10 Most Notorious Serial Killers Involved in Cults

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at cult members who felt compelled to kill multiple times.

Steven Tari

Aspiring Lutheran minister turned cult leader Steven Tari promised his followers good fortune and immortality. He held remarkable power over the estimated 6,000 devotees who believed he was their Messiah. He even convinced several of them to hand over their own family members to serve as his “flower girls.” Many of these young women were assaulted, and it is thought some were murdered. Tari evaded punishment for years before finally being found guilty of assault charges in 2010. In 2013, after escaping prison, Tari paid for his crimes when a mob of local men took matters into their own hands. Tari was killed and buried in a remote village in the Madang province of Papua New Guinea, ending his reign of terror.

Glen Helzer

Self-proclaimed prophet Glen Helzer founded a religious sect in the 1990s known as the Children of Thunder. Part of the group’s mission involved a grand scheme to take over the Mormon church. By doing so, Helzer convinced his followers they would bring about the second coming of Christ. To finance his plan, Helzer needed to acquire plenty of money, so he enlisted his followers to carry out a murderous extortion plot that resulted in the brutal slaying of five people. It didn’t take long for authorities to connect the killings to the group. In August 2000, Helzer was arrested and later sentenced to death.

Jeffrey Lundgren

Known for his controversial scripture interpretations, Jeffrey Lundgren led a small group of fervent followers in Kirtland, Ohio, during the late 1980s. The group’s ultimate goal was to seize control of the historic Kirtland Temple — the first LDS temple constructed in the U.S. Lundgren required strict obedience from his followers, eventually insisting that they financially support him and live with him at his farmhouse. When the Avery family refused to make the move, Lundgren decided to punish them. He lured all five members of the family to the barn on his property, where they were killed one by one. Lundgren was later apprehended and sentenced to death. On October 24, 2006, he was executed by the state of Ohio for his crimes.

Silvia Meraz

Born into poverty in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, Silvia Meraz lived an unremarkable life for many years. But when she became convinced she could gain favor from Santa Muerte through human sacrifice, things took a sinister turn. In 2009, with the support of a small clan of followers, mostly consisting of her family members, Meraz selected her first victim: Cleotilde Romero Pacheco. She then proceeded to make two more human sacrifices — both of them relatives. When a missing report was filed for one of the victims, police narrowed in on Meraz. She was apprehended in 2012 and sentenced to 180 years in prison.

Carl Drew

A series of murders in Fall River, Massachusetts rattled the community in 1979 and 1980. All of the killings appeared ritualistic and were particularly gruesome. The victims, Doreen Levesque, Barbara Reposa, and Karen Marsden, were sex workers who shared a common connection — a man named Carl Drew. Known for his sadistic and domineering personality, Drew allegedly led a small satanic cult and was feared by many on the streets of Fall River. During their investigation, authorities determined that Drew likely orchestrated all three killings. Drew was convicted in 1981 for Marsden’s murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, creators of a 2021 docuseries about the murders questioned his guilt.

Valentina de Andrade

The Superior Universal Lineage sect was a doomsday cult founded by Valentine de Andrade in Altamira, Brazil, during the late 1980s. The group espoused some extremely unconventional beliefs and teachings involving black magic, UFOs, and satanism. Followers were also taught to be wary of children, with particular emphasis placed on those born after 1981. When several local boys went missing, and several others were found murdered or maimed, suspicion soon settled on the bizarre religious sect. Rumors of organs being sold on the black market began to circulate as well. Ultimately, four members of the group were prosecuted in connection with the crimes. But shockingly, Andrade was acquitted. There are lingering questions surrounding these killings.

Magdalena Solís

Known as the High Priestess of Blood, Magdalena Solís craved ultimate control over her followers. Born into an impoverished and dysfunctional family, Solís left home early in life. Sometime during the 1960s, two brothers recruited her to help them trick their cult into believing they were the descendants of ancient gods. They wanted someone to pretend to be the reincarnation of the Aztec goddess Coatlicue. Solís embraced her new role and eventually usurped the brothers, taking control of the cult. To maintain her power, she implemented “blood rituals,” claiming that as a goddess, she needed to ingest blood. Anyone who went against Solís was subjected to the ritual. As many as 15 people faced Solís’s wrath before the deadly carnage came to an end.

Adolfo Constanzo

During the late 1980s, the Narcosatanist cult terrorized Mexico City and the surrounding area. The group had ties to some of the city’s most powerful drug cartels and was led by the charismatic Adolfo Constanzo and his loyal second-in-command, Sara Aldrete. Dubbed The Godfather, Constanzo believed he was magic. He grew up practicing the Palo Mayombe religion and performing animal sacrifices. As the leader of Narcosatanists, he is thought to be responsible for at least 20 ritualistic killings as well as other atrocities. Unfortunately, Constanzo never faced justice — he took his own life to evade arrest in 1989. But 14 of his followers were charged for their crimes, including Aldrete.

Robin Gecht

During the 1980s, a cult of criminals known as the Ripper Crew haunted the Chicago area. The group, which is likely responsible for at least 17 ritualistic murders, consisted of four members: Edward Spreitzer, brothers Andrew and Thomas Kokoraleis, and ringleader Robin Gecht. Police were eventually able to gather enough evidence against the members of the Ripper Crew to make arrests. All of them ultimately confessed to their involvement — all of them except Gecht, who maintained his innocence throughout the process. Although he avoided prosecution in the killings, in 1983, he was convicted on various other charges, including aggravated kidnapping and attempted murder. He was sentenced to 120 years in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2042.

David Berkowitz

The notorious serial killings committed by David Berkowitz during the late 1970s in New York City are still heavily discussed worldwide. The official story is that Berkowitz was the sole perpetrator of the crimes. However, there is some speculation that perhaps he was an active cult member at the time of the murders and may not have acted alone. While behind bars, Berkowitz himself stated that he was involved in a satanic cult before becoming an evangelical Christian following his arrest. Investigative journalist Maury Terry, who started his own investigation, developed the theory that Berkowitz may have been a member of a cult called The Children with his neighbors John and Michael Carr.

Which one of these cult killers would you be most afraid to cross paths with in the middle of the night? Let us know in the comments!