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Kenya's deadliest cult: The tragic story of the Good News International Church

Kenya's deadliest cult: The tragic story of the Good News International Church

In one of the worst cult massacres of all time, the remains of more than 430 victims have been discovered since a police raid on the Good News International Church, about 70 kilometers inland from Malindi, Kenya.

Seventeen months later, despite repeated warnings about the church leader, locals are still in shock. Autopsies of over 100 bodies revealed deaths from starvation, strangulation, suffocation and injuries from blunt objects. A gravedigger, Shukran Karisa Mangi, suspects that more mass graves have been discovered. The Kenyan Red Cross has reported around 600 people missing.

Church leader Paul Mackenzie is on trial. He is accused of instructing his followers to starve to death in order to meet Jesus. Mackenzie has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 191 children and other crimes. If convicted, he faces life in prison. Despite his arrest, Mackenzie's confident demeanor in custody highlights the influence of some evangelists who are undermining government authority and harming their followers.

(With contributions from agencies.)

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