamblin
(35:41):
first premiered in late 2021.
Remnant Fellowship has disputedthe negative publicity in a
series of videos encouraginginclusivity and emphasizing
their family friendly values.
In one clip, a man named OtisRickman, wearing a white
doctor's coat, says, quote Oneof the things I'd like to touch
(36:03):
on as we talk about peoplelosing weight or gaining weight
is everyone is different.
God made us all different.
So we have big, sturdy,muscular people, we have thin,
wispy people, we have just allkinds of people.
End quote.
Helen, who's an absolutefavorite of mine, said quote
(36:26):
Otis Rickman put out this videothat everybody's body is
different, right, and thatnobody gets shunned or shamed or
whatever, when his wife was satout of the church because she
had gained weight.
So that's a lie.
It's the goddamn remix.
End quote.
As far as the church's futurewithout its higher the hair
(36:48):
closer to God, pastor, only timewill tell.
However, the docu seriesoffered some insights into the
future of Remnant Fellowshipwithout her guiding the way.
While her daughter, ElizabethHannah, is expected to be the
heir, she is not officiallytaken over yet.
Instead, she's more of a behindthe scenes leader who
(37:10):
conferences in during services.
On the weekend, during oneservice, elizabeth addressed the
church saying, quote I know alot of you have wondered how I'm
doing and if I'm throwing inthe towel.
Considering what has justhappened, I'm doing very well.
I'm very strong and my childrenare very strong.
(37:30):
I just want to keep lettingeverybody know that, even though
I haven't been there recently,the precious leadership has
allowed me to have a little timeoff.
End quote.
This member, gina Wilson, tellsthe way down quote.
I don't know how Elizabeth isgoing to be able to do it.
She's lost her husband, hermother and her best friend, but
(37:53):
she was trained mightily by Gwento be her mockingbird.
End quote.
Gwen Shamblin-Lara's dietprogram Way Down Workshop became
a multi-million dollarcorporation accumulating over
$20 million in revenues annually.
At the time of her death in2021, the company's net worth
(38:16):
was close to $80 to $100 million, and Gwen and Joe had full
ownership over it.
Gwen's book made her one of thebest selling authors of her
time.
Her first book, the Way DownDiet, has sold over 1.2 million
copies worldwide.
(38:37):
Given the multiple sources ofrevenue at her disposal, gwen's
net worth was estimated at $100million at the time of her death
.
The HBO docu-series the Way Down, god Greed and the Cult of Gwen
Shamblin was originally threeepisodes.
It's scheduled release date wasSeptember 30th 2021, and Gwen's
(39:02):
death threw the future of thedocu-series about her into doubt
and complicated the filmingprocess, its production had
resolved to carry on with theproject.
The director, marina Zinovich,said quote it was never about
not continuing, it was aboutshifting how we were going to
(39:23):
tell the story.
End.
Quote.
In fact, more people wanted totalk to the documentarians after
Gwen's death, since theyfinally felt safe and
comfortable coming forwardleading HBO executives to add
more episodes to the series.
Lizzie Fox, senior vicepresident of nonfiction at HBO
(39:44):
Max, explained that there's afuller story to be told.
Kalina Fraga said it best inher report, for All that's
Interesting, in an article fromApril 26, 2022.
So to quote Kalina in the end,depending on where you stand,
gwen Shamblin, lara, is either ascam artist or a savior.
(40:08):
She either built a church orconstructed a cult.
People will look at photos ofGwen Shamblin from the most
recent years and think how inthe world did people follow her?
Look at her.
She looks crazy the hair, themakeup, the way that she dresses
.
But the thing is, when shestarted all of this, she was
(40:33):
your typical modern day woman ofthe 90s, like a housewife and
the mom.
She just seemed so normal, shepresented herself so well and as
the years went on and theideology got crazier and crazier
.
The hair got bigger and biggerand the makeup got more wild and
(40:57):
the clothing got even wilder,and that's the case of Gwen
Shamblin and ReminetteFellowship Church.
I hope you guys liked goingover this style of a case.
As I said in part one, this isbound to bring out some
conflicting dialogue, since it'sabout religion.
When discussing it, let'sremember to please stay
(41:21):
respectful to one another.
You don't have to agree, but wemust be polite when debating
things, especially on topicslike this.
So what do you think?
Did Gwen Shamblin build achurch or form a cult with
Reminette Fellowship?
If you've done the way downdiet, I'd love to hear your
feedback on it.
(41:41):
Or if you used to be a memberof Reminette Fellowship, I'd
love to hear your thoughts aswell.
Heck, if you are a currentmember of Reminette Fellowship,
I'd love to chat.
Be sure to follow on Instagramat CrimeConnoisseurs and
subscribe and download toCrimeConnoisseurs wherever you
listen to your podcasts.
In the meantime, keep it class,econosaurus, and I'll catch you
(42:06):
on the next case.
Hey, hey, crime connoisseurs, I'm your host,
grace D.
Today we're finishing up withGwen Shamblin and Reminette
Fellowship Church.
To recap last week we coveredthe tragic death of Joseph Smith
On October 8, 2003, firstresponders were called to the
Smith residence for anunconscious, unresponsive child.
(00:22):
Joseph was taken to CobbHospital and then transferred to
Scottish Rite Children'sHospital.
Joseph ultimately died the nextday.
First responders in hospital,saf, saw bruises all over Joseph
and when they called themedical examiner's office, the
hospital informed them that hedied of swelling in the brain
(00:43):
due to child abuse.
Scarring, bruising, lacerationsand burns were all found all
over Joseph's body.
There were marks in loopingpatterns, and former Cobb County
detective David Schweizercompared a glue stick with the
fresh marks on Joseph's body andit was a perfect match.
(01:03):
Joseph's parents, big Josephand Sonia Smith, are members of
Reminette Fellowship.
Gwen Shamblin and members ofReminette Fellowship paid for
the Smith's legal fees.
They were found guilty onseveral counts, including felony
murder, involuntarymanslaughter, first-degree
cruelty to children, aggravatedassault, false imprisonment and
(01:27):
reckless conduct.
The judge gave them the maximumsentence life in prison plus 30
years.
And now we're going to jumpback into chronological order
for the rest of the case.
This is the final episode ofGwen Shamblin and Reminette
Fellowship Church.
(02:23):
In September 2003, gwen took herway down workshop methods and
made a version for kids.
The program, called the LastExodus, is taking her message to
children, 15% of whom are obesenationwide.
The 8-week class is gearedtoward people 8 to 28 and, for
(02:45):
$125, includes prayer lectures,motivational speeches and, of
course, bible study.
By May 2004, about 500 classeshad been held since the program
began in September.
Some participants were membersof Reminette Fellowship.
(03:05):
The Last Exodus was run byGwen's son Michael, his wife
Erin, gwen's daughter Elizabethand her husband Brandon.
The building of ReminetteFellowship Church was completed
in 2004 on 40 acres that Gwenpurchased in Brentwood,
(03:25):
tennessee.
Gwen preached that membersshould give their money to
Reminette Fellowship Church, theonly true church, and that all
other churches were fraudulent.
If a congregant fell ill withcancer, gained weight or had
disobedient children, gwendeclared that it was God's
(03:46):
judgment.
In the way down.
Gina Wilson said that Gwen toldher followers quote they had to
repent for bad things they haddone if bad things were
happening to them, but theynever held that same standard to
themselves.
End quote.
(04:07):
Following up to Joseph's death,news Channel 5 investigates
uncovered the church'scontroversial practices for
disciplining their children,including an internal recording
in which Gwen had praised theSmiths for how they treated
Joseph.
Former members of ReminetteFellowship admitted to hot glue
(04:28):
sticks being such a normal thingwithin the church.
It's been said that you wouldgo into church service, walk
down the aisles and see the gluesticks just sticking out of
diaper bags like it was no bigdeal In their firm beliefs.
Investigation News Channel 5investigates also revealed other
(04:51):
controversial practices,including demands that followers
not take psychiatricmedications to deal with mental
illness.
In their 2004 report, theyrevealed how Reminette
Fellowship followers consideredGwen to be a prophet.
During the interview with NewsChannel 5, gwen admitted that
(05:13):
she would be willing to lie toprotect her church.
Some former members said thatGwen Shamblin's Reminette
Fellowship church held avice-like grip over its
membership.
According to an article fromthe Guardian, church leaders
like Gwen heavily influencedmembers' finances, marriages,
(05:35):
social media and contact withthe outside world.
In the HBO Max docu-series theWay Down, glenn Wingerd talks
about his daughter who wasrecruited and joined Reminette
Fellowship.
He said in the docu-seriesquote you know you talk to your
kids about drunk driving, thedangers of drug taking, how to
(05:58):
have safe sex, but you neverexpect to have to teach them not
to join a cult.
End quote Gwen and the leadersof Reminette Fellowship had
their hands in everything withthe church members.
People were not allowed to poston social media without
permission from church leaders.
(06:18):
Reminette Fellowship members areassigned a leader as their
church counselor.
Ted Enger, one of the leaders,was one of the main counselors.
He is described as the meanestleader in the church.
In the Way Down, oneex-Reminette member recalled him
telling her that she wouldnever get to heaven because she
(06:39):
was too fat.
Another remembered when he wastrying to change his last name,
saying it was French andpronounced on gay.
One ex-member, lauren Alvarez,recounted being allowed only 10
bites a day and after that shewas fasting every other month.
No food, just a little bit ofbroth.
(07:01):
That was it.
This caused irreparable damageto her body.
After Laura left, she becamepregnant with her daughter and
Laura became very ill.
The doctors did a biopsy andasked her if she was ever
bulimic or anorexic.
She told them that she used tostarve herself.
(07:22):
The doctors then told her thather kidneys had holes in them
from her body eating away atitself due to starvation.
If you wanted to visit yourfamily who were not members of
Remnant Fellowship or if theywanted to visit you, you had to
talk to your designated leaderfirst.
(07:44):
If you were having maritalproblems, you would speak with
your assigned leader to fixthings.
And by fix things I mean if thehusband was having an affair
and the wife wanted him out ofthe house, like Gina Wilson, the
leaders would say to let himcome back home, he's really
sorry, he won't do it again.
(08:04):
And then tell the woman theyneeded to be submissive to the
husband and give him everythinghe wanted whenever he wanted,
and there wouldn't be issues.
This particular incidenthappened to Gina Wilson with Ted
Anger.
Gwen made her wealth on thebacks of her congregants.
(08:25):
Within Remnant Fellowship therewere real estate and financial
planning companies, businessindustries.
The church's business arm builtcustom homes and provided
plumbing, electrical work andair conditioning work.
Mindy Alvarez, laura's mom,said in the way down quote
(08:47):
everyone worked for free.
She would tell them you'redoing it for God.
Everybody in the church, thecongregation were, the workers
were cooks, there was daycare,there was everything.
While they were making theirmoney end quote.
As a Spanish speaker.
(09:08):
Mindy spearheaded the way downmethod to the Latin community in
Arizona Before moving toNashville.
Remnant Fellowship offered her ajob.
Mindy said quote they offeredto meet my pay, which at the
time was probably $21, $22 anhour end quote.
But when Mindy got her firstpaycheck for $8 an hour, she
(09:33):
asked Gwen about the discrepancyQuote and I'll never forget
this.
She said Mindy, you need tohumble yourself.
This is your pay and never,ever expect a raise.
I was sorry because I thought Iwasn't humble and I shouldn't
ask for more and that I shouldbe content.
(09:56):
End quote.
Mindy was also expected to workon the weekends, but because
this was officially consideredchurch time, she never got paid
for those days.
Mindy says that Gwen broke herfamily and the only thing she
can do is pick up the pieces,because that's what Gwen left.
(10:18):
It would be several yearsbefore anything else notable
would come up.
In 2017, gwen filed for adivorce with David, her husband.
40 years.
Up until now, gwen wasultimately against divorce in
the church.
Someone went to their leaderswanting to leave their husbands
(10:40):
who were abusive or unfaithful,and they would be instructed to
have to work things out.
What could they do to satisfytheir husbands so that they
would remain faithful or notabuse them?
Helen Bird, a former member ofRemnant Fellowship, said in her
interview with the Way Downquote All of those years you
(11:03):
have told people to sufferthrough their marriage, but
whenever the spirit hits you,you done had a whole change of
heart.
Now it's okay to get divorced,end quote.
Now there is speculation aboutwhy we don't see or know much
about David, even though Gwenwas in the public eye for their
(11:23):
whole marriage Because he didn'tsubscribe to Gwen's religious
philosophies and lives in alarger body.
David supported Gwen and herwork and he was even the CEO of
the Way Down workshop.
But when Gwen started RemnantFellowship, david took a step
back.
He didn't attend RemnantFellowship Church services,
(11:46):
festivals and other significantevents.
The reason why David was absentis unknown, but several people
speculate in the Way Down thathe stayed in the background
because, as a man with amaster's in divinity, he felt
uneasy about his wife'steachings on religion and
dieting.
(12:07):
David was blindsided by Gwenwanting a divorce.
He begged her to reconsider andto try to work things out, but
she had decided that she wantedout Phil Williams with News
Channel 5 Investigates, who hadbeen covering Gwen Shamblin, the
Way Down workshop and RemnantFellowship for decades,
(12:29):
discovered that Gwen suddenlyagreed to a settlement after
David Shamblin's attorneys fileda subpoena to require Remnant
Fellowship to reveal allpayments and fringe benefits
provided to her and to Joe Lara,as well as any non-disclosure
agreements that the church hadsigned with current or former
(12:50):
members.
That divorce settlement, filedin court, details how the couple
split 18 pieces of property.
Those properties are now valuedat more than $20 million.
Gwen also had to pay Davidanother $3 million out of her
own pocket.
Among the properties that shegot to keep in the divorce was a
(13:15):
luxury beach house in Destin,florida, located in a gated
community known as Destiny bythe Sea.
Gwen's Beach House has fourbedrooms and five baths and is
located right on the Gulf ofMexico.
Property records show that Gwenand David paid $1,940,000 for
(13:39):
it in 2010.
In 2021, zillow valued it at$4,241,200, more than double
what they had paid 13 years ago.
The home recently sold onDecember 11, 2023 for $3,020,000
(14:00):
.
Take a listen to the real estatelisting for the home.
Your personal oasis on the Gulfawaits From the moment you step
inside.
This home will captivate yoursenses with its intricate
architectural details and Tuscanstyle columns.
The two-story library at theentrance sets the tone for the
(14:23):
breathtaking views that awaityou in the stunning open concept
living, dining room area andadjoining kitchen.
Every room in this home boastsgreat attention to detail, from
the carefully planned layout tothe opulent decor.
You will immediately feel likeyou have been transported to
(14:43):
your own private villa.
The owner's suite will takeyour breath away, with its very
own separate sitting area,fireplace and two private
bathrooms.
The third floor has everythingnecessary to provide additional
guests with an ultra-privateretreat.
Home is sold furnished with fewminor expectations.
(15:07):
In Gwen's YouTube videos, oneappears to have been recorded
from the balcony of the beachhouse.
Included in it is a discussionof Joe Lara's love of scuba
diving Back in Brentwood, justdown the road from the church.
The divorce settlement showsthat Gwen also got to keep the
(15:29):
couple's pre-Civil Warplantation home known as Ashlawn
.
The current value of thatproperty is $6,920,900.
Just two months after Gwen andDavid's divorce was final, gwen
Shamblin married Joe Lara in alavish wedding at Remnant
(15:51):
Fellowship on August 18, 2018.
Their wedding was wild.
It was held where theyperformed the church services,
there were archways of flowersand Gwen's wedding dress was
like that out of a fairy tale.
They pulled out all the stopsand had such a luxurious wedding
(16:12):
that was planned all in twomonths.
They posted a video titled theCovenant Wedding of Gwen
Shamblin to Joe Lara on theirYouTube page highlighting the
nuptials and the reception.
You can also find their YouTubechannel Life with Gwen and Joe.
(16:33):
So who was Joe Lara?
Joe Lara was an actor whoportrayed Tarzan in the TV movie
Tarzan in Manhattan and thenthe follow-up TV series.
He met fellow actor NatashaPavlovich.
The two dated off and on for awhile and ended up having a
daughter together.
(16:54):
Joe and Natasha moved toNashville for Joe to pursue his
country music career.
They had agreed that if hismusic career didn't take off by
the time their daughter reachedkindergarten, they would move to
Chicago to be near her family.
Well, their daughter reachedkindergarten age in 2015, and
(17:15):
Joe's music career wasunsuccessful, but he refused to
move when the time came.
Instead, he filed a policereport in an attempt to obtain
sole custody of theirfour-year-old daughter, alleging
that Natasha had sexuallyabused her.
A police investigation laterdiscovered that Joe was lying
(17:38):
and he and Natasha officiallyseparated.
Natasha said in the way downquote when he met Gwen I feel
like he won the lottery and healso was cast in her production.
End quote Remnant fellowshipmembers were seemingly unaware
of Joe's custody battle withNatasha.
(18:00):
Among the many expensive giftsthat Gwen spent on her new man
were flight lessons.
Joe's ex Natasha said, quotewhen he met Gwen, he started to
renew his pilot's licensebecause he hadn't flown in seven
and a half years until about2017, when Gwen paid for it.
In a very short time I'd say ina year he got multiple new
(18:26):
flight ratings and he also got ahelicopter's license.
End quote.
Soon after their marriage,property records show, gwen
began transferring her realestate holdings not into
Remnant's name but into thenames of various trusts,
effectively shielding the realidentity of the owners.
(18:47):
The Beach House is listed asthe 4714 Ocean Trust and the 902
Franklin Trust now owns AshlawnLake.
Property along Center Hill Lakeis listed as the Highway 56
Farm Trust.
(19:07):
At some point throughout all ofthis, members began turning on
each other after Gwen's daughterElizabeth lost her
five-month-old son HenleyShamlin Hannah, the members of
Remnant were alerted to thetragic news and were asked to
pray for baby Henley.
That following Sunday, was aneerie feeling for members.
(19:29):
Gwen nor the church leadersever acknowledged the loss of
baby Henley.
They were told it would nolonger be mentioned and that the
congregation was expected toact normal In the way down.
Several former members spokeabout the tragedy.
Gina said details about theinfant's death are sparse,
(19:52):
admitting quote, no one everreally acknowledged that he died
.
I mean through word of mouth.
It kind of spread but therewasn't an official anything from
Gwen.
End quote.
Rachel Phillips explained thatthings were kept private because
, quote, the way that Remnantworks when it comes to death is
(20:12):
you don't grieve, you move on.
End quote.
But Helen Bird suspected thatthe death was kept under wraps
because the shamlins preachedthat bad things happened to
immoral people.
She said, quote, there is aconcerted effort to sort of hide
(20:32):
things so that you can keepthat facade of.
This is the most perfect placeon earth and this is God's
kingdom.
So when Elizabeth lost a child,it wasn't really talked about.
End quote.
As the news spread, membersbegan to panic.
The number called.
(20:53):
Everyone was looking atthemselves saying wasn't me, did
I cause this?
Remember?
Gwen instilled guilt and fearin everyone and said that when
things like this happened it wasGod's judgment and someone
caused him to be upset with thechurch.
She said it got to a pointwhere Gwen started interrogating
(21:15):
members In the docu series.
She said that the leaderscalled them in saying, quote
we're bringing in the strugglersto assess how you're doing,
because God is bringing judgmenton this church and we want to
know where it's coming from.
End quote.
In 2019, joe fought withNatasha for custody of their
(21:38):
daughter.
Gwen and Joe underwentdepositions where questions
about the church, thedisciplining of children and
other things were questioned.
Gwen was called to testify inthe child custody case.
Natasha's attorney pressed Gwenabout the controversies
(21:59):
surrounding remnant fellowship.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Are you aware that a lot of folks have, at least
online, expressed that theythink remnant fellowship is a
cult?
Check to the floor.
I'm not aware of a lot.
It's kind of like a lot ofpeople know and you have to
define a lot.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
The testimony from Gwen revealed the church was so
worried about its image that sheadmitted remnant fellowship had
a web team dedicated to tryingto manipulate its Google search
results.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
It's the purpose of this Google placement to push
negative websites down in thesearches for remnant fellowship,
or to push the truth of what itis about us to the top.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
You know, the funny thing with depositions is that
when you read them, you're justreading what was verbally said
back and forth between partiesand then with this podcast, it's
audio.
So you're just hearing whatshe's saying, but what's not
being able to be witnessed isthe eye rolls, the shoulder
(23:19):
shrugs, the perturbed look onher face.
You can somewhat hear the sizeand the in her tone of the way
that she's speaking, like shelooks and is acting like.
I want to eff you all up andthat's a shame like when you
read a deposition that you don'tget to see that sense of
(23:42):
everything.
So I'm going to post links tothe videos of the deposition so
that you guys can go and watchthem for yourselves.
Phil Williams of News Channel 5investigates had asked Gwen in
2004 about allegations that herfollowers viewed her as a
prophetic figure.
(24:03):
They asked are you a prophet?
Gwen said, quote.
I don't believe.
I know what my gift name is, soI will tell you.
I'm still wrestling with that.
I've been told that for years.
End quote.
But 15 years later in the videoof the deposition she was asked
(24:25):
quote what is your positionwith Remnant Fellowship?
She replied I am one of theleaders.
Do you have any kind ofofficial title with the church.
I am Gwen.
End quote After years ofportraying herself as a
prophetic role, gwen resistedany such labels.
(24:47):
In the deposition they asked doyou consider yourself to be a
pastor?
Though?
She said honestly my backgroundChurch of Christ.
Being a female, I've tried toresist any title.
But Gwen.
What followed was a lengthylegal battle over the custody of
(25:10):
their daughter.
In the end, a judge ruled thatJoe and Natasha would be awarded
50-50 custody in 2020.
On May 29th 2021, gwen, joe andfive other Remnant Fellowship
leaders boarded a small privatejet and headed to Palm Beach,
(25:32):
florida, for a we, the PeoplePatriots Day rally in support of
former President Donald Trump.
Shortly after takeoff and byshortly, I mean within minutes
while flying over Percy PriestLake in Tennessee, something
went wrong and the plane wentdown.
Everyone on board died,including Brandon, hannah, gwen
(25:56):
Sonnenlohn and Elizabeth'shusband.
That same day, a wedding formembers of Remnant Fellowship
was taking place.
Gwen Wyngerd, from earlier inthe episode, whose daughter was
recruited to join RemnantFellowship, was getting married
that day to Jackson Rector.
Her parents had learned aboutthe crash hours before the
(26:20):
wedding and thought the weddingwould be postponed.
So Gwen called David RectorJackson's father and asked him
if the wedding was still on.
And lo and behold, the weddingwas still set to go.
So Gwen and Carrie got readyfor their daughter's wedding and
went to the ceremony.
When they arrived, theyexpected the members to look as
(26:44):
if they had been crying and sad.
Yet as they looked around, theynoticed that the members were
all still smiling andhappy-go-lucky.
Gwen and Carrie thought surelythey must not know about the
accident, but they knew.
At least several people did, sothey chose not to say anything
to their daughter, delaney,about it because she seemed
(27:06):
happy.
This was baffling to Gwen andCarrie, but as we've learned,
this is the way of RemnantFellowship you do not grieve,
you do not mourn, you go onbeing happy.
By June 1st 2021, searchers hadrecovered both aircraft engines
, a significant portion of thefuselage and unidentified human
(27:32):
remains.
Authorities confirmed those onboard were Joe Lara, who was
piloting the plane, gwenShamblin-Lara, david and
Jennifer Martin, jonathan andJessica Walters and Brandon
Hannah.
Nearly two years later, onMarch 22nd 2023, the National
(27:56):
Transportation Safety Board'sfinal report determined the
cause of the accident.
On May 29, 2021, the plane tookoff from Smyrna Airport at
10.50am.
Flight tracking data revealedthat after takeoff, the plane
entered the clouds at 1300 feetand made a series of heading
(28:19):
changes, along with severalclimbs and descents, before it
entered a steep descending leftturn.
The plane started a right turnand climbed to an altitude of
2900 feet before descending to1800 feet, then climbing again
to 3000 feet and then finallydiving into the lake.
(28:41):
Weather reports for that dayindicated the presence of an
overcast cloud layer at 1300feet in the area around that
time.
The accelerations associatedwith the plane's increasing
airspeed were likely perceivedby the pilot as the airplane
(29:01):
pitching up, although it was ina continuous descent.
This occurred because Joe wasexperiencing a type of spatial
disorientation, a somatographicillusion, and he probably didn't
effectively use his instrumentsduring takeoff and climb.
As a result, joe most likelyexperienced a high workload
(29:26):
managing the flight profile,which would have hurt his
performance.
As such, the plane entered ahigh acceleration, usual
altitude and the descending leftturn, from which he was not
able to recover.
The NTSB investigation reviewedJoe's pilot training in the
(29:47):
CE-500 type aircraft andreported that at the end of a
12-day series of trainingsessions at a flight school in
January 2020, quote the pilotdid not meet the requisite
performance level to attempt theCE-500 type rating check ride.
End quote.
Joe would return to his localinstructor for more training and
(30:12):
subsequently passed his checkride.
Nonetheless, on severaloccasions a pilot who flew in
the accident aircraft with Joejudged him as weak when flying
in instrumental meteorologicalconditions.
In the audio recordings from thecommunication between Joe Lara
(30:34):
and AirTraft Control releasedfrom the accident, you can hear
what sounds like an alarm goingoff in the background when Joe
is responding.
Take a listen.
When Joe responds 1-300-66Bravo Kilo, you can hear what
(31:20):
sounds like the alarm in thebackground.
It's faint but if you listenclosely you can hear it.
I'll play that part again totry and isolate it so you guys
can hear it more.
My heart goes out for Elizabethbecause in such a short time
(31:42):
she lost a child and then withthis accident she lost her
mother, her husband, and JessicaWalters was one of her best
friends.
You can see in photos as timegoes on from before she lost
baby Henley till the accident.
She just is like withering away.
(32:04):
Her eyes are cold and dead likeand her face is sunken in and
she looks emaciated.
Gwen's children, michael andElizabeth, were announced to
continue remnant fellowship.
However, since then Elizabethis listed as one of 37 church
(32:25):
leaders and has hardly shown upin person, but she does attend
services through the conferencecalls.
Michael's relationship with thechurch was always rocky.
In the docu-series, a formermember who uses a pseudonym and
is shrouded in the dark alludesto having an affair with Michael
(32:45):
and that he told her he wouldget so angry that he shot at the
church Because his mother'sdeath.
He's divorced his wife andsevered ties with the way down
ministries and remnantfellowship church.
It's been reported that Gwendidn't leave anything to remnant
(33:05):
fellowship in her will.
The will signed in 2011originally left everything to
David Shamblin, with Elizabethand Michael listed as successors
, but because the coupledivorced in 2018, tennessee law
provides that David, theex-husband, was no longer
(33:26):
eligible to be the beneficiaryof the will.
In regards to the will, remnantfellowship provided the
following statement to NewsChannel 5.
Quote In regards to Gwen'sestate, gwen, michael and
Elizabeth decided almost twodecades ago to give
approximately $10 million ofwhat would have been Michael and
(33:51):
Elizabeth's inheritance to thebuilding and grounds of Remnant
Fellowship Church.
Gwen also donated way downministries and its proceeds, as
well as all her intellectualproperties, over to the church.
This was an incredible gift ofgenerosity from Gwen and her
(34:11):
family's inheritance, and thechurch would expect no more.
End quote.
In 2017, elizabeth said thatGwen practically handed her and
Michael's inheritance away.
At the time of her death, Gwenwas one third of the way through
a nine week video series ongreed, a series in which she
(34:34):
urged Remnant followers toprepare to give up all of their
wealth.
In her video about greed, gwenwarned quote Most of the world
has abandoned true religion andare now converts to building up
their own pocketbooks.
Yet God is a God of justice andhe will not be mocked.
(34:54):
End quote.
Gwen promoted the notion thatgreat things came to those who
bowed before God and that thebad ones were the consequences
of unfaithfulness.
Consequently, her untimelydemise was an enormous
complication for the church thatsent them into an identity
(35:15):
crisis tailspin.
Former member Helen Bird saidquote when bad things happen,
it's God's judgment.
So if he takes seven of yourleaders out at the same time,
what other message could havebeen sent?
According to them, this isGod's judgment.
End quote.
Since the way down, god greedand the cult of Gwen Shamblin
(35:41):
first premiered in late 2021.
Remnant Fellowship has disputedthe negative publicity in a
series of videos encouraginginclusivity and emphasizing
their family friendly values.
In one clip, a man named OtisRickman, wearing a white
doctor's coat, says, quote Oneof the things I'd like to touch
(36:03):
on as we talk about peoplelosing weight or gaining weight
is everyone is different.
God made us all different.
So we have big, sturdy,muscular people, we have thin,
wispy people, we have just allkinds of people.
End quote.
Helen, who's an absolutefavorite of mine, said quote
(36:26):
Otis Rickman put out this videothat everybody's body is
different, right, and thatnobody gets shunned or shamed or
whatever, when his wife was satout of the church because she
had gained weight.
So that's a lie.
It's the goddamn remix.
End quote.
As far as the church's futurewithout its higher the hair
(36:48):
closer to God, pastor, only timewill tell.
However, the docu seriesoffered some insights into the
future of Remnant Fellowshipwithout her guiding the way.
While her daughter, ElizabethHannah, is expected to be the
heir, she is not officiallytaken over yet.
Instead, she's more of a behindthe scenes leader who
(37:10):
conferences in during services.
On the weekend, during oneservice, elizabeth addressed the
church saying, quote I know alot of you have wondered how I'm
doing and if I'm throwing inthe towel.
Considering what has justhappened, I'm doing very well.
I'm very strong and my childrenare very strong.
(37:30):
I just want to keep lettingeverybody know that, even though
I haven't been there recently,the precious leadership has
allowed me to have a little timeoff.
End quote.
This member, gina Wilson, tellsthe way down quote.
I don't know how Elizabeth isgoing to be able to do it.
She's lost her husband, hermother and her best friend, but
(37:53):
she was trained mightily by Gwento be her mockingbird.
End quote.
Gwen Shamblin-Lara's dietprogram Way Down Workshop became
a multi-million dollarcorporation accumulating over
$20 million in revenues annually.
At the time of her death in2021, the company's net worth
(38:16):
was close to $80 to $100 million, and Gwen and Joe had full
ownership over it.
Gwen's book made her one of thebest selling authors of her
time.
Her first book, the Way DownDiet, has sold over 1.2 million
copies worldwide.
(38:37):
Given the multiple sources ofrevenue at her disposal, gwen's
net worth was estimated at $100million at the time of her death
.
The HBO docu-series the Way Down, god Greed and the Cult of Gwen
Shamblin was originally threeepisodes.
It's scheduled release date wasSeptember 30th 2021, and Gwen's
(39:02):
death threw the future of thedocu-series about her into doubt
and complicated the filmingprocess, its production had
resolved to carry on with theproject.
The director, marina Zinovich,said quote it was never about
not continuing, it was aboutshifting how we were going to
(39:23):
tell the story.
End.
Quote.
In fact, more people wanted totalk to the documentarians after
Gwen's death, since theyfinally felt safe and
comfortable coming forwardleading HBO executives to add
more episodes to the series.
Lizzie Fox, senior vicepresident of nonfiction at HBO
(39:44):
Max, explained that there's afuller story to be told.
Kalina Fraga said it best inher report, for All that's
Interesting, in an article fromApril 26, 2022.
So to quote Kalina in the end,depending on where you stand,
gwen Shamblin, lara, is either ascam artist or a savior.
(40:08):
She either built a church orconstructed a cult.
People will look at photos ofGwen Shamblin from the most
recent years and think how inthe world did people follow her?
Look at her.
She looks crazy the hair, themakeup, the way that she dresses
.
But the thing is, when shestarted all of this, she was
(40:33):
your typical modern day woman ofthe 90s, like a housewife and
the mom.
She just seemed so normal, shepresented herself so well and as
the years went on and theideology got crazier and crazier
.
The hair got bigger and biggerand the makeup got more wild and
(40:57):
the clothing got even wilder,and that's the case of Gwen
Shamblin and ReminetteFellowship Church.
I hope you guys liked goingover this style of a case.
As I said in part one, this isbound to bring out some
conflicting dialogue, since it'sabout religion.
When discussing it, let'sremember to please stay
(41:21):
respectful to one another.
You don't have to agree, but wemust be polite when debating
things, especially on topicslike this.
So what do you think?
Did Gwen Shamblin build achurch or form a cult with
Reminette Fellowship?
If you've done the way downdiet, I'd love to hear your
feedback on it.
(41:41):
Or if you used to be a memberof Reminette Fellowship, I'd
love to hear your thoughts aswell.
Heck, if you are a currentmember of Reminette Fellowship,
I'd love to chat.
Be sure to follow on Instagramat CrimeConnoisseurs and
subscribe and download toCrimeConnoisseurs wherever you
listen to your podcasts.
In the meantime, keep it class,econosaurus, and I'll catch you
(42:06):
on the next case.
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