Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult

Jeff Peterson has spent years trying to pull his kids out of the Zion Society - until the cult’s hunger for money creates an opening. When his ex-wife Carla asks for help selling the group’s lingerie line, “Sweet Things,” Jeff hires a private investigator to pose as a Las Vegas buyer and go undercover inside Northwood.What she captures on camera changes everything. But there’s a catch: Jeff’s custody deal comes with a vow of silence - until Detective Mike King’s investigation collides with Jeff’s case, freeing him to talk. With corroboration in hand and the clock ticking, Mike prepares to raid the quiet neighborhood at dawn.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From inside the Zion Society, Erin (heard in rare archival audio) explains how predators exploit vulnerability - love-bombing, isolation, and religion used as camouflage. In Northwood subdivision recruiter and enforcer Carla tightens her grip, controlling access to Arvin Shreeve and pushing new women through a coded doctrine of “Zion vs. Babylon,” obedience, and fear.Meanwhile, Jeff Peterson’s family is torn apart when his wife disappears into the cult with their children. Jeff’s custody battle becomes a desperate negotiation - money, legal threats, and silence agreements - while Erin begins describing what’s happening behind closed doors: coercion, sexual control, and escalating punishment for resistance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Investigator Mike King is officially assigned to investigate Erin’s allegation - quietly, urgently, and under the threat of destroyed evidence and stockpiled weapons. But Erin’s aunt isn’t waiting for law enforcement. She drives into Northwood to reach Erin and her young daughter - and is met with intimidation and violence from Shreeve and his followers. As Erin’s family fights to pull her out, the cult’s control tightens…and the clock starts ticking.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A pristine neighborhood in Ogden, Utah hides something rotten. When a couple move into Northwood subdivision in 1981, they’re welcomed with free landscaping, shared supplies, and a sense of family - until the community’s leader, Arvin Shreeve, reveals a secret doctrine of polygamy and sexual manipulation.Nearly a decade later, on July 9, 1991, a woman walks into the Weber County Attorney’s Office and confesses to detective Mike King that she was part of the Zion Society, a cult she says was abusing children. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult begins February 3rd.It was just another quiet neighborhood in small town America. At least, that's how it looked. But the immaculately groomed yards, trimmed hedges, and brightly colored flower gardens hid an insidious secret.More than a hundred residents were members of a cult called The Zion Society. Hiding in plain sight, they hoarded guns and ammunition. They created, sold, and modeled sexy lingerie. They took children away from parents and groomed them for sexual abuse.Their beliefs were centered around satisfying the perverted desires of one man - their leader: an unassuming, soft-spoken landscaper. Neighbors knew something was amiss, but it wasn't until a brave young woman broke away from the secretive group and confessed to authorities that everything began to unravel for this dangerous cult. This is the story of that unraveling told by the people who lived it.Click below to subscribe to Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardens-of-evil-inside-the-zion-society-cult/id1748894795https://open.spotify.com/show/5w7xyH8ttWZKc64D9q08H4See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was just another quiet neighborhood in small town America. At least, that's how it looked. But the immaculately groomed yards, trimmed hedges, and brightly colored flower gardens hid an insidious secret.More than a hundred residents were members of a cult called The Zion Society. Hiding in plain sight, they hoarded guns and ammunition. They created, sold, and modeled sexy lingerie. They took children away from parents and groomed them for sexual abuse.Their beliefs were centered around satisfying the perverted desires of one man - their leader: an unassuming, soft-spoken retiree. Neighbors knew something was amiss, but it wasn't until a brave young woman broke away from the secretive group and confessed to authorities that everything began to unravel for this dangerous cult. This is the story of that unraveling told by the people who lived it.Series release begins February 3rd.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.