A spiritual journey or a deadly cult secret? | Forensic Files

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our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at anytime you need support please contact
your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support please see the show notes for this
episode on your app or on our website in 1999 a new-age spiritual book titled service of the Divine Plan was published
according to the anonymous author the 180 page book was propelled into existence from a remembering process a
technique involving using one's imagination to manifest goals the author of service of the Divine Plan
prophesized the planet Earth was heading towards the end of a 75 thousand year cycle a Red Alert had begun for Judgment
Day the end of the world from then a new world would be born according to the book quote only those who had learned
the lessons of the physical plane will be harvested - or promoted to a higher more expensive level of experience the
books blurb arrayed Zsasz follows a practical and instructive guide for individuals who are awakening all over
the world earth is now a focal point of interest for beings from other planets galaxies and dimensions growing numbers
of seekers are realizing that they have incarnated at this critical time to play
an active role in the great transition that is before us servers are awakening and taking up their positions as agents
of the new spirit this book helps recall our souls purpose he named carnation each reading is a unique experience
awakening new and deeper levels of spiritual awareness in a contemporary context
servers of the Divine Plan was not the first book written by the same anonymous author he had also written a similar
book titled the new core both books detailed the same specific set of beliefs shaped around the author's
unconventional philosophy on life and premonitions of the future there were not spiritual self-help books they had a
far grander purpose a call to action both books have been met with dramatically divided reviews some
criticized the spiritual writings as overly complex and convoluted faulting the books bleak fire-and-brimstone
message of dark forces seeking to control humans as blatant fear-mongering curiously aside from these few critical
reviews both books have been met with an overwhelming positive reception from most readers these readers claimed to
affirm profound wisdom in the author's message of spiritual advancement in fact the books prompted the creation of a
small new-age religious group founded on the concepts within known as the truth fellowship but the truth Fellowship
members were the servers the books referenced spiritual persons who had awakened to take their positions before
the worlds him in an end they worshiped the writings of and were completely devoted to the author who was the leader
of the truth fellowship as far as they were concerned doomsday was coming the anonymous authors first book the new
core describes the end as follows today mankind stands witness upon the eve of a great world of transition an
unprecedented global metamorphose is presently underway in preparation for a momenta sleep in consciousness which the
whole planet is about to take as a result of the earth century into the Age of Aquarius and due to the new life
energies that are flooding the planet every human being is today faced with a critical choice that shall greatly
affect about the present course of their life and their future spiritual journey
[Music] [Music] in 1997 17 year-old shantel mcdougal attended an ashram in Melbourne Victoria
a sanctuary for spiritual worship meditation and spiritual retreat whilst there a friend introduced her to Solomon
Cadwell a 32 year old man originally from England sanam is deeply spiritual and introspective he'd visited ashrams
in India and spent time in communes in the United States he was well versed and educated in New Age philosophy and
religious teachings Chantel became enamored by the wires older man Simon told Chantal they had been brought
together for the good of the universe at that time Chantal was also introduced to
Solomon's partner Deborah and in 1998 the couple asked Chantal if she would like to move into their home to look
after their young son Chantal accepted the offer Simon was in the process of writing his second book
that he had titled service of the Divine Plan a companion piece to his first book
the new core he chose to publish his work anonymously claiming the reason why was to ensure focus remained squarely on
the message of his written work Solomon's writings focused heavily on his personal interpretations and
understandings of New Age philosophy in spiritual development most startling was
his obsession with doomsday in the end of the world his otherworldly teachings and warnings
resonated with some sanan had amassed the small following of around 40 dedicated people from all over the world
for his spiritual group he called the truth fellowship the truth fellowship congregated on an online forum Simon
created called the forecourt where they discussed their leaders visionary concepts and praised his knowledge
Salman frequented the forum under the username saw he believed himself to be leading his followers down a destined
path he saw clearly according to Simon the truth fellowship were in the process of recovering their latent memory and
they were quickly approaching their full potential in service to restore the universe it would soon be Judgment Day
as Solomon had prophesized and he made it clear only those worthy would move on to the next dimension as his book
forewarned quote the planetary deadline for the advent of an unprecedented spiritual consciousness on earth is
imminent and all who would be prepared to pass through the portal leading into the new world and now being called to
awaken and to arise in readiness to assist those amongst humanity who will accompany them teenager Chantal
MacDougall fully embraced and absorbed Solomon code Wells teachings he often told her she was not from this world
that she was different everything he said made sense and resonated with her and she became
completely ingrained Ginny's leadership when Simon completed and published service of the Divine Plan he suddenly
decided to move his family from Victoria to Perth in Western Australia when he asked Chantal to come with them and
continue looking after their son she said yes while settling into their new home
amongst the dry rolling lands of Western Australia Chantal and Simon's partner Deborah met a woman named Justine Debra
offered Justine a copy of Solomon's book and a short time later Justine became another devoted follower
of the truth fellowship it was clear Simon's view of the world had an impact on others and his teachings were
fulfilling to those seeking deeper meaning and purpose Simon and his family had barely settled into their new home
in Perth when he announced they were going to relocate once again this time to the historical town of Glastonbury in
England South Glastonbury had a growing New Age community drawn to the area's rich history of myths and legends it's
artistic hippie esque counterculture appealed to those like Solomon who had a disinterest in maintaining a corporate
capitalist lifestyle Simon claimed ill-chosen Glastonbury as his new home for spiritual reasons
because powerful ley lines intersected along the land earth he expressed the hope that his small congregation of
service from all around the world would soon follow and live with him there his partner Deborah their child and
Chantal all agreed to make the trek to their new overseas home in Glastonbury saman liaised online with
Justine the woman who joined to the truth fellowship in Perth when Justine confessed she had fallen in love with
Simon she accepted his invitation to move to Glastonbury as well from then onwards
Simon began pressuring more of his followers to make the move in an email sent to a longtime truth fellowship
member from québec Canada named Jean Simon stated quote we have been observing your sincerity in world
service and acknowledged your purity of motive today we feel that it may be time
to introduce ourselves to you on the physical plane and to this is in order to discern whether we may be able to
collaborate for the common good we are working for the same boss and this is why ident that it was time
to connect on the physical Jane eagerly agreed to visit his spiritual leader in Glastonbury believing it would only
result in more spiritual enlightenment and understanding however his time in Glastonbury with Solomon was not what he
had expected the ponies returned home to Canada Jean had developed a new perception of the truth fellowship he
posted the following when his online blog quote now despite the profound effect the material and teaching from
the truth fellowship was having on me stirring up some quite powerful stuff and mystical experiences there were a
number of things advocated by Simon which felt quite a bit extreme to me such as the imminence of a global world
cleansing along the lines of the Judgment Day and apocalyptic depiction found in the Bible or the continuous
reference to one scene manipulations by dark and negative forces influencing everyone to prevent any of this divine
plan to take place suffice it to say that I'm no longer able to support what he is doing because
I feel it is wrong deceitful and in the end unacceptable gene also posted online an email he sent
to Simon after their meeting in Glastonbury in his email Jean accused Simon of using him to seduce one of the
young women also joining them in England and that Simon was using his partner Deborah as a pawn in what he described
as a mind-control games quote poor Deborah has been manipulated for years and has now become a willing albeit
sometimes reluctant partner in your schemes we all feel sorry for her situation and all hopes you'll soon
learn to stand up to you and walk our own path in life jeans public criticism of Simon's
leadership on his block resonated with other members of the truth fellowship another follower came forward to further
expose Simon as a dubious leader according to them Solomon did not move his family to Glastonbury for the
greater good of the universe or to meet up with his followers he had actually moved overseas because most of the
philosophy featured in his book servers of the Divine Plan was not his own personal wisdom and knowledge gained
through a remembering process that was all a lie a lot of the content in Simon's books was actually heavily
plagiarized content from other writers works once Simon's literary work had been exposed this fraudulent his
publisher demanded their investment back so Simon fled overseas not only that Simon's moved to England was only
possible because he had conned one of his followers to hand over her savings to him he used the money to pay for the
move buy a new car and for other expenses as some followers began to turn their backs on their deceptive leader
Simon assured those who remained loyal that none of the claims against him were true to maintain the illusion he was
still an all-powerful spiritual being he told his followers that his otherworldly
abilities were manifesting each day he claimed to have almost entirely done away with his personality that he was
considering going into a state of complete silence and that he was at such a high level of consciousness that he no
longer required sleep devoted online followers were convinced but those who took the time to visit
Simon in Glastonbury witnessed the truth Simon was not gaining mystical abilities
he hadn't done away with his personality or gone into a state of silence in fact
he was becoming more volatile and irritated as for his claims of no longer requiring sleep the truth was that he
actually spent a lot of time sleeping truth fellowship defector Jean warned on his blog quote or would no longer
recommend to anyone to get involved as I did before with the truth fellowship and
I want to apologize here and express my sincere regrets to anyone who might have
experienced any difficulties as a result of my initial recommendation of this group in the year 2000 silent decided to
return his family consisting of Debra and their son Chantal and Justine back to Australia they settled in a rented
house in the beachside Perth suburb of Florida by now Debra Chantal and Justine were each participating in a sexual
relationship with Simon there was an unusual family unit but the four adults involved appeared content
everything changed the later that year when Chantal fell pregnant silent was pleased but his long-term partner Debra
was not so enthused conflict around to the pregnancy resulted in Debra leaving Simon and she took their young son with
her Justine's day through chantels pregnancy but soon after the birth she began to reassess her life after seeking
the help of a psychologist who perceived Justine's living arrangements as an unhealthy situation justine decided to
leave the day she left Simon Justine reported to police that he had physically threatened her but no action
was taken Simon and Chantal settled into their life together with their newborn baby
girl Lila a short time later they met a quiet gentle local man in his 30s named Tony
Papa CH Tony poppets lived a nomadic life moving from place to place flexible to the vast possibilities of the world
described as a gentle soul who wouldn't hurt a fly Tony was easily drawn to Simon who's
dominating manipulative personality was influenced or towards those of opposite traits wat Tony Tony became a devoted
member of the truth Fellowship another server which led him to joining the family fold
moving in with Simon Chantal and their young daughter Lila afterwards the four moved to the small coastal community of
Denmark approximately four hundred and twenty kilometers southeast of Perth in Denmark they lived a quiet isolated life
together focusing on preparing for the impending judgment day there Simon had been warning his fellowship about for
years Chantal and Tony were fully convinced Simon's premonition was correct and -
they were completely devoted to him as their leader so in 2004 when Simon wanted them to pack up and move on once
again they willingly agreed to follow the group's next location was the small timber milling town of Nana three hours
south of Perth sitting along the banks of the Blackwood River the longest continually flowing river in Western
Australia nan up is a small town built around at the timber trade and beef farming with a local population of
around 500 residents nana purrs always had a strong arts feel and residents are proud of the gardens and local artistic
community its Main Street has Victorian style weather board shops and cafes framed by ghoul nose verandas sheltering
the footpaths below from the sweltering Sun by far the most striking thing about
Nana is that it's nestled right in the southern forest region surrounded 360 degrees by forests and national parks
packed inside a giant eucalyptus trees some of which are upwards of 400 years old 90 metres tall and take nine people
all holding hands to spend their girth the forests are dense with shrubbery and shadowed by leafy canopies narrow press
the dirt walking tracks weaved throughout trailing off for hours or you can see a trees and scrub in every
direction as far as the eye can see it can be impossible to know which direction is which forward back side to
side it can all look the same disorientation can get the better of you and with the forest floor carpeted with
shrubs and ferns you're told to never deviate from the trails if you go too far off track you might not be able to
find your way back Simon found this sense of remoteness and isolation appealing Nana felt like a
quiet secluded private place somewhere the family would not be easily found he settled his family into a blue fibro
house on a beef farm property run by their landlords ten kilometers south of nan abstence center the house was set
back from the road and hidden amongst the looming gum trees it was picturesque Australian country living the front yard
was colorfully lined with native Australian plans they raised chickens and two long-haired dachshund dogs
[Music] Simon Chantal and young Lila lived in the main house and Tony who lived in a
caravan sheltered by ten shed at the back of the property in the back yard Simon grew of iron known scientifically
as banisteriopsis caapi used to mate the brew ayahuasca a potent hallucinogenic potion well known in Brazil in Brazilian
culture the brew was a traditional spiritual medicine used in ceremonies and rituals among the indigenous people
of the Amazon basin although the usage varies ayahuasca was often consumed to provide a hallucinogenic experience
aimed to find clarity and a life's meaning these hallucinations are often emotional and psychologically stressful
with physical purging a common side effect silent believed he would find his own spiritual clarity by consuming
ayahuasca and it would lay to help prepare his family for the impending Judgment Day
by 2007 the family was still preparing for the end of the world at the time saman didn't work instead spending most
of his time on the computer communicating with his few truth fellowship devotees in the meantime
Chantel and Tony worked to provide the family income tony worked at the local hardware store in town colleagues and
customers considered him a hard-working and friendly employee his gentle temperament adapted well to the
slow-paced lifestyle of the small country town shantel worked in the local fish and chip shop the local pup and
taught swimming at the local pool she remained as she had always been known an outgoing spirited and loving friend and
mother who was well-liked within the local community however others were acutely aware that wherever Chantal was
Simon wasn't far behind when Chantal was working at the fish and chip shop others
would spot Simon sitting in his car parked outside when she worked at the pub Simon would be there too sitting at
the bar watching her detention Simon radiated was palpable he projected his reclusive insecurities onto her he
didn't like santol talking to anyone despite chantels ongoing devotion to him though workmates felt that within that
love was a simmering fear their six-year-old daughter Lila was a happy kid who inherited her mother's
friendliness even though she was being homeschooled Lila was naturally outgoing she could make friends easily and had no
trouble talking to different people she was naturally funny way out and inquisitive unlike her father Lila
embraced attention and a loved to dance around the room as for Simon other than the times who were spotted loitering
around chantels workplaces locals rarely saw him he was an introverted homebody but that in itself wasn't particularly
concerning the Australian countryside drew in quiet reserved folk who valued the rural reclusive life
what the locals did know of Salman was that he was an alternative thinker who had a very particular set of beliefs but
none had extensive knowledge of his online cult or of his doomsday premonitions by the beginning of 2007
Chantel had dedicated almost a decade of her life to Solomon her parents Jim and Kath mcdougal lived thousands of
kilometres east on the Victorian and in New South Wales border nevertheless they
aimed to visit their daughter in Nana at least once a year Jim and Kath weren't fully aware of Sun
and Kade Wells intense spiritual beliefs they didn't know about the truth fellowship judgement day or the extent
in which he had brainwashed their daughter as far as they were concerned Simon and Chantal were just spiritual
free thinkers who had a different albeit somewhat weird belief system they did however pick up on Simon's controlling
nature when they visited Nana Jim and Kath didn't stay in the family house instead they would stay in a nearby
Cabin when they visit their daughter's house Simon locked himself in his bedroom and spent the duration of their
visit on his computer he wouldn't allow them to take photographs so Jim was forced to sneak photos of his daughter
and granddaughter on his mobile phone whenever he got the chance both Jim and Kath were always apprehensive about
Simon he gave off a bad vibe nevertheless they didn't feel the relationship was out of hand and despite
his dominating personality they never witnessed Simon harm or threatened that daughter or granddaughter there was
little else they could do but trust their daughter's decision to maintain a relationship with Simon it wasn't a
stretch to assume Simon had his claws deep in chantels life and if Jim or Kath pushed her to end things with Simon
there was the likely possibility it would backfire and only result in him cutting them out of the family's life
the nagging concerns they had for their daughter were amplified on their most recent trip to the farm Simon and
Chantal were exhibiting stranger than usual behaviors when a passport arrived in the mail
Simon claimed it was for Lila and quickly put it away before anyone could look inside one night Chantel asked her
parents to take Lila to the cabin for the night because her and Simon were having visitors over Katherine Jim
agreed to watch over Lila that felt something seemed off because Simon and Chantal never had visitors
they couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something wasn't right in April 2007 Bruce Blackburn an
electrician employed by electrical company Western power was tasked to install a transformer on a power pole
close to Solomon CAD wells house Bruce also happened to be Simon's neighbor as Bruce prepared to ascend of the pole and
get to work Simon came running out of his house visibly stressed he began asking what
Bruce was doing Bruce explained to the job but his explanation only seemed to make Saanen more agitated and upset when
Case Files spoke to Bruce for this episode he claimed Simon was acting so disturbed
in that moment that he decided not to continue with the transformer installation at that time when he later
returned to the pole to complete the job Simon reappeared looking more stressed than ever his face was bright red and
covered in hives Simon was adamant the electromagnetic fields created by the transformer would
kill his family he had done his research into the health effects the populations
exposed to electromagnetic fields from power lines transformers electrical substations cell phone towers Wi-Fi and
to some extent electrical equipment the fear was clearly overwhelming song and to the point of causing him extreme
anxiety but bizarrely his concerns were only on the transformer on the power pole outside his house he didn't appear
to hold the same fear towards other electrical equipment his fear we were constantly exposed to such as
Wi-Fi or computer usage Bruce Blackburn Simon's neighbor told case file he witnessed his neighbor's burying magnets
around their house in an attempt to counteract the electromagnetic fields of the transformer Simon Gann ranting
conspiracy theories about the power company Western power deliberately directing electromagnetic waves towards
his house so that his family would be forced to move Simons increasingly bizarre behavior became amusing local
gossip but no one took his rent seriously although Bruce could see there Simon seemed to genuinely stressed about
the issue until one day in early July 2007 Simon suddenly changed his demeanour after weeks of rambling and ranting
about electromagnetic fields magnets and conspiracy theories Simon now seemed incredibly and unusually relaxed and his
hives were gone on July 13 2007 Simon Chantell Leela and Tony drove 40 minutes north to the Irvine coastal city of
busselton in Western Australia's southwest Simon had recently sold his car for $1,500 and to now they were
planning on selling chantels a car dealership offered the purchase chantels car on the spot for $4,000 they
accepted the offer the family were then seen getting into an unknown vehicle waiting nearby before driving away the
$4,000 was placed in chantal's bank account the following day July 14 2007 a happy
and excited Chantal called her parents at their home in Victoria she informed them she was leaving Australia to go on
an extended holiday with Simon Leela and Tony to Brazil they had plans on living
in and helping a local community the Amazon on the outskirts of Rio Branco Chantal explained Simon had already left
Australia for Brazil and let she Leila and Tony were leaving soon Jim and Catholic Dougal had concerns that again
trusted their daughter's decision they told her to keep in touch and upon her arrival to Brazil to let them know that
she was okay later that same day Chantal spoke with a woman named Carolyn from Perth both
Chantal and Simon had spoken previously with Carolyn expressing their desire to sell her there two long-haired dachshund
dogs the family didn't have any issues with the pets they just couldn't take them to Brazil Carolyn was a travel
agent and upon hearing the family's travel plans she offered Simon some friendly advice
but he wasn't interested in the lead-up to picking up the dogs Carolyn attempted to email Simon several
times but her emails bounced back and he never got in touch when Carolyn arrived
to the family's Nanna property to collect the dogs on Saturday July 14 Chantal greeted her and explained Simon
hadn't been in touch as he was already in Brazil Carolyn was surprised to see that the house was still full of stuff
and showed no signs that the family were packing for a big move overseas when Carolyn enquired about the whereabouts
of chantels daughter Lila Chantal explained the young girl was unwell and was being looked after by Tony in his
Caravan Carolyn was left with the dogs as Chantal disappeared into a bedroom when
Chantal reappeared a short time later the demeanor had changed Carolyn felt Chantal started rushing her
out the door and she couldn't understand what had occurred in the bedroom that made Chantal so anxious for her to leave
later when Carolyn took the dogs back to her place she noticed she had a missed phone call from Chantal the hasty
exchange of the dogs had ended so abruptly Carolyn had forgotten to pay Carlin transferred the money into
chantels bank account the following day she attempted the course Chantal to report the dogs were settled and doing
well but the calls went unanswered and Chantal never called it back perhaps she had left for Brazil after all Carolyn
thought a couple of days later Carolyn received a strange phone call an unidentified woman asked her how she
knew Chantal and why she had been calling her number the woman who made this call has never been identified
weeks passed and everyone assumed that simon Chantal of Layla and Tony had made good on their plans and were living in a
commune in Brazil but as time wore on and no one had heard from them chantels parents became increasingly concerned
they never received confirmation that the family arrived safely in Brazil it was unusual for Chantal not to be in
touch so her father Jim made some calls in an attempt to reach the commune just outside Rio Branco where the family were
planning on staying when Jim couldn't find any record of them arriving in the country he's worried Pete maybe there
was a logical explanation maybe the family cancelled their overseas travel plans and was still on the farm in
mehnat when Jim and cathc intact at the landlord in Nana they were given some startling news on July 19 five days
after the last sighting of Chantal the landlord's dropped by the house to check in with the family
no one had informed her landlords that Simon and his family planned on going to Brazil as they approached the house they
immediately noticed the yellow envelope stuck in the door inside was a note in chantels handwriting it read quote we
have left suddenly due to the lack of sleep created by the electromagnetic fields we have moved overseas to Brazil
and could not take all of our furniture with us all our personal things have gone but whatever we have left is yours
to do as you wish power phone and gas have been disconnected sorry to leave so quickly
all the animals have been taken care of in the keys to the house are on the kitchen bench the caravan has also been
cleared of any personal items you are also welcome to the Caribbean with all the furnishings from Chantal Simon Tony
and Delilah [Music] another note was found inside Tony's Caravan in his handwriting that simply
said gone to Brazil the landlords were surprised that the suddenness of this situation and the fact that they hadn't
been informed prior to the move their confusion only increased when they entered the house the home was still
full of furniture but it was spotless the didn't appear Simon and Chantal had attempted to sell any of their
belongings prior to leaving as one would expect they even left their computer and
other pricey electronics behind there was perishable food left in the fridge including half a bowl of cooked rice
they had also left their wallets and credit cards behind although their clothing and other personal items were
gone it didn't feel like the family had packed up and left for a big overseas trip by now Jim and
Kathy MacDougall were considering the possibilities of what had become a bear daughter and granddaughter they
contacted the Australian Embassy in Brazil only to discover there was no documentation proving that Simon Chantal
Layla or Toni had left Australia by either air or sea and there was no record of any of them arriving in Brazil
by all official accounts that was still in Australia by October 2007 it had been
three months since the family had abandoned the Nana property there had been no news of or from Simon Chantel
Lila or Toni Chantal mcdougal and her daughter Lila were officially listed as missing persons police arrived at their
old in a nope house to conduct a search for clues as to the family's whereabouts
upon arrival they discovered that in the previous months the landlord's had thoroughly cleaned the house and it was
now being rented out to new tenants nevertheless a thorough search of the property hindered surrounds was
conducted but nothing of note was found the bank accounts of Simon Chantal and Toni had not been touched since the time
of their supposed trip to Brazil chantels account still held the four thousand dollars she had been paid for
her car as well as the money for selling the two dogs government services the family had access to including Social
Security payments and public health care had not been recently used this only raised more questions about the
authenticity of the Brazil story had the family really gone overseas they would have needed money to do that they sold
their cars and their dogs to ensure they had money yet it had been left untouched
in the meantime chantels parents weren't the only ones attempting to locate the family by November 2007 Toni poppets had
been reported as a missing person as well Tony's father and brother had no clue where Tony was it was already
difficult for them to track Tony in normal circumstances as he lived a nomadic lifestyle
regardless he always kept in touch so it was out of character for him to vanish without a trace Tony's father told
police that he had recently given Tony 25 thousand dollars to take care of what he thought was a legal matter but where
exactly that money went he had no clue Tony's brother Joe Opik had his concerns about simon cade well joe knew of
simon's alternative lifestyle and believed the truth fellowship had all the hallmarks of a cult son and cadwal
was the leader and he demanded full obedience from his followers including Chantel Layla and Tony Salman had even
once tried to recruit Joe as another server in the truth fellowship Joe didn't buy into it but his brother Tony
did when Tony went missing Joe was convinced Simon relocated the family to an isolated commune where they couldn't be
found likely a remote area of Australia when Joe attempted to get information from other members of the truth
fellowship to help find his brother they were not forthcoming as the search for the family continued Simon's online
activity was thoroughly investigated he hadn't been active since the disappearance but his online blog held
some concerning secrets just over two weeks before Simon and his family disappeared he wrote on his blog quote
I'm exhausted and the only option is to leave this world one of his American followers a woman named Sharon reached
there Simon revealed he was considering obtaining the drug Nembutal a central nervous system depressant that is widely
used in euthanasia and suicide silent confessed the purpose of obtaining the drug was to give it to his family Simon
planned to administer the lethal drugs to Chantel Layla and then himself Tony would bury their bodies and afterwards
take his own life cherán attempted to deter Solomon from the horrifying plan stating that if he
supplied the drug to his young daughter Lila he would be murdering her Simon agreed and appeared to change his
mind he said his family might instead just wander off and live in isolation hatching a plan to relocate to Brazil
after learning of this online conversation police were immediately concerned for the welfare of Chantal
Lila and Tony had Simon gone through with this plan of group suicide thank you for listening to today's episode
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a task force named Operation Omega was created to investigate the disappearance of the family investigating detectives
obtained phone records for the family members and to noticed some confusing activity on July 12 the day before the
family drove to busselton to sell chantels car a phone call was made from their house to trans W a the Western
Australian rail and bus service during the call a bus ticket was purchased the ticket was for a trip departing from the
England town of Bridgetown almost 50 kilometers east of Nana the arrival location was almost 100 kilometres south
to the beachside town of Northcliffe the ticket was booked under the name Jay Roberts further investigation revealed
that this bus ticket for Jay Roberts was never used the day Chantel Lela and Tony
would you two head to Brazil to meet Simon July 15 Tony's mobile phone records revealed a
call was made from Bunbury a coastal city approximately 100 kilometers northwest of naina
Tony's mobile was traced along a train line that reached earth another call was made in Perth to a Northbridge hostel
called under green under backpackers shortly after that call was made a lone man arrived to the hostel and checked
into a double room under the name Tony pop each using Tony's driver's license as photo ID a further two calls were
made that day from Tony's mobile the first call was to the court hotel a local gay bar just 10 minutes walk from
the underground backpackers hostel the second call occurred later that night two Domino's Pizza the caller
ordered a pizza to be delivered to Kings Park parkland located alongside Perth's
Botanical Gardens a popular hangout at night due to its proximity to the CBD a delivery driver arrived to the
darkened park a short time later he described the atmosphere as creepy he gave the pizza to a man in the left
when shown pictures of Simon and Tony who actually looked somewhat similar the delivery driver pointed out the
photograph of Tony as the man he delivered the pizza to that night the following morning on July 16 two
more phone calls were made from Tony's mobile phone the first call was to trans w.a where a return train ticket was
booked from Perth to the inland city of Kalgoorlie six hundred kilometers away this ticket was also booked under the
name Jay Roberts the second call was to a taxi service for a ride from the underground backpackers hostel to East
Perth train station the taxi was booked for 6:00 a.m. under the name Tony the taxi driver took the unidentified
passenger to East Perth train station where he picked up the train ticket to Kalgoorlie on hold for Jay Roberts
another ticket was booked for Jay Roberts that day as well this one over the phone and the paid for attestation
in cash a one-way trip wire train then bus from East earth down to North cliff around an hour later at 7 a.m. an
unidentified male boarded the train - kalgoorlie sitting in car three seat 16 on the prospector train it was the seat
assigned to Jay Roberts Tony's phone was traced moving in the direction of this near six and a half hour trip -
kalgoorlie after the trip to Kalgoorlie Tony's phone was never used or traced again it was never confirmed whether the
unknown passenger in seat 16 had reached khau Galli or if they had disembarked on one of the
17 stops along the way it's also never been confirmed if the second ticket that was booked for Jay Roberts the one-way
trip to North cliff was ever used police were left scratching their heads over Tony's mobile phone records and the
actions of the unknown men referred to as Jay Roberts was it all an elaborate misdirection whatever the case
Tony's phone records provided no answers as to what happened to the family and only compounded the already confusing
investigation in April 2008 nearing the one-year anniversary of the family's disappearance police appealed to the
public for new information that might help determine what became of Simon Chantel Lila and Tony following the
appeal thirty calls were made to authorities but no compelling new leads were made one thing police knew but had
yet to reveal publicly was that in May 2007 two months before the family disappeared Nana police pulled Simon's
car over during a routine traffic stop Simon was in the car alone when police asked him to show identification Simon
became unusually agitated and nervous by the simple request it was no secret at this point that Simon Cadwell used
multiple aliases throughout his life aside from his online usernames saw in the forecourt forums for the truth
fellowship he also used the name's simon cade will and Simon caddy Australian authorities put out a call to
Interpol for simon Cadwell and all his known aliases their hope was if simon had relocated to another country that be
able to find him they had no idea that this line of inquiry would result in a revelation that would change everything
in September 2009 approximately two years after the family disappeared an immigration officer at Heathrow Airport
in London received an alert on his system for Simon Cadwell Simon was attempting to eggs at the country when
the immigration officer compared the photograph Australian authorities had shared of sawn and cadwal to the men
attempting to leave Heathrow it was clear there were two completely different men but that didn't stop the
immigration officer from asking a few questions even though it was clear he definitely wasn't the Solomon Cadwell
that were looking for he did manage to drop a bombshell that shook the entire investigation when shown a photograph of
the Simon Cadwell Australian authorities were after the simon cade well at Heathrow Airport responded I know that
men and his name isn't Simon Simon Cadwell the leader of the truth fellowship partner - Chantal father of
Layla was actually a man called Gary Felton Gary Felton was born in the United Kingdom in 1962 the real Solomon
Cadwell the man picked up at Heathrow Airport had met Gary Felton when the two attended the st. British University in
the early nineties during this time Gary Felton Stoll simon cade wells birth certificate saman had no idea why Gary
had done so but now his motive was clear Gary had used the birth certificate to assume Simon's identity police near
realized they were dealing with a long-running professional frauds though Gary Felton had not only plagiarized his
spiritual books to create his own cult but he had deceived every single person who knew him as saman CAD well
what had Gary Felton done there compelled him to assume another means Ord entity police felt there was a
strong possibility Gary Felton had assumed yet another man's identity since his disappearance
and was managing to evade authorities by traveling under his new unknown alias Chantelle MacDougall's parents recalled
seeing Gary who at the time they believed was Simon receive a passport in the male human Kath mcdougal were told
the passport was for Lila now police considered it might have been another one of Gary's false passports
maybe he had obtained a fake passports for Chantelle Lila and Toni as well they all could have snuck out of Australia
under false identities it wasn't an impossible act a report conducted by Australia's Daily Telegraph
newspaper in the 18 months following the family's disappearance revealed passport
forgery was alive and well between 2005 and 2006 alone 223 false Australian passports were intercepted worldwide at
various country entry points 118 of those were intercepted in Australia figures between 2007 and 2008 the time
when the family went missing were fairly similar numerous shady websites offer fake passports for as little as twelve
hundred and fifty dollars they promised to fetcher any country stamps requested along with a guaranteed success to pass
all existing passport confirmation tests including UV tests and machine-readable
zone checks it wasn't a stretch to assume professional con man Gary Felton who spent most of his waking time on his
computer may have come across one of these sites and made a purchase by 2010 there were still no leads into
the whereabouts of Gary Felton shantel mcdougal her daughter Lila or Tony Popish chantels parents embarked on a
three-month trip from their home in Victoria 4000 kilometers north to Cape York in Far North Queensland
distributing 1,000 fliers featuring chantels and Lila's details along the way police maintained their search but now
they weren't attempting to zero in on the name is simon Cadwell their sights were set on the name in Gary Felton and
in a similar vein Jay Roberts the name used to purchase train and bus tickets across Western Australia shortly after
the family's disappearance but seemed likely that Jay Roberts was yet another false identity created by Gary the scope
of the investigation was narrowed in on Australia as there had been no evidence suggesting the family of a left the
country however with the realization Gary Felton had knowledge and experience using fake passports the possibility the
family had followed through with their plan to head to Brazil was now a worthwhile consideration the peculiar
mystery had gained media attention and became an obsession for online sleuths he began to conduct their own research
into what may have happened to the family their research led to a disturbing discovery on the night of
July 17 2007 four days after Chantal was last seen 10 Airlines domestic flight 3:05 for departed Porto Alegre with 191
passengers and six crew members on board the flight was destined for Sao Paulo whether it was particularly bad during
the flight the runway 'south Paulo was noted as incredibly wet and slippery during the approach the planes pilot
remarked he had a headache it's believed he said ache along with the problematic weather and slippery
runway impacted his ability to land the plane as the plane touched down it slid down the runway and crossed over a major
road moments later it collided with a fuel service station causing the aircraft and burst into flames
[Music] the resulting fireball burned uncontrollably for several hours this led to a number of bodies never being
able to be identified or recovered from the wreckage questions were raised as to
whether Gary Felton Chantel MacDougall Lela MacDougall or tonypop each had been on this flight using assumed identities
and fake passports the crash occurred 80 hours after the last sighting of Chantelle that was possible timing was
for her and the others still have been on the flight even taking into account stopovers that may have prolonged their
journey to Brazil however Western Australian police and Brazilian authorities have reached the conclusion
that none of the missing four were onboard the doomed flight there was a conclusion the families of Chantal
MacDougall and Tony pop each agreed with they maintained the belief that the family was still in Australia and were
living remotely under new identities in March 2012 five years after the family disappeared horses grazing in a paddock
in Nanna disturbed human remains and clothing it was believed the remains consisting of bones in the skull were
previously submerged when the family and was swampy police rushed the remains for
forensic testing which revealed they belonged to a 62 year old Victorian man missing since 2003 in July 2015 the
decomposed the remains of a female child were discovered in a tattered suitcase on the side of a rural South Australian
Highway testing confirmed the girl had been deceased since around 2007 and that the discovery was near several desolate
communities of people living off the grid due to the time frame into location there was a strong possibility the girl
in the suitcase might have been Layla but in October 2015 the girl was positively identified
that wasn't Lila in November 2016 nine years after the family disappeared a young homeless english-speaking
teenager was found wandering the streets of Rome in Italy the girl offered various names making it difficult for
people to identify her Australian authorities held out hope the teenage girl was Lila when shown a picture of
the teenager Katherine Jim mcdougal Lila's grandparents weren't convinced it was her
they were later proven right the teenage girl found in Rome was identified as a runaway from Sweden in mid-may 2017 ten
years after the disappearance of Chantal mcdougal her daughter Lila Toni Papa CH and Gary Felton the Western
Australian coroner's office announced they would hold an inquest into the suspected deaths of the group of four
there was a long time coming for German Catholic Dougal who had been petitioning
for an inquest since 2011 Jim McDougald quote we would like some final decision if it's an open finding
than it is what it is there would be so much of a relief to find out what happened whether it's good or bad it's
the not knowing that's horrible in December 2017 coroner Barry King began proceedings in the Western Australian
town of busselton the last location the entire family was seen alive together when they sold chantal's car gary Felton
was exposed as the conman he had always been someone who chose his followers wisely easily manipulating them to
believe in him and using this power to disassociate them from mainstream society a criminal behavioral
psychologist defined Gary Felton as a narcissistic con men who used isolation to control his group he boasted to be
above the constraints of human existence when in reality he spent his time sleeping and engrossed in his computer
while his girlfriend worked three jobs to maintain his apathetic lifestyle it was little wonder that someone like
Gary Felton described as a controlling manipulative cult leader was able to tighten his grip around people like
Chantel MacDougall and Tony Popish who were both described as kind and generous the kind of people who were out to
please and therefore we're easily influenced the inquest revealed police had received several reports of
sightings of members of the family after their disappearance but these reports were not followed up on at the time due
to a lack of evidence additionally three months after the disappearance prison workers found a woman's t-shirt in
bushland mere Northcliffe a location that was featured prominently throughout the investigation according to those who
found it the t-shirt smelled of dead flesh this report was not fully investigated by authorities until eight
years later by then bushfires had swept through the area destroying any evidence
that may have led to the t-shirts owner furthermore items rumored to have been Chantel MacDougall's were discovered at
the Nana rubbish tip the police never recovered them the landlords of the property in Nana prepared at the inquest
they had visited the house often when the family was still living there they described Chantel MacDougall as a
hard-working practical and a loving mother and a tonypop each is polite there were the perfect tenants one of
the landlord's recalled running into Chantel and Lela in town Chantel explained that she couldn't go home yet
as saman had clients but she never elaborated on what that meant when asked to describe the person she knew was
Salman Cadwell real name Gary Felton the landlord described a clueless and impractical man who from her perspective
completely dominated the household he desperately relied on although she maintained in her opinion he was
incapable of killing his family the close friend of chantels then spoke to the inquest she revealed that Chantal
had gradually become more withdrawn over the years and had once spoken of not belonging or wanting to be here this
witness was under the impression that Gary Felton had completely brainwashed Chantel quote I just don't think they
ever felt like they belong in modern society they couldn't wait not to be here the inquest also heard the story of
two devoted members of the truth fellowship they were a Canadian couple in their 20s who trekked to Nana to meet
their leader when he was still living there the couple eventually returned to Canada and by the end of 2007 they had
both committed suicide along with another follower in Gary's philosophical writings he doubted the existence of
suicide instead he considered it a moves between the physical and spiritual realms online chat logs between Gary and
one of his servers confirmed that the spawn Dan and depressed Gary had contemplated self-harm and death prior
to his disappearance it was also revealed he was taking strong antipsychotic medication at the time
Justine the woman who had participated in a shared sexual relationship with Gary Felton Chantel and Deborah spoke at
the inquest via videolink Justine described how she had fallen in love with the man she knew as Simon
after beginning online contact with him in Perth she admitted Gary dominated the
household that felt suicide was not a spiritual driver for him if the family had been led to suicide
Justine believes they would not have gone to such great lengths to cover it up the mystery would serve no purpose
therefore Justine was under the impression the group was still alive hiding somewhere quote you were
discouraged to make contact with family Chantel stood up to that she still had very very strong contact with her mother
I think it's more likely they would be hiding as much as I knew them justine interpreted the handwritten
notes detailing the plan to relocate to Brazil as misdirection and believed it was more probable the group was still in
Australia it's unknown if silence former partner Deborah appeared at the inquest
or what if anything she has told investigators [Music] criminal behavioral psychologist dr.
Chris Garson agreed at the Brazil story was deliberate misdirection but in her opinion it was a way for the
family to escape explaining their true intentions and to protect their loved ones from worrying and grieving over
their suicide dr. Chris Garson quote unfairly confident that Chantal Lila and Tony are no longer with us
with Felton I'm a bit more ambivalent we can't ignore his history where he had concealed his identity before it would
not be difficult for him to change his identity and start again that's a possibility
the inquest concluded after three days of questioning multiple witnesses coroner Barry King quote my inclination
at this stage is that there is simply insufficient evidence to find beyond a reasonable doubt that everyone is dead
although possibly one or more could be dead it's difficult to exclude the possibility that somehow all of these
people are living somewhere else under assumed names coroner Barry King is due to hand down his final findings from the
inquest in mid 2018 Tony's family released a statement urging any followers of the fraudster who labeled
himself as Simon Cadwell or other vulnerable people in the same situation to walk away from self proclaiming
profits they asked for publishers and websites to stop selling Simon's books which remained for sale online to this
day some now going for hundreds of dollars due to the author's infamy [Music] Jim and Kathy mcdougal will never give
up the search for Chantal on Layla Kath mcdougal quote often I think they have gone into hiding but then another day I
think maybe something's happened to them that's always there every day but we just try and get on with our lives we
have two other children and three other grandchildren so we try and focus on that and keep hoping that one day
they'll turn up [Music] [Music] you [Music]

Case 83: Chantelle & Leela McDougall, Tony Popic

Teenager Chantelle McDougall fully embraced and absorbed Simon Kadwell’s teachings. He often told her she was not from this world, that she was different...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Anonymous Host Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

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Brief Summary

Chantal McDougall and family vanished in 2007, linked to cult leader Simon Cadwell's doomsday beliefs and manipulative practices.

Key points

The Prophecy of Judgment Day. The book 'Service of the Divine Plan' warns of an impending Judgment Day and spiritual awakening.
The Rise of the Truth Fellowship. Simon Cadwell's teachings attracted a dedicated following, leading to the formation of the Truth Fellowship.
Jean's Awakening. Jean's experience in Glastonbury leads to a critical view of Simon's leadership.
Chantal's Pregnancy Conflict. Chantal's pregnancy creates tension within the family, leading to Debra's departure.
Chantal's Sudden Departure. Chantal leaves a note explaining the family's sudden move to Brazil due to electromagnetic fields.
Simon's Disturbing Plan. Simon reveals a chilling intention to administer lethal drugs to his family before disappearing.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Only those who had learned the lessons of the physical plane will be harvested.

A quote from the book 'Service of the Divine Plan'.

2:24WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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