CultWatch Response
                                            Volume 2, Number 1

From The Editor
OCCULT CRIME- A GROWTH INDUSTRY
By Vicki Copeland

       In our  story on the  Matamoros killings in  the last issue  of
CWR, Kerr  Cuchulain quotes an  article from the  Corpus Christi Times
1/14/89  in  which  Lindell  Bishop  of  the  Central Texas Council of
Governments  said, "If  we didn't  do anything  else but  go into  the
business  of  conducting  seminars  on  Satanism,  we'd  do  a booming
business".  This  started  a  train  of  thought  on the "business" of
"occult related crime".  A survey of the material in  the files of CWR
yielded the following bits of information.

From July 1986  to the present, we have documentation  on no less than
25 seminars on  "occult related crime", ranging in length  from 1 to 3
days  and in  price from  $30  to  a whopping  $489.00, plus  room and
board..  Frequent guests  at these  seminars include  Lt. Larry  Jones
(Cult Crime Impact Network), Pat  Pulling (Bothered About Dungeons and
Dragons)  Jack Roper  (Christian Apologetics  Research and Information
Service) Joan  Christenson (an "adult survivor  of ritual abuse"), and
Lauren  Stratford (author  of  Satan's  Underground). Sites  for these
seminars  included  Ft.  Collins,  CO,  Cedar  City, UT, Richmond, VA,
Valencia,  FL, Helena,  MT, Warwick,  RI, Killeen,  TX, Malasoff,  TX,
Berkeley, CA,  Cromwell, CT, and  Leawood, KS, to  name a few.  One of
these seminars even advertised a  banquet with door prizes on Saturday
night (the juxtaposition of a banquet  with door prizes after a day of
discussing  alleged murders,  animal mutilations,  child abuse,  etc.,
seems at best macabre and insensitive to this author!).

A wide  variety  of  "training  aids"  on  "occult  related crime" are
available from many different sources, ranging in price from $4.00 for
"Witchcraft  or   Satanism"  from  BADD   to  $110  for   the  "Occult
Investigation  Slide  Training  Series  and  Script"  sold by Writeway
Literary  Associates. Other  significant offerings  include: "A  Basic
Guide  to the  Occult for   Law Enforcement  Agencies" ($5.00  + $1.50
postage  from the  Technical Research  Institute); "American  Focus on
Satanic  Crime"  ($14.95  from   Priority  One  Consultants);  "Occult
Awareness  Manual"  ($20.00  from  the  National Information Network);
"Occultism, Satanism and Witchcraft in Our Schools and Society" ($5.00
from  Exodus S.A.)  and "Occult  Related Homicide  Clues" ($13.95 from
Writeway Literary Associates).

Videotapes are  also becoming a  profitable item in  this industry. We
have received  information on the following  tapes: "Ritual Crime" (18
min., $345,  rental $75, from AIMS);  "Massacre of Innocence" ($40.00,
Contact  America);  "America's  Best  Kept  Secret"  ($19.95, Passport
Magazine); "Rising to the Challenge"  ($24.95 + $2.50 postage, Parents
Music Resource Center); "Identification  of the Ritually Abused Child"
(40 min,  $225, rental $60, Cavalcade  Productions); "Treatment of the
Ritually  Abused   Child"  (25  min.,  $195,   rental  $50,  Cavalcade
Productions); "Ritual  Child Abuse, A Professional  Overview" (30 min,
$194, rental  $50, Cavalcade Productions) and  "Revival of Evil" ($40,
Cultivate Ministries).

There are also numerous newsletters  dealing with the issue of "occult
related  crime".  Those  we  know  of  include  File  18,  Believe the
Children,   Eagle  Forum,   Exodus,  and   W.A.T.C.H.  Network.  Other
organizations such as BADD mail  out frequent lists of goods available
for sale, and  many ministries send out pamphlets  and other flyers on
"the occult" to those who regularly support them financially.

Audio tapes  are available from  the various conferences,  and many of
the  people  who  regularly  speak   at  the  conferences  have  tapes
available. The CWR archives include tapes from the 1987 Exodus seminar
in San Antonio Texas on occultism and various audio tapes of Christian
talk shows featuring Larry Jones, Pat Pulling, etc. The Christian talk
shows sell these tapes to the public for anywhere from $6-$10 each.

Books also form  an important part of the  revenue from this industry.
In the last  two years, several have been published  on the subject of
Satanism and occult  crime. Titles include Satan Wants  You, by Arthur
Lyons,  Cults that  Kill, by  Larry Kahaner,  Satan's Underground,  by
Lauren Stratford;  The Edge of  Evil, by Jerry  Johnston, Satanism: Is
Your Family Safe, by Ted Schwarz and Duane Empey, Devil on the Run, by
Nicky  Cruz,  The  Devil's  Web,  by  Pat  Pulling,  Like Lambs to the
Slaughter,  by  Johanna  Michaelson,  and  Satanism;  The Seduction of
America's Youth, by Bob Larson. These books normally retail for $7-$10
paperback, but  can range as high  as $15-$20 for a  hardback version.
There  are  also  numerous  old  titles  being  sold  by  the  various
ministries and  agencies involved with  "occult related crime".  These
titles include  The Satan Hunter, by  Tom Wedge, The Satan  Seller, by
Mike Warnke, and Halloween and Satanism, by Phil Phillips.

The final  money making aspect of  this growth industry is  the public
appearances. Talk  show hosts such  as Geraldo Rivera,  Oprah Winfrey,
and  Sally Jesse  Rafael have  at least  2 shows  a year  each on this
subject on  the average. The  same roster of  guests appears on  these
shows, along  with Zena LaVey and  Dr. Michael and Lilith  Aquino. Mr.
Jones,  Mrs.  Pulling,  and  others  who  are  authors  or  considered
"experts" are also frequent guests  on local television and radio talk
shows. Add these revenues to those from books, tapes, newsletters, and
their frequent appearances at seminars, and  it is not hard to see why
this is fast becoming a "growth industry".

                              --------

In This Issue:
Rowan  Moonstone  reviews  everything  (well,  almost), including Phil
Phillips' book, Halloween and Satanism;
Craig Pierce continues  his series on his visit  to an Exodus seminar;
.. and much, much more ...

                              --------

CWR Questions Exodus
by Craig Pierce, CWR correspondent

       As reports  of Satanism grow,  Texas investi- gators  are often
hampered by a complete absence of evidence when responding to publicly
alleged claims of devil worship.  Born-again cult buster groups making
the  claims are  also causing   questions to  be raised  regarding the
legality of their methods of "exit counselling."

In San Antonio,  where the issue of teen Satanism  has brought forth a
group of such "counsellors" as Exodus S.A., police have no evidence of
the  criminally active  group from  whom that  Exodus claims  they are
hiding survivors.

"In the four years we've been around, we've gone from informing police
and parents  to a point where  now we're hiding people,"  said current
Exodus administrator, Craig Peterson.

Mr. Peterson made his comment during the opening address of the Exodus
S.A. Occult Awareness Seminar in San Antonio on 14 April, 1989. During
the keynote speech, Mr. Peterson  also referred to his organization as
a "deprogrammer group",  a term which  makes his wife,  Exodus founder
Yvonne Peterson, uneasy. Naturally, she  doesn't want to be identified
with the abrasive groups of the 70s that used brain washing techniques
"for the greater purpose" on Krishnas and members of other "cults".

"We   practice  de-indoctrination,   not  deprogramming,"   said  Mrs.
Peterson. "They (cult survivors) are not abused; not locked up."

"I can see  a similarity," said Jerry Rieder when  asked which term he
preferred.  Rieder, a  self-  proclaimed  former Satanic  High Priest,
directs  youth seminars  for Exodus  S.A. He  is also  a former heavy-
metal musician who urges kids  to reject rock'n'roll for Jesus. "Music
is a form of worship. You either worship God or the Devil, there is no
in between," stated Rieder during a lunchtime interview with CWR on 15
April, 1989.

Jerry  is  a  fair  example  of  the  born-again Satanic survivor that
Americans  have become  accustomed to  seeing on  T.V. talk  shows. He
tells young audiences,  teens and pre-teens, how he  seduced kids into
Satanism with drugs and heavy metal.  At the April seminar, he alluded
to many gruesome  practices of his cult. He even  related that he came
home one  day to discover  that his wife  had sacrificed their  infant
daughter.  He says  that shortly  thereafter, he  gave up Satanism and
turned to Christianity.

Drugs figured heavily during Mr. Rieder's  "bad old days" as a Satanic
recruiter, and he admits that they took a great toll on him. Like many
others  on  T.V.  who  have  come  forward  to  talk  about their cult
experiences, he has  memory lapses. He identified himself  to me as an
ordained  minister   during  the  interview,  but   then  had  trouble
remembering  who  or  what  denomination  had  ordained  him.  He did,
however, exhibit a very clear memory of events surrounding the alleged
sacrifice of his daughter and claims  that God has made him a "renewed
man". "Jesus is the light of my life," says Jerry.

Though  Mr. Rieder  has spoken  at many  Exodus seminars  specifically
aimed at  the "education" of  law enforcement professionals  regarding
the threat of  Satanism, he claims he has  never identified his former
devil worshipping followers to the D.A. He also told me at the time of
the interview  that he had  not given prosecutors  the facts regarding
the alleged infanticide performed on his  own flesh and blood in Bexar
county.

When asked why his  wife is not in prison for her  part in the alleged
sacrifice,  Mr. Rieder  looked uncomfortable.  "I didn't  know how  to
bring  her to  justice," he  replied. When  responding to the question
about identifying former cult  members to prosecutors, he said,"Nobody
has contacted me  about working with the D.A.'s  office." His apparent
discomfort grew when reminded that one who fails to report a murder is
frequently considered an  accomplice to that murder and  that there is
no statute of limitation on murder.

To  be fair  to Jerry,  it must  be pointed  out that  he has publicly
"testified"  to his  alleged experiences  for years.  That no officers
have as yet gone out of their  way to dispute him is hardly his fault.
On  the other  hand, maybe  they just  don't believe  him without more
substantial proof.

In a similar vein, Yvonne Peterson claimed at the conference that just
one  San  Antonio  teen  "survivor"   had  witnessed  over  100  human
sacrifices by age 14. She declined to name or produce the lad, saying,
as usual, that  Exodus was hiding him from  fellow cultists. Remaining
mindful  that about  130 homicides  were reported  in Bexar  County in
1988, this  youngster would have been  privy to a wave  of murder that
Charles  Manson,  John  Gacey,  and  Jack  the  Ripper couldn't rival.
Unfortunately, as with most claims made by the group, not one shred of
physical evidence was brought forward  and one could infer that Exodus
is comfortable with 100 deaths unprosecuted in South Texas. Of course,
if there is no evidence of a crime, there can be no investigation.

Bexar County  Deputy Sheriff's Investigator, Larry  Quintanilla was at
the  Occult Awareness  Seminar to  express his  department's point  of
view.  Not  surprisingly,  he  doesn't  agree  with  Exodus  on  their
statistics beyond the fact that Satanism  does exist. He said that the
"hard" evidence police usually look  for in an investigation is absent
from Exodus' fund of "proofs".

"As far as victims go, they can't tell us where they are or who killed
them," says this occult crime  investigator. Det. Quintanilla also put
to rest the  myth regarding the disposition of  sacrificial victims in
"portable  crematoriums". (According  to many  "cult- buster"  groups,
this is  why there are never  any remains,) Such "portable"  units are
the  size of  18-wheelers, he  pointed out.  He then  questioned where
teen-age Satanists would  buy or hide one, never  mind covering up the
odor:  such  units  do  not   have  all  the  features  of  stationary
crematoriums.

"We don't have any ritual sacrifices or murders here in Bexar County,"
said the detective at the April conference.

Although  Mr. Quintanilla  quietly blows  the doors  off of  claims of
Exodus's spokespersons  by asking ,"where is  the evidence?", it never
seems to stop them from presenting the same unverified claims again at
the next  seminar. Thusly is  the line between  allegation and reality
blurred by  the very people who  cry out for police  and parents to do
something about arcane crime.

The investigative eye may in time actually turn back upon Exodus-style
groups or other organizations of this ilk.

Why?

The laws of America and the law of their deity are not yet one and the
same.  For  instance,  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson  claim  that the
"ex-cultists" they are hiding do  possess hard evidence of crimes they
witnesses  and/or  participated  in.   In  most  states,  to  withhold
evidence, even if it is the  knowledge of the whereabouts of a witness
to a murder, is  to become an accessory to the murder;  or at the very
least an obstruction  of justice. This is true  whether the witness is
"covered in the blood of Jesus" or not.

When I asked  Craig Peterson if the local  D.A. was regularly informed
or given access  to the type of information  Exodus uncovered, he gave
us as passive an answer as Jerry  Rieder. "You almost have to let them
(the "ex-cultist") do that themselves," he said.

If, as  claimed by both  Exodus' founder and  administrator, Exodus is
deprogramming/reindoc-  trinating  recalcitrant  Satanic  teens,  then
Exodus  is  responsible  for  the  new  set  of  values the kids have.
Furthermore,  these reprogrammers  must  be  already aware  that their
"subject" won't go to law enforcement unless told to do so!

What  a  loop!  The  Satan-worship  alarmists,  while  self-admittedly
concealing and indoctrinating their  witnesses, are demanding that law
enforcers do  something, while on the  other hand, the professionalism
of  Bexar  County  officers  does  not  allow  them to proceed without
evidence or witnesses! Det. Quintanilla put it succinctly when he said
to me, "We don't investigate religions, only crime."

Satanism, it  has been said, will  be the crime of  the 90s. Certainly
groups such as Exodus are right to be concerned, but Jesus alone won't
get  convictions.  Professional  law  enforcement  officers don't need
Bible quotations to  do their jobs; they need  names, dates,and places
of  alleged criminal  acts. Most  importantly, they  need witnesses to
testify in  court instead of  in church. Vague  yet gruesome testimony
before PTA and youth groups must  be replaced with hard evidence, and,
when  wild  claims  are  disproven,  they  must  be abandoned. Without
substantive action on these crucial  elements, the loop remains intact
and  violent cultists,  few as  they are,  will remain  free to damage
society.  Meanwhile,  good  cops  may  justifiably  grow suspicious of
religious  deprogrammer/reindoctrinators'  tactics  as  more  of these
groups spring up around the country.

                              --------

If You Were A Subscriber to CWR...

...you would  have received the  revised edition of  Rowan Moonstone's
"The Origins of  Halloween". All pamphlets published by  CWR which are
16  pages or  less are  included with  your subscription.  We will  be
publishing  at least  4 pamphlets  per year  under this policy. Please
subscribe  now  (see  the  coupon  on  the  last  page  to  enter your
subscription).

                              --------

EX-CULTIST SOUGHT BY TEXAS AUTHORITIES

       CWR  has received  several articles  from Texas  concerning one
Marti Johnston, who is associated  with the Cult Awareness Council. In
January, 1989, at a meeting in  Anahuac, TX, she spoke of witnessing a
child sacrifice of an 8-year-old girl  from the Tomball, TX area eight
years earlier. Shortly after this presentation, Tomball police officer
Leroy Michna sought contact with  Ms. Johnston in connection with this
alleged crime.  When his attempts  were unsuccessful, he  obtained the
help of Harris County Assistant D.A. Casey O'Brian. In an article from
the  Daily  Pasadena  Citizen,  Feb.  25,  1989,  O'Brian is quoted as
saying,  "It was  referred to  me. I  attempted to  get hold  of Marti
Johnston.  For whatever  reason she  won't talk  to us.  We don't know
where she is."

Authorities in  the Tomball area say  there are no reports  of missing
girls dating from the time period in which Ms. Johnston claims to have
seen the  child abducted and killed.  "We have no homicide  to link it
to. Why she would make those claims  and then be hesitant to talk with
authorities is  reason to question  her motives," said  O'Brian in the
Houston Chronicle, March 6, 1989.

Johnston's location  is known to  Dorothy Seabolt of  the Houston Cult
Awareness Council, according to the Chronicle article, but Ms. Seabolt
refuses  to  disclose  Ms.  Johnston's  location  because  of fear for
Johnston's life. She claims that  Johnston has received death threats,
and has had  to move numerous times in the  past to avoid being killed
by cult members.

We here  at CWR are most  happy to see the  police investigating these
claims.  If there  is evidence,  lets find  those responsible  for the
crime and  put them behind  bars where they  can hurt no  one else. If
there is no  evidence, let's defuse the hysteria  before somebody gets
hurt.

For further information on this case, refer to the following newspaper
articles:

"Crowd Hears About Satanic Cults", Anahuac (TX) Weekly, Feb. 8, 1989
"Assistant DA Wants to Talk to Cult Expert", Humble Echo (Channelview,
TX) Feb. 22, 1989
"DA Seeking 'Sacrifice' Information", by Virginia Hahn, Daily Pasadena
(TX) Citizen, Feb. 25, 1989
"Tale  of  Child's  Ritual  Slaying  Vexes  Lawmen",  by Bill Disessa,
Houston Chronicle, March 6, 1989

                              --------

Don't overreact to so-called Satanism
by Patrick Cox
from USA Today, 9/12/89

MENLO PARK, CA  -- There was a time when  most mental and neurological
disorders were  ascribed to evil  spirits. Schizophrenics, epileptics,
even political dissidents and social  misfits were burned at the stake
or hung on the gibbet to cure their "Satanism".

Superstitious fundamentalism has,unfortunately, undergone a resurgence
of late. Atavistic Christians and  Shiite Moslems have found a perfect
explanation for anything they don't understand -- Satanism. Curiously,
however,   the  stated   symptoms   of   the  condition   are  largely
indistinguishable from puberty.

The  rare  criminal  who  says,  "The  devil  made  me do it" provides
sufficient evidence of rampant devil worship for the folks who believe
that Elvis  is still alive and  that UFOs are kidnapping  thousands of
people  annually.  Nevertheless,  it  is  unclear  how  many  of those
criminals are truly psychotic and how many are simply clever enough to
serve their sentences in mental institutions rather than the prisons.

So-called television journalists have contributed to the phenomenon by
publicizing the allegations  of those who lack the  ability or will to
understand mental illness or artistic  expression. But far more people
are being  killed in the name  of God in Beirut  and Belfast than have
ever  been murdered  by psychotics  claiming allegiance  to Satan. The
wild rumors of kids abused by Satanists pale compared to the number of
adolescents actually  molested by priests and  ministers. And children
regularly  die  because  of  the  denial  of  food  or medical care by
Christian parents.

Perhaps  that's why  both satanic  and pagan  trappings appear  in the
inevitable expressions  of adolescent rebellion  against authority. If
it's  shocking,  some  people  will  do  it.  If  ours were a Satanist
society, heavy-metal  records played backward  would contain Christian
Scriptures.

Though low-level law enforcement  contains its share of fundamentalist
paranoids calling  for a new  Inquisition, there's no  evidence of any
widespread  Satanist  movement.  If   we're  going  to  establish  new
psychiatric institutions, maybe they should be used to treat those who
hallucinate the devil behind every social anomaly.

                              --------

Reviews
by Rowan Moonstone

"Experts  Say Tales  are Bunk:  Rumors Abound  but nothing proves that
cults exist",  by Rex Springston, Richmond  News Leader, April 6  & 7,
1989

Investigative reporter  Rex Springston took  on the volatile  issue of
the alleged  Satanic Cult conspiracy  and came to  the same conclusion
that increasing  numbers of investigators are  coming to; namely, that
the story is an "urban legend".

Interviewed in the course of  investigating the story were FBI Special
Agent Kenneth  V. Lanning; Robert  D. Hicks, Analyst  for the Virginia
Department of  Criminal Justice Services;  Dr. Shawn Carlson  from the
Committee  for  the  Scientific  Examination  of  Religion;  Dr.  Marc
Galanter, a New  York psychiatrist and author of a  book on cults; Lt.
Larry Jones, founder of Cult Crime  Impact Network and editor of "File
18"; Patricia Pulling, founder of Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons;
Arthur Lyons, author  of "Satan Wants You" and  "Satanism in America";
Dr.   Martin  T.   Orne,  Univ.   of  Pennsylvania   psychiatrist  and
psychologist; and  Dr. Jeffrey S.  Victor of Jamestown  (NY) Community
College, who has just conducted a year-long investigation into Satanic
rumors.

The vast  majority of the  experts interviewed said  that there is  NO
corroborating   evidence   for   the   allegations   of   national  or
international  Satanic  conspiracies.  Says  Lanning,  "Total  up  the
stories and people  are alleging the murders of  hundreds of thousands
of people and we  don't have a clue. If you believe  this, this is the
greatest - and I mean greatest by a thousandfold - criminal conspiracy
in the history of mankind ... Nobody is this good."

But  Jones  and  Pulling  dispute  this  attitude.  Jones  claims that
"Satanists perform thousands of sacrifices  a year - perhaps 50,000 or
more." And Pulling states, "the  number of Satanic sacrifices could be
10 a year and could be as many as  10,000 and up ... We have no way of
knowing."

Hicks says, "Lots of police hours have been spent looking for evidence
of cult  survivors' stories, digging  up parking lots  (for bodies and
bones) and things  like that. To my knowledge,  no cult survivor story
has been verified." Lanning and Lyons attribute the "survivor" stories
to the  book "Michelle Remembers",  which was written  by Dr. Lawrence
Pazder and his then-patient (now wife) Michelle Smith in 1980. The two
men claim there are no survivor stories which became public before the
publication date of the book.

When asked about specifics to  the Richmond area, Pulling replied that
she had confidential  police information but said to  talk about local
sacrifices would  be "overstepping my bounds".  Ms. Pulling made other
accusations as well that could not be substantiated. For instance, she
and Officer Lawrence E. Haake of the Richmond Police Department allege
that  there  are  criminal  Satanists  who  are  doctors, lawyers, law
enforcement  officers and  other prominent  people, yet  neither could
cite  one case  in which  a person  had been  proven to  be a Satanist
involved in serious criminal activity.

Pulling also  alleged that 8% of  the Richmond area was  involved with
Satanic  worship.  Mr.  Springston  points  out  that  this  number is
approximately 56,000  - more than  the number of  United Methodists in
the Richmond area and nearly  the entire population of Hanover County.
Pulling  then  amends  her  statement  to  say  that  this  figure was
including everyone involved in any way  with the occult. When asked as
how she arrived  at the figure, she stated that  she estimated that 4%
of the  teens and 4% of  the adults were involved.  When informed that
this works out to an overall number  of 4%, she replied that it didn't
matter, as the estimate was probably conservative anyway.

                                -----

"Satanism: Where  are the Folklorists?", by  Phillips Stevens Jr., and
"A Rumor-panic About a Dangerous Satanic Cult in Western New York", by
Jeffrey S. Victor, New York Folklore, Vol. XV, 1-2 1989 , pp.1- 22

In the  editorial "Satanism: Where are  the Folklorists?", Mr. Stevens
goes into the  history of scares and panics  and notes the Inquisition
in Europe, the Proctor and Gamble  "Man in the Moon" incident, and the
1950's communist "witch-hunt".

After a lengthy history of Satanism,  the concept of the Millennium is
addressed.   He  points   out  that   there  are   great  sociological
similarities to the rumors we are seeing now, and the events in Europe
as the year 1000 approached.

Of great  interest to me  was the illustrations  he gave of  two cases
broadcast  on  Buffalo  television  stations,  declaring  that Satanic
activity  was   rampant  in  the   area.  On  closer   inspection  and
investigation, these  allegations were found  to be false  ... but, no
follow-up report was done to inform  the public of this fact. I wonder
just  how many  other cases  of  this  kind are  occurring around  the
country?

tevens is particularly upset that  the Native American beliefs and the
Afro-Caribbean beliefs, such as Santeria and Voudoun, are being lumped
in the "Satanic" category. He notes numerous articles and incidents in
which the ignorant perpetuate rumors  with no truth to them whatsoever
which result in the persecution of practitioners of such beliefs.

Those who come in for the most criticism from Mr. Stevens are those he
labels "the experts"; he cites  poor scholarship, lack of credentials,
and downright greed as points  of contention. One interesting question
he raises concerns funding for the individual law enforcement officers
to  attend  training  seminars  on  occult  crime.  Simply  put,"These
seminars are advertised among police  agencies; were the fees paid out
of public funds?" (Is anybody listening?)

Folklorists should  get involved NOW, he  insists, before someone gets
hurt in  the panic. He  sees a great  need for study  and research and
explanation of  what is and  more importantly, what  is NOT happening,
and explanations for it all in  light of history and mythology. In his
words, "the folklore of Satanism is  snowballing, and it is in serious
need of explication by people who know what they're talking about."

Dr.  Victor's article  addresses a  problem that  CWR has treated with
before: tracking an "urban legend" (CWR  # 5). He narrows the focus of
the Satanic rumor-mongering to one  specific outbreak in the Jamestown
N.Y. area in  the spring of 1988. Through  interviews with hundreds of
students,  parents, police,  ministesr, and  newspaper reporters,  Dr.
Victor and  his sociology students tracked  this rumor, beginning with
an Oct. 31, 1987 Halloween party.

The flames of rumor were fanned by an episode of the "Geraldo Show" on
Nov. 19,  1987, dealing with  "Satanic Cults and  Children". This show
prompted telephone calls to local  ministers by concerned parents, and
the Thomas  Sullivan case in  January of 1988  further inflamed public
sentiment. Other ministers began to speak to their congregations about
the possibility  of Satanic involvement by  teens, and by May  13, the
full blown  rumor was that  a Satanic cult  was seeking victims  for a
human sacrifice.

The community response to this  rumor surprised Victor; "many parents,
for example,  held their children  home from school  out of fear  that
they  might  be  kidnapped  by  'the  cult'.  Absences from elementary
schools were three  or four times greater than  average. Over 100 cars
showed up at  a rumored ritual site in a  wooded area, where they were
stopped by  police barricades. Some of  the cars had weapons  in them:
clubs,  knives and  hunting guns.  Several teenagers  who were falsely
rumored  to be  in 'the  cult' received  telephone death  threats from
adults. At  a warehouse rumored  to be another  meeting place of  'the
cult'  about  $4,000  of  damage  was  done  to  musical equipment and
interior  walls. The  police, school  officials, and  the youth bureau
received  hundreds  of  telephone  calls  reporting bizarre incidents.
People reported seeing things that  did not exist and having knowledge
about events that did not occur."

Dr.  Victor goes  on to  speak about  myths and  why and  how they are
created  and   what  function  they   serve  in  society.   He  treats
specifically with  scapegoats such as Jews,  Witches, Blacks, etc. and
their relation to  those myths. As Victor is  a sociologist, he offers
some  interesting  sociological  insights  as  to  why  this  myth  is
re-appearing  in our  culture at  this time.  The piece is exquisitely
detailed and  documented and is HIGHLY  recommended. New York Folklore
can be obtained by writing:

        Phillips Stevens, Jr.
        Dept. of Anthropology
        SUNY at Buffalo
        Ellicott Complex
        Buffalo, NY 14261

New York Folklore is to be  commended for the painstaking research and
documentation on these two fine articles.

                                -----

"SATANIC, OCCULT, RITUALISTIC CRIME: A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE" by
Kenneth  V.  Lanning,  Supervisory  Special  Agent, Behavioral Science
Instruction and Research Unit,  FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia (June,
1989)

In the  almost 5 years that  I have followed this  subject, rarely has
such a  complete, informative, well-  thought-out, and well-researched
document  crossed  my  desk.  Mr.  Lanning  has  done  a superb job of
pinpointing the  problems associated with the  current approach to the
problem of so-called "occult crime".

He begins with a overview of the general curriculum of an occult crime
training seminar, noting that the topics covered include an historical
overview  of Satanism,  Witchcraft and  Paganism, fantasy role-playing
games,  heavy metal  music, "stoner"  gangs, teen  suicide, crimes  by
self-styled satanic practitioners,  ritualistic child abuse, organized
Satanic groups, and the "Big  Conspiracy" theory. These topics are all
strung together, implying  that (1) there is a  continuum of behavior,
and (2) this material is all documented. The remainder of the paper is
devoted to debunking those two implications.

Noting  the  lack  of  definition  of  key  words,  such as "satanic",
"occult", and  "ritualistic", he says,  "simply put, for  some people,
satanism is any religious belief system  other than their own". A list
of items,  including Freemasonry, Rock  Music, the KKK,  and Hinduism,
have been labeled as "Satanism" at these seminars. In addition to this
listing, Mr. Lanning references a book entitled Prepare for War by Dr.
Rebecca Brown  which lists as "doorways"  to satanic power horoscopes,
fraternity oaths, and acupuncture, and concludes, "the ideas expressed
in this book  may seem extreme and even  humorous. This book, however,
has  been  recommended  as  a  serious  reference  in  law enforcement
training material on this topic."

Mr.  Lanning  states,  "Ritual  can  refer  to  a prescribed religious
ceremony,  but  in  its  broader  meaning  refers  to  any customarily
repeated act or  series of acts. The need to  repeat these acts can be
cultural, sexual, or psychological as  well as spiritual." Included in
those rituals are those familiar to all of us, such as the traditional
Christmas and Thanksgiving family gatherings.

In the  context of social ritual,  he addresses the concept  of sexual
ritualism  and  says  that  "deviant   acts,  such  as  urinating  on,
defecating on, or  even eviscerating a victim, are  far more likely to
be  the  result  of  sexual  ritualism  than  religious  or  'satanic'
ritualism."  This type  of behavior   is most  often connected  with a
psychological  condition known  as obsessive-compulsive  behavior. The
paper goes on to discuss this topic in some detail and concludes, "the
important point for the criminal  investigator is to realize that most
ritualistic criminal  behavior is not  motivated simply by  satanic or
religious ceremonies."

Addressing the problem of ritualistic  child abuse, Lanning points out
that not  all spiritually- motivated ritualistic  activity is satanic.
Many things  that some parents would  consider a part of  their normal
religious activity,  such as corporal  punishment, or kneeling  on the
floor  while   reciting  prayers,  might   be  considered  ritualistic
activity, but not necessarily satanic.

The next question addressed is "What makes a crime satanic, occult, or
ritualistic?" Rejected as answers to this question are the presence of
certain symbols,  the bizarre and  cruel nature of  the crime, or  the
date  of the  crime --  the presence  of these  elements would beg the
question: what then  does it mean if a crucifix  is found at the site,
or if the crime is committed on Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving? He
also cites  cases in which  psychotic killers mutilated  their victims
with no evidence of any type of "satanic" involvement whatsoever.

Many times the  handout material given at occult  training seminars to
law  enforcement  officers  is  conflicting  and  undocumented.  As an
example, he cites handouts and reference material that show a range of
the number of  satanic or occultic holidays from 8  to 110 days a year
(plus birthdays, and up to 3 days on either side of these holidays)!

Following  this  he  lists  various  things  that  have  been  done by
Christian parents, justified by use of the Bible, which the rest of us
might view as child abuse, and comments, "Some people would argue that
the Christians  who committed the  crimes misunderstood and  distorted
their religion while satanists who commit crimes are following theirs.
But who  decides what constitutes  a misinterpretation of  a religious
belief  system? The  individuals  who  committed the  above- described
crimes,  however misguided,  believed that  they were  following their
religion as they understood it."

Mr. Lanning states that he has been unable to clearly define a satanic
crime. "Each potential definition presents a different set of problems
when  measured  against  an  objective,  rational,  and constitutional
perspective." Many times,  the facts of the crime  are quite different
from  the media  reports and  "actual involvement  of satanism  or the
occult   in  these   cases  usually   turns  out   to  be   secondary,
insignificant, or nonexistent". But  then, ordinary crime doesn't sell
newspapers!

"What  is  the  justification  for  law  enforcement  officers  giving
presentations on satanism and the  occult to citizen groups, PTA's, or
school assemblies? Is it public  relations, a safety program, or crime
prevention?  "This is  a very   confusing question  for a  civilian to
answer,  and  Lanning  brings  out  that  by introducing themselves as
current or former police officers and speaking as religious advocates,
these "experts" only confuse the  public. He recommends that "officers
who believe  that the investigation of  satanic/occult crime puts them
in conflict  with supernatural forces  of evil should  probably not be
assigned  to these  cases." Indeed,  it has  known to  happen that  an
officer who does NOT believe such things has been suspected of being a
cultist.

One of the  most perceptive points made in  this paper reads, "satanic
and occultic crime has become a growth industry. Speaking fees, books,
video  and  audio  tapes,  prevention  material,  television and radio
appearances all being egoistic and financial rewards."

He points out  that law enforcement officials have a  job to listen to
the facts of  a case and to look  for evidences of a crime.  If crimes
are  really going  on, history  and human  nature are  on the  side of
exposing  the crimes.  People make  mistakes and  leave evidence.  The
recent incidents at Matamoros, Mexico are proof enough of that.

In  closing,  Lanning  says,  "Until  hard  evidence  is  obtained and
corroborated,  the  American  people  should  not  be  frightened into
believing that  babies are being  bred and eaten,  that 50,000 missing
children are being murdered in human sacrifices, or that satanists are
taking over America's day care centers. No one can prove with absolute
certainty that  such activity has  NOT occurred. The  burden of proof,
however, as  it would be  in a criminal  prosecution, is on  those who
claim that it  has occurred. As law enforcement  agencies evaluate and
decide what they can or should do about satanic and occult activity in
their communities, they might also consider  how to deal with the hype
and hysteria of the 'anti-satanists'.  The overreaction to the problem
can clearly be worse than the problem."

As  a researcher,  I cannot  agree  with  this more.  CWR has  printed
articles describing the hysteria surrounding  this issue; it is only a
matter of  time before someone is  hurt if this continues.  As a Witch
whose beliefs are oftentimes lumped  into the "Satanic" scare, I would
like to applaud Mr. Lanning for a voice of sanity amidst the hysteria.

The author may be reached at:

       Kenneth V. Lanning
       Supervisory Special Agent
       FBI Academy
       Behavioral Science Unit
       Quantico, VA  22136

This article  is Public Domain,  and reprints are  available from CWR.
Send  $2.00  (ppd.)  for  each  copy  ordered  to  CWR, P.O. Box 1842,
Colorado Springs, CO 80901- 1842.

                                -----

"Satanic  Cults: a  Skeptical View  of the  Law Enforcement  Approach"
(Presentation given at the 11th  annual crime prevention conference of
the Virginia Crime Prevention  Association, Chesapeake, Virginia, June
23, 1989)  by Robert Hicks,  Criminal Justice Analyst/Law  Enforcement
Section, Department of Criminal Justice Services

Mr.  Hicks  begins  this  informative  and  enlightening  piece with a
description of the  activities of a convent, using  the jargon that he
says is common  in satanic cult seminars. The use  of these terms make
the  lawful  and  harmless  activities  of  convents seem sinister and
pernicious. The  point Mr. Hicks makes  is that words such  as "cult",
"occult", "satanic",  and "ritual" being bandied  about in the satanic
cult seminars are never defined.

Mr.  Hicks  takes  his  readers  inside  the  atmosphere of the police
training   seminars   and   points   out   areas   in  which  he  sees
counterproductive and alarming tendencies --  and they are rampant, if
his account is to be believed. Some of the shortcomings listed include
insufficient background given on cases used as illustration, the heavy
influence of Judeo-  Christian values in the presentations  of many of
the  "experts",   lack  of  clear   definitions  of  terms,   lack  of
corroborating evidence for the claims  of the "experts", and imprecise
or misleading descriptions of crimes.

On the subject  of the "experts", Mr. Hicks is  even more explicit. He
cites  the double  standard used  by the  cult crime  instructors when
pointing to "satanic crime", yet failing to refer to "Christian crime"
or "Jewish  crime", stating: "Whether  or not people  can get criminal
ideas  from belief  systems  --  whether from  Buddhism, Christianity,
voodoo, Islam, or  anything else ... has little to  do with the belief
system  but rather  with a  person's own  psychological make-up."  Mr.
Hicks also  cites the jumbling together  of beliefs such as  Wicca and
Voudoun with the "Satanic" belief systems.

What Mr. Hicks sees as the most disturbing in all this seems to be the
lack  of evidence  to back  up the  cult "experts'"  claims. He  cites
normal dynamics  of groups (such as  personality conflicts, rivalries,
jealousies,  etc.) as  reasons why  the large  scale conspiracy of the
international evil Satanic cult is, at best, an "urban legend".

Mr.  Hicks' observations  on the  book Michelle  Remembers were  quite
interesting --  he made the  following comment concerning  some points
the book  raised: "Some curious loose  ends remain, though. (Michelle)
Smith's father denied the incidents, Smith loved her mother very much,
as did her two sisters, not mentioned in the book, who never witnessed
any  satanic involvement.  One sister  has been  deeply distressed  at
Smith's  representation of  her mother.  Not mentioned  either was the
Catholic Pazder's  divorce, Smith's conversion  as a Catholic  and her
own divorce  in order to marry  Pazder, practices frowned upon  by the
Catholic Church, yet the book extols Catholic ceremonies and ritual as
a way to combat Smith's terror."

The  subject of  ritual abuse  is dealt  with here  by citing the rich
abundance of folklore which  surrounds Satanism through the centuries;
virtually every example of satanic  stories found in the cult seminars
can be found in the folklore of Satanism.

The media does not avoid Hicks' critical eye either. He cites numerous
examples  where  an  overanxious  media  published  stories which they
claimed   to   have   "satanic"   involvement;   when  later  thorough
investigation  disproved  the  satanic  theories,  the damage remained
done. Nobody pays  much attention to retractions, which  have been few
regardless of  the facts of these  cases. The most graphic  example of
this is  an incident in  Indiana several years  ago, which involved  a
legal,  non-violent Pagan  gathering at  a public  park. One sheriff's
deputy  (who  had  been  to  an  "occult  crime"  seminar) talked to a
reporter  (who did  not bother  to verify  anything told  to him,  and
talked to no other source).  The resultant story proceeded to describe
"animal  sacrificing,  drinking  blood  in  rituals,  nude dancing, or
dancing by people in 'devil-like  costumes' ... and eating raw flesh."
The facts  of the case  were not even  remotely similar to  the story,
Hicks says, and  the group was "not satanic.  The satanism was created
by the seminar-trained police who  spent much time and effort watching
the (group) simply  because they were not Christians  celebrating in a
conventional way."

CWR  would like  to thank   Mr. Hicks  for a  well-researched, factual
presentation. Copies of this transcript may be obtained by writing to:

       Robert Hicks
       Criminal Justice Analyst
       Law Enforcement Section
       Department of Criminal Justice Services
       805 E. Broad Street
       Richmond, Virginia, 23219

                                -----

THE  DEVIL'S WEB:  WHO IS  STALKING YOUR  CHILDREN FOR  SATAN?
By Pat Pulling with Kathy Cawthon

Pat Pulling, founder of Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons (B.A.D.D.)
has based this book on her  experiences of seven years in dealing with
the problem of  teen occultism . Ms. Pulling  became involved with the
issue after her then-16-year-old son  "Bink" committed suicide in what
she  describes as  a "Dungeons  and Dragons  related death". From this
beginning of investigating fantasy role-playing games, Ms. Pulling has
gone  on  to  investigate  such  areas  as  heavy  metal music and its
relation to  crime, violence in  entertainment, and the  phenomenon of
ritualistic child abuse.

Ms. Pulling's  research is not  what I would  call either thorough  or
reliable. A  brief look at  some of the  citations from the  book will
give the reader an idea of the quality of the scholarship involved: On
page 44, she notes:
        "There are certain dates  which occultists consider 'high holy
        days' in Satanism and Witchcraft ... These dates are January 1
        (traditionally  a Druid  feast day)..."  The Druids celebrated
        Nov. 1 as their New Year, and it was a major feast; Jan. 1 had
        no particular significance.

        Further evidences  of poor research appear  in the glossary at
        the back of  the book. On page 196,  she defines the following
        "Warlock:  Originally meaning  'one who  breaks faith'.  It is
        more often used by non- witches  to refer to a male witch." On
        the  same  page,  a  few  lines  down,  we  find the following
        "Witches Sabbath: Meeting of a witches' coven held in order to
        perform  magical  rites  and  ceremonies.  A  large  number of
        witches  and warlocks  who would  gather around  a bonfire  or
        cauldron,  light black  candles, and  perform sacrifices.  The
        Sabbath would  culminate in a  sexual orgy." Contrary  to this
        assertion,  the  meaning  of  the  word  "warlock"  has  never
        changed, and therefore such a one  would not be invited to any
        Witches' Sabbat.

        Then  on page  191 she  defines "Sabbat:  Seasonal assembly of
        Witches in honor of the  Archfiend." Use of the word "Sabbath"
        (incorrect)  for  one  reference  and  "Sabbat"  (correct) for
        another is rather strange, for one,  and in almost 10 years as
        a Witch,  I have never  honored anything that  could be called
        "the Archfiend".

Many other researchers in this field have taken issue with Ms. Pulling
in the past;  in Chapter 4, "The Satanic  Network", she addresses this
issue.  Referring to  an article  which appeared  in the Richmond News
Leader  (reviewed  elsewhere  in  this  issue  of  CWR) she states the
following: "The reporter had gone to a great deal of trouble to find a
number of 'authorities' who would support the angle of his article ...
The two-part series quoted a number  of people who have set themselves
up as experts on the subject  of occult activity and used these quotes
to  argue  the  statements  made  by  the  police  officer and me. The
reporter failed to mention, however, that one of his naysaying sources
is  a former  member of  the Church  of Satan  whose current  level of
involvement is  unknown. Another source has  been 'investigating' this
subject for  less than a  year and his  'research' consists of  little
more than reading a smattering of articles and books."

What Ms. Pulling fails to mention  in her book is that the "naysayers"
she  talks  about  here  include  the  following:
        -  FBI Special  Agent Kenneth  Lanning, who  works extensively
        with the  issue of occult  crime and with  the National Center
        for Missing and Exploited Children, and has for many years;

        - Robert Hicks, Analyst for the Department of Criminal Justice
        Services  in   Richmond,  who  holds   a  Masters  Degree   in
        Anthropology,  and who  presented a  paper to  the 11th annual
        conference of the Virginia  Crime Prevention Association, June
        23, 1989.  CWR has obtained  a copy of  the transcript of  his
        speech and has  found that it is entirely  consistent with the
        research of Mr. Lanning and our own staff;

        - Dr. Shawn Carlson, who is  a member of the Committee for the
        Scientific Examination of Religion (see CWR, Vol. I, Issue 4);

        -  The "former  member of  the Church  of Satan" mentioned was
        Arthur  Lyons, who  has written  two books  on the  subject of
        Satanism through two decades of first-hand research. Mr. Lyons
        states that Anton LaVey would not talk to him unless and until
        he paid  $20 to join; he  likens this to an  FBI agent joining
        the KKK for investigative purposes;

        -  One can  only assume  that the  source she  scoffed at  for
        spending less  than a year in  research on the subject  is Dr.
        Jeffrey  S.   Victor  of  Jamestown,  NY.   Dr.  Victor  is  a
        sociologist  who has  spent a  year of  intensive study on the
        subject of  Satanic rumor-mongering in  his area of  NY state.
        His research  findings parallel the  findings in "Tracking  an
        Urban Legend" (CWR, Vol. I, Issue 5).

Dr. Victor  describes this research  as follows: "My  research methods
included  interviews  I  conducted  with  a  wide variety of community
authorities, including police, school  officials, youth group workers,
ministers,  psychotherapists, and  newspaper reporters.  The Jamestown
Police  Department  was  exceptionally  helpful  in  providing me with
non-confidential information regarding their own investigations of the
various  rumor stories.  I also  interviewed newspaper  reporters from
other towns in the region, who covered the story. Students from one of
my classes conducted interviews with  49 local area teenagers, parents
and  informal  authority  figures  (such  as  teachers and ministers),
shortly after the rumor-panic occurred. One student, on an independent
study project, did a research study  of teenage peer group conflict in
Jamestown in  reaction to the  rumors, interviewing 30  teenagers from
different youth  sub-cultures. Another student, who  is a minister, is
currently  conducting   interviews  of  fundamentalist   and  mainline
Protestant ministers, relative to the  reactions to the rumor stories.
I also have information from my own participant observation ... having
a teenage son in the local high school  at the time. As a teacher in a
community college, most of my students (youth and adults) are from the
local area.  Many of them talked  to me at length  about the rumors. I
also  obtained  useful  information  from  documents, including school
attendance records and reports  from local government agencies." (From
"A Rumor-Panic About a Dangerous Satanic Cult in Western New York", by
Jeffrey S. Victor, New York Folklore Magazine, Vol. XV Nos 1- 2, 1989,
p. 25 & 27.)

Compared to  the above sources, this  reviewer would love to  know how
Ms. Pulling's credentials stack up. The use of the phrase, "people who
have  set  themselves  up  as  experts",  when  referring to the above
persons,  would  seem  inaccurate  at  best  and  either  arrogant  or
self-serving at worst.

Ms. Pulling  does make some  good points in  the area of  parent-child
communications.  She stresses  that parents  should be  aware of  what
their teens are doing, and whom they are associating with; wise advice
from whatever quarter. But her allegations of Satanic rituals in which
sexual orgies and murder take  place (and, she claims, are videotaped)
are as yet unfounded.

All in  all, this is  NOT a  book  which I could  reccomend for either
scholarship  or informative  content, as  it is  entirely too  full of
unfounded  rumor,  speculation,  and  downright  sloppy research. Real
information is available from reliable sources; it is too bad that Ms.
Pulling  has disregarded  it apparently  because it  does not  fit her
Satanic conspiracy theories.

                              --------

HALLOWEEN AND SATANISM
By Phil Phillips and Joan Hake Robie
Starburst Publishers, Lancaster, PA 1987

This  book is  highly recommended  by many  organizations as being the
definitive reference  book on Halloween for  the Christian and police.
While Rev. Phillips has done more historical research than the average
Christian  investigating  pre-Christian  religious  customs,  his work
falls  far short  of what  I  would  term adequate.  Perhaps the  most
disturbing  thing about  the book  is the  lack of  references for the
first  two  chapters,  which  contain  the  majority of the historical
information.

Phillips persists in such inaccuracies  as stating that Stonehenge was
built by  Druids (scholars now agree  that the structure had  stood on
the plain for  many hundreds of years before the  arrival of the Celts
with their Druidic priesthood), that  Halloween was originally held in
honor of a  Celtic deity called "Samhain" (while  Samhain was the name
of the  festival, there is no  evidence to indicate that  the name was
ever  applied to  a deity.  See "The  Origins of  Halloween" by  Rowan
Moonstone, available from  CWR), and that the Celts  also worshipped a
deity named "Muck  Olla". Muck Olla was mentioned  by W.G. Wood-Martin
in Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland , but the practice is limited
to one small area of the  British Isles in the villages of Ballycotton
and Trabolgan and is unknown outside this small geographic area. There
is no indication that Muck Olla was a sun god, as alleged by Phillips.
The native  inhabitants of the  British Isles did  have solar deities;
the Irish deity was Lugh and the Welsh was Llew.

Phillips then  proceeds to go  into several chapters  on the evils  of
everything  from  Pennsylvania  hex  signs  to  ouija boards and tarot
cards. While this might have relevance in his Christian belief system,
it  has nothing  whatsoever to  do with  Halloween or law enforcement.
Police should be concerned with  CRIME, not the religious practices of
individuals.

As proof  that the things  he alleges in  the book are  true, Phillips
uses testimony from three women who have written books on the subject.
I have read all of these books.

Roberta Blankenship in her book  "Escape From Witchcraft" alleges that
in England in  the 60s and 70s there was  a huge organized underground
of "black witches" who met to do  all sorts of evil things. She claims
to have  risen to be  their High Priestess  and Witch Queen,  and then
abdicated after she became a Christian.

Johanna  Michaelson wrote  of her   experiences as  an assistant  to a
psychic surgeon  in Mexico in  "The Beautiful Side  of Evil". By  far,
hers  is  the  most  well-researched  and  documented book, although I
personally find the concept of psychic surgery difficult to believe.

The  third  woman,  "Dr."  Rebecca  Brown,  is  the  author of 2 books
entitled "He  Came To Set  The Captives Free"  and "Prepare For  War",
published  by Starburst  (the publisher  of Phillips'  book). CWR  has
learned that Dr. Brown's original name was Ruth Bailey, and that while
a physician in  the state of Indiana,  she had her license  revoked by
the  state Medical  Board on  Oct.  2,  1984. Listed  reasons for  the
revocation  include citations  that she  "knowingly and  intentionally
misdiagnosed  her  patients  including,  but  not  limited to ... Edna
Elaine Moses ... That on numerous occasions she stated to her patients
that she  was 'chosen' by God  as the only physician  able to diagnose
certain  ailments  and  conditions  which  other  physicians could not
because  the other  physicians ...  were in  fact, 'demons,devils  and
other evil spirits' themselves.  That on numerous occasions Respondent
misrepresented  and falsified  prescriptions ...  That Respondent  has
stated  on numerous  occasions that  she possessed  the capability  of
'sharing' her patients' illnesses in fighting demons, devils and other
evil spirits.  That without a valid  therapeutic reason the Respondent
self-diagnosed and self-medicated herself with non-therapeutic amounts
of Demerol." The  Board revoked Dr. Bailey's license,  and she has not
applied  for reinstatement  in any  state to  date. (quoted from legal
transcript of the case of Ruth Bailey, M.D. Medical Licensing Board of
Indiana Cause No. 83 MLB 038) As is customary, no reason was given for
her name change.

It strains credibility  and insults the intelligence of  the reader to
be  asked  to  rely  on  a  work  of  such  sloppy  research and shaky
foundations as a "reference work".