In Pursuit of Satan: Police and the Occult PDF
Preview In Pursuit of Satan: Police and the Occult
eets, ee El Se NS _ MARGARET MORGAN and MARY MORGAN PEDLOW Memorial STZ IK ot == “ey A,S s. iss BE RSUIT “SATAN ROBERT D. HICKS @ Prometheus Books _ 59 John Glenn Drive Amherst, New York 14228-2119 Published 1991 by Prometheus Books In Pursuit of Satan: The Police and the Occult Copyright © 1991 by Robert D. Hicks. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or conveyed via the Internet or aWeb site without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Inquiries should be addressed to Prometheus Books 59 John Glenn Drive Amherst, New York 14228-2119 VOICE: 716-691-0133, ext. 210 FAX: 716-691-0137 WWW.PROMETHEUSBOOKS.COM 15 14 13 12 87-605 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hicks, Robert D., 1952— In pursuit of Satan : the police and the occult / Robert D. Hicks. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-59102-—219-3 (alk. paper) 1. Crime—United States. 2. Law enforcement— United States. 3. Cults— United States. 4. Satanism— United States. 5. Occultism—United States. I. Title. HV6791.H515 1990 364. 1'88—dc20 9043473 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper To Reginald Scot, author of The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584) ‘ ae ‘ees ei aos Fe .@) Kia iitton Pheone aor - * _— : OMe Pe cee ener: kegan-OA Wy eae Bie she ye - SACK 6 HAT, on. 20 cic “. eae f = VAR neo SS in ae i . ka) CE TEE, BONES CON ae : Aas 1S 42 ENR ev ¢s ‘ : ; L ne F = y Py 2 “4 ’ S s tahmey af onan Cite gegen Petar Deer 6) 7, Hicks, Robe 0 28905 . eet ee a aad c (> aae'e ult of baS eiad ¢ the yeti and (he ocegle skeen De G=i eie so % ee Ee ? ts 2 re, ~\ = * * ae - ih, ; io — : an Se Pidotes Ahpagragbion selveonces eet tedleg, _ SREY SOP (a. pear) - or M a i Crone Linited Sethe, 2 Lew enlcamiah= tari 2. “ate Bree A Roche. -U sritest Hestes. 53> Cccediisen2 gle aires DS = s 3 32 jp ¥. & i F 'y i Fa de a " ; Z + ; 4 4. Printed wy Cow Laid SatesO fA riaarioe 2 aE.ee righ CONTENTS Preface 9 Chapter I: Talk of the Devil 15 Chapter 2: Believing in Hell 32 Chapter 3: The Other Side of the Case 100 Chapter 4: Cult Survivors and the “Fear of Things Invisible” 138 Chapter 5: “Yukky Secrets”: Satanic Abuse of Children 182 Chapter 6: “We’re Dealing With Evil Itself” 271 Chapter 7: Conclusion: Rumors, Urban Legends, and Subversion Myths 315 Notes 379 Index 417 PREFACE I did not enjoy writing this book. The word Satanism evokes in some people everything from disdain for superstitiont o tremors of fear. Simi- larly, for those like me, who have decided to enter a public forum to ad- vance arguments about what Satanism (whatever it is) has to do with crime, the road is paved with invective, calumny, and rumor, but also with in- sight, temperance, and skepticai thinking. Skeptical thinking to some con- notes peremptory doubt, an inclination to dismiss out of hand. But skepti- cal thinking is not that: rather, to be a responsible skeptic is to follow a habit of scientific thinking. A skeptic wants to examine what evidence supports claims, wants to see unusual phenomena replicated and verified, and above all, where the behavior of people is concerned, holds to few immutable truths. Deduction and induction, a sifting and weighing of facts, a formulation of hypotheses, a search for evidence that both supports and refutes the hypotheses, all form the habit of skeptical thinking. This book skeptically examines the myriad claims that bear on the law-enforcement preoccupation with Satanism, satanic crime, and occult and cult crime. But Satanism at present is a divisive word: professionals in law enforcement, social work, psychiatry, psychology, and education usually align themselves and others into two categories: believers and non- believers. And thus again we have the skeptic—according to the believer —as one who dismisses satanic claims out of hand. Supervisory Special Agent Kenneth V. Lanning of the FBI has implored professionals on both sides to find a middle ground. Few have heeded the message; conferences present as speakers either believers or nonbelievers. Ideally, we need a good interdisciplinary mix of points of view. Satanism seminars should not be proselytizing experiences; they should encourage debate and restraint. Some people in law enforcement, social work, and allied professions believe that a clandestine network of Satanists exists who kidnap, abuse, and murder. These same people are educated, have had years of profes- sional experience, enjoy deserved reputations for excellence in their work, yet still claim proof of a satanic network. I invite such people—my in- tended audience—to consider and debate my arguments. Whatever stand one takes about the pervasiveness and influence of Satanism and the occult in society, much less their importance, I ask only restraint. Police officers
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