Inside the notorious Heaven’s Gate cult who committed mass suicide and were castrated

dailystar.co.uk:

American cult that became one of the first to embrace the internet era as it went from reclusive group to recruiting members online.The group’s beliefs were a blend of Christianity and extraterrestrials with God being an alien.Founder Marshall Applewhite told followers he was the second coming of Jesus and that the end times were coming.On March 26 in 1997, 38 members at Applewhite were found by police with black Nike trainers poking out from a large purple cloth.The group committed mass suicide with the intention to free themselves from their bodies so the souls would ascend to a spacecraft flying in the wake of the passing Hale-Bopp comet, where they would be taken to their new home.Members were wearing matching tracksuits and trainers and consumed apple sauce laced with barbiturates.This was then washed down with vodka before each person put their head in a bag before laying down with the purple shroud over them.There were 21 women and 18 men who were discovered dead at the Heaven’s Gate home in California, known as "The Monastery".According to reports, the members were split into three groups and died over a period of three days.Their last meal they had together before the suicide was salad with tomato vinegar dressing and a turkey potpie, reports the Los Angeles Times.The matching Nike trainers and tracksuits were staple for Applewhite and were a must for all members due to his love for the brand.Heaven’s Gate even used the slogan "Just Do It" but used Applewhite’s nickname of Doe instead.According to Rolling Stone, an unworn pair of the same Nike trainers worn by the cult, which Nike discontinued, was discovered in a storage unit and went on eBay for £6,000.Although the group thrived in the 90s, it was founded by.