He enlists the help of a friend of the commune who turns informer. Disgraced former leader of US Hare Krishna community dies at 74 . When ex-Krishna Steve Bryant launched a one-man holy war against the Hare Krishna cult, his body was found murdered. Discover American Scandal The Hare Krishna Murders: Sowing the Seeds | 2. New Vrindaban is an unincorporated area and an ISKCON (Hare Krishna) intentional community located in Marshall County, West Virginia near Moundsville. Keith Haslam, 65, claims the founder of the Hare Krishnas was murdered by his followers. Support us by supporting our sponsors! Share. He enlists the help of a friend of the commune who turns informer. Update: 2019-03-19 34. When the money ran out, they headed back to the States, stopping in Detroit to hear a talk by the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, Srila Prabhupada. The Hare Krishna community at New Vrindaban, WV was a powerful constituency for Sheriff Bordenkircher. The Hare Krishna Murders: The WhistleBlower | 4. The Hare Krishna Murders: Retribution and Reform | 6 By Wondery. When devotees at the NYC temple confront Keith Ham, he decides to found a commune of his own in West Virginia. Comments In Channel. Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness and the Hare Krishnas. The Hare Krishna Murders: Sowing the Seeds | 2 . HARE KRISHNA MEMBER SAYS HE KILLED AT LEADER'S BEHEST MARTINSBURG (AP) ... Keith Ham) "You have to understand that in my mind, it wasn't murder. The Hare Krishna Murders: Sowing the Seeds | 2 By Wondery. Deputy Westfall works with the state police to finally make some arrests, but will he be able to bring down Keith Ham? Krishnas in temples across the country come up with illegal ways to raise money for the group, including drug dealing and money scams.Support us by supporting our sponsors! Support us by supporting our sponsors! Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas . Bhaktipada, original name Keith Gordon Ham, also known as Kirtanananda Swami, (born September 6, 1937, Peekskill, New York, U.S.—died October 24, 2011, Thane, India), American religious leader who led the American branch of the Hare Krishna movement before a criminal investigation resulted in his expulsion and subsequent imprisonment.. Ham was raised a Baptist. The Hare Krishna Murders: Go West, Old Man | 1 An elderly swami from India captures the zeitgeist of 1960s counterculture in America with his message of peace and love. Despite having been excommunicated in 1987 by the leadership of the Hare Krishna movement, he presided over that community until 1994. Deputy Westfall is thwarted by the DA when he tries to take action. The book recounts how Byrant’s death leads to the fall of Bhaktipada (Keith Ham) who was a leading superstar and charismatic leader within the Hare Krishna cult. It was dispatching an undesirable element from the community," Drescher said. Keith Ham, later known as Swami Bhaktipada and Kirtanananda Swami, was the son of a Baptist minister and became a Krishna swami un the 1960s. Share. Keith Ham) "You have to understand that in my mind, it wasn't murder. Our motto at Hare Krishna Valley is “natural living, high thinking”. Steve Bryant goes into hiding. Description. Keith Ham’s chief enforcer is summoned back to New Vrindaban for a mission. It was dispatching an undesirable element from the community," Drescher said. ‎Keith Ham’s chief enforcer is summoned back to New Vrindaban for a mission. Keith flexes his muscles and expands his power over New Vrindaban. Support us by supporting our sponsors! This week on The 1980s: The Deadliest Decade, murder comes calling to the peace loving Hare Krishnas as murder and betrayal highlight all too human failings. Given the name Keith Gordon Ham, he was the youngest child of a Baptist minister, Kirtananda was among the first Hare Krishna devotees in the United States. Drescher is the prosecution's star witness against Bhaktipada, who is on trial on six counts of mail fraud, three counts of racketeering, and one count each of conspiracy and interstate travel to commit murder for hire. In 1968 he founded what eventually became the largest Hare Krishna community in the country. 1,268 were here. The Riot at Comiskey Park. You can find new episodes of American Scandal, completely ad-free, only on Stitcher Premium. But his western disciples are hungry for power, and one of his most trusted devotees betrays him. Steve Bryant goes into hiding. Servicing Anne Arundel County & Northern Calvert County 443-496-4276. Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada, former Hare Krishna leader accused of using murder and beatings to discipline followers, receives 20-prison sentence for racketeering (S) Keith flexes his muscles and expands his power over New Vrindaban. He was the subject of a book, “Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness and the Hare Krishnas” (1988), by John Hubner and Lindsey Gruson, a former reporter for The New York Times, and a … by John Hubner and Lindsey Gruson, published in 1989, tells the tale of the time period in the mid-to-late eighties, after the death of Prabhupada, when eleven Western "gurus" ruled the International Society for Krishna Consciousness empire, giving them power over hundreds of thousands of individuals. Schenker was in charge of security for Swami Kirtanananda (aka. Request a Quote Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988 - Religion - 414 pages. This book reveals some of the personality cult dynamics within the Hare Krishna movement and how these dynamics lead to the murder of the Hare Krishna dissident, Steven Byrant. Also, the suspect in two other Hare Krishna murders was already in jail, so Marshall County may have said enough already. When devotees at the NYC temple confront Keith Ham, he decides to found a commune of his own in West Virginia. Description. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) _ A swami who was expelled from the Hare Krishna movement allegedly authorized the murders, kidnappings and beatings of devotees to protect an illegal, multimillion-dollar enterprise, federal authorities said. Update: 2019-03-05 43. ‎Show American Scandal, Ep The Hare Krishna Murders: The WhistleBlower - Mar 19, 2019 When a devotee in West Virginia goes missing, his wife suspects murder. 3 Reviews. John Hubner, Lindsey Gruson.