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Founding
In 1922, May Otis Blackburn founded the Blackburn Cult -
May's First Revelation
May Otis Blackburn and her daughter Ruth Rizzo claimed to have received a direct revelation from angels such as the archangel Gabriel that they needed to reveal the mysteries of Heaven, Earth, Life, and Death -
Cult Growth
By 1924 the cult had grown and moved from a small neighborhood in California into a retreat in Simi Valley -
Rituals
May, her daughter, and other members of their cult began performing rituals including that of animal sacrifices, sex scandals, and attempts to resurrect dead bodies -
Willa Rhoads Resurrection Attempt
May, her daughter, and their cult attempted to resurrect the body of 16-year-old Willa Rhoads who was a former cult member along with her parents. They dug up her body and began to perform rituals, discarding it when the ritual was unsuccessful -
Police Findings
Police find the corpse of Willa Rhoads in her parents' floorboards, the corpse has been wrapped in spices and salts and was surrounded by the dead bodies of seven dogs -
Confession
The Rhoads family confesses to the police that the murder and ritual of Willa Rhoads had been suggested by May Otis Blackburn -
May and Ruth Abandon Cult
Police go to question May at the Simi Valley resort only to find she has abandoned the cult and left with her daughter -
May is Caught
May is caught and indicted on grand theft auto charges, she is arrested and the cult has not continued since her abandonment of it