Search for 6 alleged cult members who vanished continues
News Nation/January 10, 2024
By Stephanie Whiteside
Police are continuing to search for four adults and two children who vanished from the St. Louis area and were reportedly followers of an online cult led by Rashad Jamal.
Mikayla Thompson, 25; Naaman Williams, 30; Gerrielle German, 27; Ma’Kayla Wickerson, 36; Ashton Williams, 2; and Malaiyah Wickerson, 3, were last seen in the St. Louis area in August 2023. The group reportedly lived in Wickerson’s home before vanishing.
Wickerson’s mother, Carthisha Morgan, said her daughter had been manipulated by an online cult led by Rashad Jamal White, who goes by Rashad Jamal. Morgan said her daughter maxed out her credit cards, quit her job and cut contact with family before she vanished.
Police said neighbors reported seeing the group worshiping the sun and running naked in the yard during the rain when they lived in the home.
Jamal is currently in jail after being charged with sexually abusing the children of a previous partner as well as other charges of cruelty to children. His arrest record includes having previously pleaded guilty to battery and strangulation and suffocation, and he has been charged with attempted murder in the past, though he was not convicted.
His followers joined him via social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. He operates an organization called the University of Cosmic Intelligence, which sells crystals and other New Age items.
Jamal’s teachings blend a variety of influences, including New Age and nature spiritualist, Afrocentrism, esoterism and occultism, polygamy and conspiracy theories. He preaches that he is a god, as are all Black and Latino people.
While some teachings include harmless and relatively common practices, like meditation or sun worship, others veer far into conspiracy theories. Some of his followers have espoused belief in fringe conspiracies, like the belief that birds aren’t real, a conspiracy theory that began as a joke.
Jamal’s rhetoric is also influenced by the sovereign citizen movement, whose followers believe they are not subject to U.S. laws and who reject requirements like having identification documents.
His followers have also been connected with numerous criminal incidents, including two cases where followers were accused of murder.
Yasmine Hider and Krystal Pinkins’ social media accounts indicate they were influenced by Jamal before appearing to join an off-the-grid community in Alabama. The two women have been charged with murder, kidnapping and robbery after an attack on two college students.
Damien Winslow Washam, also of Alabama, is another person who followed Jamal. He is accused of killing his mother and injuring his brother and uncle in an attack with a sword.
Morgan said she fears the worst after not hearing from her daughter in so many months. Anyone with information on the missing people is asked to call the Berkeley Police Department in Missouri.
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