214: Father Yod & The Source Family

As with all cult leaders - absolute power, corrupts absolutely and in the case of Jim Baker and his "Father Yod" persona it was no different. What started out as a hip, vegetarian restaurant and Sunday meditation classes quickly spun into a hedonistic, rock n' roll fueled cult that bankrupted its own commandments for Dionysian lust. Father Yod claimed 13 wives before an impending apocalypse prompted the group to flee to Hawaii - where they were not welcome. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part Two we dive into Jim Baker's second killing with his bare hands, a few more wifes and the restaurant that fueled it all - The Source Family Restaurant See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode profiles the wild up bringing of Jim Baker better known as "Father Yod" and how he ended up in California starting one of the country's first health food restaurants on Sunset Strip before he started a cult. Jim would later found a spiritual commune in the Hollywood Hills known as the Source Family and of course, front a psychedelic rock band.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Herb Baumeister was an unsuspecting, Thrift store owner and serial killer whose reign of terror gripped Indiana in the 1980s & 90s. He is considered to be the number one suspect in the I-70 strangler case and after scattering thousands of human bones all over his Fox Hollow Farms estate - the land has remained haunted to this day. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chandra Levy was an intern at the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, D.C., who disappeared in 2001. She was presumed murdered after her skeletal remains were found in Rock Creek Park a year later in May, 2002. Despite multiple suspects, including a false confession by an inmate and an alleged affair with a congressman - The case remains unsolved to this day.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Greg was recently stuck on I-40 in the Mojave Desert for over 12 hours after a semi-truck hauling lithium-ion batteries crashed and shut down I-15 and all the traffic was diverted. After more collisions and break downs the bottle necks kept piling up until Greg's only shot at freedom was through the Mojave Preserve.....This harrowing Traffic Jam gridlock story prompted us to research other horrible traffic fiascos on American highways and there was no short supply. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

And on this week of 7DS we are profiling, perhaps one of the bigger tragedies to the comedy corner of the entertainment world, was the shocking murder of Phil Hartman, beloved SNL actor, voice on the Simpsons, household name, an every man, but a legend.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What started out as a competition with both car manufactures and the drivers alike in 1923 became the most famous car race in history. It all began in 1923 when Mercedes, Jaguar, etc wanted to be the best at creating the ultimate car has now evolved into the smartest, most strategic teams of drivers showcase their skills, their ability to work as a team and dance the ultimate high speed dance of high risk skill.The Le Mans is also a limit pushing spectator sport where watching on the edge of your seat these drivers and their machines beat, and sometimes not, unimaginable odds.And in today’s case, it proved even more dangerous for the spectators than it did for the drivers.Not to discount the driver’s trauma, loss, and even death, but the 1955 Le Mans tragic disaster which took over 80 spectators lives and injured over 100 more is still the worst crash and outcome in racing history.. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Part Two of Aaron Hernandez See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.