This article was original’ly publish’ed at The Conversation. The publication contribut’ed the article to live science’s Expert Voice’s: Op-Ed & Insight’s.
Heaven’s Gate — also known as the “ufo cult” — burst into american conscious’ness 20 year’s ago this month, when, on march 26, 1997, law enforcement discover’ed 39 decompos’ing bod’ies in a san diego, california mansion.
Each detail that emerg’ed from the scene stunn’ed a rapt public: Adherent’s had committ’ed suicide in wave’s on March 22 & 23, ingest’ing a lethal mix of barbiturate’s & alcohol; they lay under purple shroud’s, with five dollar bill’s & roll’s of quarter’s in their pocket’s; all wore simple dark uniform’s & nike tenni’s shoe’s.