Your investigation into the disappearance of Kristin Snyder is beautifully told, Frank, and there’s so much more the loving, little family, the Snyder family deserves — though no one, nothing can begin to compensate their enormous loss in Kristin.
I only know Kristin from her in pictures and through the fondest and saddest memories Jonnie and Kim shared with us when Frank Parlato, Susan Dones and I went to visit the Snyder family in Dillon South Carolina last week.
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a more vital spirit than Kristin seemed to be. She lives on strong in the remembrances of her loved ones — whose faculties are, indeed, well intact despite Toni Natalie’s lies to investigators — which may have forestalled them in ever undertaking a true investigation even at this most recent opportunity — if not imperative — to pursue one. For shame!
Toni Natalie told people that Kim Snyder was mentally retarded and that her mother Jonnie, Kristin’s mother was very elderly and almost senile. These were lies. Her motive is unclear – but some suspect she wanted to ‘hog’ the Snyder story for herself, even if it meant a competent investigation into Kristin Snyder’s disappearance would be thwarted.
Permit me to point out that Gina Hutchinson passed away on OCTOBER 11, 2002 — just weeks before Kristin Snyder began her first NXIVM intensive and may have been raped by Raniere.
It’s clear from the evidence that Gina took a formal NXIVM intensive in August 2002.
l-r Heidi and Gina Hutchinson. Gina was raped by Keith Raniere when she was 14.
Undoubtedly, Gina’s intensive was on the same subjects Kristin was being indoctrinated in — Good or Bad? — the Rational Inquiry course, formulated by Keith Raniere and peddled by, chiefly, Nancy Salzman those days — is titled.
It’s an “inductive” method — Keith calls “Socratic” — HA! — that queries inductees over when rape, suicide, murder and other sinful measures may be apropos.
Keith Alan Raniere devised a curriculum where the notions of good and bad are examined in various contexts. For instance, the module explores if suicide might be good under certain conditions.
There is no way in heaven or hell Keith Raniere and his accomplices could ever claim that after Gina’s death — which, oh yes, Raniere AND Lauren Salzman ET. AL DID well know of at about — if not precisely — the time it happened
Keith Raniere professed utter shock and sorrow in front of Barbara Bouchey when he was told that Gina Hutchinson committed suicide several days after her death. This, Bouchey felt, was proof he had nothing to do with her death. No one could feign such sorrow as Keith did, Bouchey thought, when he heard about it right in front of her. Barbara ‘s theory is good as far as it goes. The only problem with it was that a similar scene was staged in front of Karen U. – several days earlier and Keith showed the same surprise and regret then.
Not three weeks before Kristin Snyder took her first intensive— a girl who bore many of the same attributes — and we discover more each day — died on the grounds of a remote Buddhist monastery outside of Woodstock, NY.
One of the striking similarities between Gina Hutchinson’s purported suicide and Kristin Snyder’s presumptive suicide is that, if the official stories are true, both of them drove several hours in their cars alone through rough and winding roads to reach their solitary destinations – both being places they loved in life – and them committed suicide, Gina allegedly with a gun and Kristin by intentional drowning.
They are kindred spirits, destroyed by the same evil in psyche, but both women will live forever in my heart and mind and herstory.
Marie White’s painting of Gina Hutchinson with the monastery above.
Gina Hutchinson as an innocent teen not long after Keith Alan Raniere a man in his mid-20s started raping her.
A chart made up for Gina Hutchinson found among her papers that presents a timeline leading to her demise. The word Dreams is at the bottom. At the top, the words Love and God. It is not known who created this chart for Gina but it is similar to others Keith Raniere created.
A page from Gina’s diary reveals Keith was on her mind up until the day she died. Did she pose a threat to Keith Raniere at a critical time – in 2002 – when he was reeling in the Bronfman sisters and trying for Edgar Bronfman Sr, too?
MK10ART’s painting of Gina Hutchinson
‘I’ve had people killed because of my beliefs,’ says Keith Alan Raniere in a video in 2009.
Ghosting is a term of not seeing someone or they suddenly stop contracting you. You guys need to get with the times.
The DOJ is asking for victim compensation packages. Trying to make it look like Gina was a part of NXIVM, might be a motivator, just saying.
Good news all around for all. The DOJ has everyone student records so either way, they know if Gina took an intensive or not so Heidi and this coach can stop fighting over it.
Oh, is that what “ghosted” is fighting over?! A “victim’s compensation” package?
Sorry, but I don’t take blood money and I spit on the grave of any death-peddling, pedophile-promoting, sex-zombie making unapologetic NXIVM “coach” who does.
Btw, thought there weren’t any victims. Isn’t that what NXIVM “coaches” taught?
Enjoy your “victim’s” compensation. It’s safe from me. Rest assured.
Anonymous
4 years ago
This cult destroys people who aren’t even in it by association with those who are.
Ghosted by Gina
4 years ago
Heidi,
I’m sorry about your sister, it most be hard for you.
I was in Executive Success Programs (ESP) when you say your sister Gina was in.
Gina would have followed those members from CBI into ESP in during the start up and stayed in up until she died or August of 2002 as you say she attended and intensive.
Heidi I’m confused, I would have met Gina at the center. I never did.
I was an active coach at the center in Albany during those years and never met Gina, not in any classes or any social events.
She might have stayed friends with those from CBI and kept her relationship with Keith Raniere who were in ESP but I dont think she was an active member of ESP/NXIVM.
I never saw or met Gina and didn’t even know about her death until long after I left the NXIVM.
Had she been in ESP, everyone would of know about her suicide. We all knew about Kristin Snyder suicide and most of us didn’t know her and never met her. The Kristin Snyder situation happened that happened in Alaska about as far from Albany as you can get.
There was company wide conference calls Nancy Salzman did about Snyder’s death. Not so with your sister.
I’ve asked around to see if others knew you sister was a member of NXIVM and no one seems to have met her either.
I don’t know what evidence you have that says Gina was in NXIVM, I would like to see it because she totally ghosted a lot of us.
The evidence doesn’t add up that Gina was a member of NXIVM. One has to wonder what your motivation is at this point to get people to believe she was?
Is it possible Raniere has a part in Gina’s death. If Gina was still hanging out with him. He was mind-bending Gina.
I did not say Gina was in ESP / NXIVM. In fact, neither Gina nor I could be convinced to “join” NXIVM (despite some ardent recruitment efforts) due mostly to the fact that it was an illegal operation. Gina worked for CBI and knew about the circumstances under which it was shut down, about the agreement with the NYS AG in order for it’s principles to avoid prosecution in 21 states, etc. ESP / NXIVM was a violation of that agreement — something Gina would not be a part of. She was always impeccably honest. There is, however, evidence Gina did finally take a formal, NXIVM intensive in August 2002. I’m still shocked that she succumbed.
I helped to coach the intensive you are referring to. I don’t recall your sister being there.
The big wigs who had been in CBI who were in and out of the intensive would have made note to everyone in the intensive of Gina having been in CBI with them, it’s what they did back then.
If they feared Gina would have said anything negative about CBI, they would have never let her in the intensive. Also something they did.
Have Parlato post your evidence. Until then, I’m thinking you have another motivation saying Gina took an intensive or now as your backtracking, saying she was in NXIVM.
Kind of a “me too” to make her out to be more like Kristin Snyder.
CBI was CBI, NXIVM was NXIVM. Raniere will always be Raniere. There isn’t any press about CBI, no trail and no compensation to he had for CBI.
I hate to sound like Scott Johnson but it would be nice if Ghosted by Gina had the courage to use their real name. The tone of the comment is very combative and levels a clear shot at Heidi’s credibility. Why would someone do that at this point in time? Heidi has been, more than forthcoming, telling readers about what happened to Gina.
No claim is or ever was made by Heidi or Frank, that Gina Hutchinson was in Nexium?
What is YOUR motivation for claiming that this is the case? You seem butt-hurt about The Hutchinsons’ involvement in Raniere’s female destroying enterprise, to the point where you’re actually questioning the existence of one of his first victims?
I don’t know if Heidi or her family believe in ghosts, but I think you’ve managed to successfully remind everyone that Gina met the conditions for such a possibility, with your somewhat spiteful turn of phrase. You can expect karma to teach you, going forward, as much about ‘Ghosting” as you need to know. Nothing more, nothing less.
Thank you, Deet. That’s correct that I’ve never said Gina was in NXIVM, per se, and as far as I know neither has Frank Parlato.
(If so, Frank didn’t hear that from me — I didn’t know everything about Gina’s life and Frank has many other insider sources.)
None the less, not unlike Kristin Keeffe — one of Gina’s best friends for decades — Gina was indoctrinated in Keith Raniere’s “philosophies” — what became the NXIVM “Rational Inquiry” tech — from a very early age. Gina was 14, Kristin Keeffe was 19 when Raniere became their mentor.
Further, I believe that Raniere and, later, Salzman and others experimented heavily on Gina —eventually on ALL their acolytes — using what worked to best manipulate them on those who came after.
These methods were used to defraud, rob, rape, coerce, scar physically and emotionally and worse — to induce mental breakdown to the point of suicide, IMO.
Yet, there are some — such as our Ghoster here — who still apparently want to believe it’s a good, empowering thing despite the dead, scarred, bankrupted, imprisoned and otherwise damaged body count.
Let’s not ignore what was written in Kristin Snyder’s “suicide note” — whether she wrote it or someone making a martyr of her did — “I WAS BRAINWASHED…THE CENTER OF MY BRAIN WAS TURNED OFF…I DIDN’T KNOW I WAS ALREADY DEAD.”
That last line, btw, was one that Keith Raniere and some of his accomplices used on not only Gina but me, personally, when they attempted to recruit me. I saw it as threatening at the time, not necessarily “mind meddling.”
Heidi. I see from comments at the top that this slander extends to accusing you of wanting blood-money from the DOJ. This commenter stooped lower than a snake’s ass with this claim.
Poor ex-nxers, they clearly have no clue at all, no sense of the basic goodness of most of us.
That’s right. Most of us would move heaven and earth to get justice for family and friends, hurt, tormented, or otherwise exploited by evil curs, and would do so with no thought for personal gain or compensation.
The Nxivm universe is so clearly corrupt, these scumbags can’t imagine having a duty of care toward anything, without a payoff. What grim lives they must lead and for what? God bless H, and bring truth for Gina and Kristin.
You can take the coach out of NXIVM but you can’t take the NXIVM out of the coach.
I’m beginning to think that applies to not only a few NXIAN’s but most.
Those who were sincerely, deliberately deceived are the only victims in this — no matter what lip service they give to their heroic efforts to purportedly bring this crime syndicate down. And that includes certain members of the justice system — some of them former or current NXIAN’s in deed and in spirit themselves — who are turning a blind eye to the facts and lies they well know — hoping that $6M fine charged to Clare Bronfman — along with some strong arm tactics — will secure the silence of the actual and alleged victims — some, indeed, eager as ever to partake in the vast, ill-gotten wealth of the Bronfman’s, the Salinas,’ the Helu’s and their ilk.
None of them should be surprised when the American justice system thoroughly rots and dies — along with the American Dream — when their children and their children’s children are shorn of their free will and forced to serve the whims of the most wicked in order to survive — which, of course, none will without real repentance, the power of God and the free will to manifest it in the hearts of humankind.
That’s my Sunday sermon. No collection plate but I do ask a prayer for myself, my son, Dylan Apple, and my sister, Gina Hutchinson’s, soul — I hear crying out for justice and the salvation of mankind at every turn I’ve taken on this road to uncover and discover the truth about her earthly demise.
Was Gina being gaslighted or being subjected to peer pressure from certain of Nxivm’s “inner circle,” because she had expressed doubts about Raniere’s behavior? Do you think that Gina could have said some things to anyone involved with Keith’s “sexual deceptiveness,” which could have made her be viewed as a liability?
Also, I might have a mistaken understanding, but hadn’t Gina tried to move on and away from the whole group? Was she being emotionally and mentally messed with by members of Raniere’s clique, or by Raniere personally, before she died? Could this have become intensified because she, perhaps, had been deemed to be uncooperative and was not supporting the tall tales, the lies, anymore? Did Gina look like trouble to the group? Or maybe, especially to Raniere himself? After all, he knew what he had been up to with Gina, way back when he first began harming her.
People in cults have their own personal problems and motives, too, to say the least. Was anyone feeling jealous of Gina? Who might have thought of her, if anyone did, as a threat? If Gina might have begun to tell the truth about how Raniere actually behaved, as opposed to how everyone WANTED his image to be perceived, could she have been abused, gaslighted or even forced into silence?
Heidi, do you think that Gina ever had a chance to begin to process what Raniere had been subjecting her to, emotionally, sexually, mentally, ever since he first took sexual advantage of her as a young teen? He had invaded her very being, and she was too young to get through or past this kind of abuse. It takes time, education, help. I do not know, from when Raniere started in upon her, if Gina had been able to begin trying to find any healing, any peace even. You do have to begin to work to find any peace or relief inside. She might never have had the chance, especially if Raniere and his cronies kept insisting “everything is right with Raniere (and”us”) and “therefore, Heidi, you are the one who is mistaken, unenlightened, wrong, wrong, wrong.”
Just like Kristin was made to feel wrong, to feel outside of the group agendas, was this being done to Heidi, too?
You never really get over this, when sexual abuse is experienced, but it’s especially tough when one is young when it begins to happen. There is not enough maturity yet to even begin to handle the damges. Most who are abused blame themselves! It is a terrible burden, sometimes it’s never going to be “okay” again. It takes tremendous work, sustained efffort, to even begin. Sexual abuse, in particular, invades so, so deeply. When sexual abuse is one’s very first so-called “sexual experience”, this is very hard to begin to overcome. Take it or leave it , but I know, from personal experience.
Raniere got at Heidi repeatedly and he got her to accept his disguised evil intentions, by psychological influences and by disguising his motivations with all kinds of mystical bullshit, magical thinking. You can learn to live with experiences, to no longer feel so overwhelmed, to make room for the pain inside of you, but it is part of you for the restmof your life, nonetheless.
But it looks as though Gina could not get free of the lethal influences, not enough to begin to recover or to see that Raniere was sheer evil. It seems as if Gina was still in the stagemof blaming herself, maybe not yet anke to recognize Ranierenfornwhat he was and is.
And if course, there would be no honesty, no realism, no help for Gina, not from Raniere or his crew. Everone was invested in his/ their own fiction.
The diary note from Gina appears to indicate that she was restraining herself and experiencing an inner struggle, as if she would like to unburden herself about how she thought Raniere was really “operating” but knew that she would not be heard or acknowledged, at all.
One more thing, I am sickened, absolutely sickened, by commenter, Scott Johnson, calling Kristin Snyder “damaged goods.” My God. My God. My God. This is one of the most grotesque remarks I have ever seen, here at the Frank Report.
So sorry for the bad typing.
Heidi, love to you. And deep respect to you for your courage. There are no words, yet still, I am with you, too.
Sheriff Moonbeam
4 years ago
Heidi, I enjoy your writing when it appears here. I hope you and the Snyders get as many answers as possible.
Slightly off topic: Christine Chandler writes a blog about Tibetan Buddhist malfeasance in the US called extibetanbuddhist. She has repeatedly drawn parallels between the behavior of KR and that of the various “Rinpoches” who prey on their devotees in a very Raniere-like manner. I highly recommend her blog for shedding light on a subject that gets absolutely no scrutiny by the US media or politicians.
I am shocked how many people in NXIVM dabbled in Tibetan Buddhism.
It seems there is a relationship between that Eastern religion and the madness of NXIVM.
And because the Tibetan Buddhists are the CIA’s allies in the geopolitical struggle with China don’t expect America’s media to focus on Tibetan Buddhist malfeasance in the US.
Do you know that they dabbled in Tibetan Buddhism specifically, or Buddhism in general? Tibetan Buddhism is a very particular form, and a comparatively small minority, though probably over-represented in the US.
The people attracted to NXIVM seem to have been interested in Bhuddism in general, and yoga – maybe even more so. Have you looked into whether yoga could have some vast conspiratorial tie-in, particularly given the ties of NXIVM members like Sahajo Haertel to India-based groups?
The Tibetan Buddhist scandals have gotten as much attention as could be expected for such a relatively small religion. And it’s actually composed of a variety of disparate groups, some even at odds with the Dalai Lama, not particularly fertile ground for a seamless conspiracy.
“Do you know that they dabbled in Tibetan Buddhism specifically”
What do you call paying the Dalai Lama and his entourage over a million dollars to visit Albany?
I know from their social media that a lot of them are interested in Buddhism even years after the Dali Lama came to town to collect his cash.
Leon Festinger
4 years ago
Heidi,
Thank you for writing this and I hope that meeting with the Snyders gave all of you time to share stories about these beautiful women who died far too young and so tragically. I hope all of you get the answers you deserve.
Toni Natalie has much to answer for in keeping the Snyders’ story under wraps for so long and her using their tragedy for her own gain. It seems this woman is devoid of any conscience but that is all being brought to light. I believe it’s true that the liars will be caught in the end. Once again it’s taken someone betraying Frank Parlato for them to get called out and their true self exposed. This seems to be his vocation.
Scott,
The next of kin want closure.
They want to know what happened to their loved ones and why.
The US military goes out of its way to recover what remains they can from the dead of World War II just to provide their families with closure.
And that was almost 75 years ago.
AnonyMaker
4 years ago
Heidi, thanks for your remembrances.
You remind us that Gina died in October, 2002. Snyder began experiencing psychotic symptoms, and disappeared at the beginning of February, 2003. And according to the Times Union, in between, “a 28-year-old Manhattan woman from a prominent Mexico City family, experienced a psychotic episode in NXIVM’s New Karner Road facility and required hospitalization in January 2003” (that after two previous, similar, undated incidents).
One wonders how many more lives were damaged or destroyed, that we don’t even know about, just in the course of Raniere and Salzman’s negligent amateur tinkerings with people’s minds and psyches, just in the course of their regular programs – not to mention the relative horrors of DOS, SOP, the inner circle in Clifton Park and the harem.
That reminds me that Rainbow Cultural Gardens has yet to really be exposed. That may well have terribly damaged a number of children.
His work has been cited in hundreds of news outlets, like The New York Times, The Daily Mail, VICE News, CBS News, Fox News, New York Post, New York Daily News, Oxygen, Rolling Stone, People Magazine, The Sun, The Times of London, CBS Inside Edition, among many others in all five continents.
His work to expose and take down NXIVM is featured in books like “Captive” by Catherine Oxenberg, “Scarred” by Sarah Edmonson, “The Program” by Toni Natalie, and “NXIVM. La Secta Que Sedujo al Poder en México” by Juan Alberto Vasquez.
Parlato has been prominently featured on HBO’s docuseries “The Vow” and was the lead investigator and coordinating producer for Investigation Discovery’s “The Lost Women of NXIVM.” Parlato was also credited in the Starz docuseries "Seduced" for saving 'slave' women from being branded and escaping the sex-slave cult known as DOS.
Additionally, Parlato’s coverage of the group OneTaste, starting in 2018, helped spark an FBI investigation, which led to indictments of two of its leaders in 2023.
Parlato appeared on the Nancy Grace Show, Beyond the Headlines with Gretchen Carlson, Dr. Oz, American Greed, Dateline NBC, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, where Parlato conducted the first-ever interview with Keith Raniere after his arrest. This was ironic, as many credit Parlato as one of the primary architects of his arrest and the cratering of the cult he founded.
Parlato is a consulting producer and appears in TNT's The Heiress and the Sex Cult, which premiered on May 22, 2022. Most recently, he consulted and appeared on Tubi's "Branded and Brainwashed: Inside NXIVM," which aired January, 2023.
IMDb — Frank Parlato
Contact Frank with tips or for help.
Phone / Text: (305) 783-7083
Email: frankreport76@gmail.com
Frank Parlato 
Janine Morrison 
J.J. O'Hara 
Richard Luthmann 
Marie White 
Paul Serran
Please leave a comment: Your opinion is important to us!
Ghosting is what Toni did to her adopted son.
Ghosting is a term of not seeing someone or they suddenly stop contracting you. You guys need to get with the times.
The DOJ is asking for victim compensation packages. Trying to make it look like Gina was a part of NXIVM, might be a motivator, just saying.
Good news all around for all. The DOJ has everyone student records so either way, they know if Gina took an intensive or not so Heidi and this coach can stop fighting over it.
Oh, is that what “ghosted” is fighting over?! A “victim’s compensation” package?
Sorry, but I don’t take blood money and I spit on the grave of any death-peddling, pedophile-promoting, sex-zombie making unapologetic NXIVM “coach” who does.
Btw, thought there weren’t any victims. Isn’t that what NXIVM “coaches” taught?
Enjoy your “victim’s” compensation. It’s safe from me. Rest assured.
This cult destroys people who aren’t even in it by association with those who are.
Heidi,
I’m sorry about your sister, it most be hard for you.
I was in Executive Success Programs (ESP) when you say your sister Gina was in.
Gina would have followed those members from CBI into ESP in during the start up and stayed in up until she died or August of 2002 as you say she attended and intensive.
Heidi I’m confused, I would have met Gina at the center. I never did.
I was an active coach at the center in Albany during those years and never met Gina, not in any classes or any social events.
She might have stayed friends with those from CBI and kept her relationship with Keith Raniere who were in ESP but I dont think she was an active member of ESP/NXIVM.
I never saw or met Gina and didn’t even know about her death until long after I left the NXIVM.
Had she been in ESP, everyone would of know about her suicide. We all knew about Kristin Snyder suicide and most of us didn’t know her and never met her. The Kristin Snyder situation happened that happened in Alaska about as far from Albany as you can get.
There was company wide conference calls Nancy Salzman did about Snyder’s death. Not so with your sister.
I’ve asked around to see if others knew you sister was a member of NXIVM and no one seems to have met her either.
I don’t know what evidence you have that says Gina was in NXIVM, I would like to see it because she totally ghosted a lot of us.
The evidence doesn’t add up that Gina was a member of NXIVM. One has to wonder what your motivation is at this point to get people to believe she was?
Is it possible Raniere has a part in Gina’s death. If Gina was still hanging out with him. He was mind-bending Gina.
I did not say Gina was in ESP / NXIVM. In fact, neither Gina nor I could be convinced to “join” NXIVM (despite some ardent recruitment efforts) due mostly to the fact that it was an illegal operation. Gina worked for CBI and knew about the circumstances under which it was shut down, about the agreement with the NYS AG in order for it’s principles to avoid prosecution in 21 states, etc. ESP / NXIVM was a violation of that agreement — something Gina would not be a part of. She was always impeccably honest. There is, however, evidence Gina did finally take a formal, NXIVM intensive in August 2002. I’m still shocked that she succumbed.
Heidi,
I helped to coach the intensive you are referring to. I don’t recall your sister being there.
The big wigs who had been in CBI who were in and out of the intensive would have made note to everyone in the intensive of Gina having been in CBI with them, it’s what they did back then.
If they feared Gina would have said anything negative about CBI, they would have never let her in the intensive. Also something they did.
Have Parlato post your evidence. Until then, I’m thinking you have another motivation saying Gina took an intensive or now as your backtracking, saying she was in NXIVM.
Kind of a “me too” to make her out to be more like Kristin Snyder.
CBI was CBI, NXIVM was NXIVM. Raniere will always be Raniere. There isn’t any press about CBI, no trail and no compensation to he had for CBI.
There has been enough lying to last 50 lifetimes.
I hate to sound like Scott Johnson but it would be nice if Ghosted by Gina had the courage to use their real name. The tone of the comment is very combative and levels a clear shot at Heidi’s credibility. Why would someone do that at this point in time? Heidi has been, more than forthcoming, telling readers about what happened to Gina.
No claim is or ever was made by Heidi or Frank, that Gina Hutchinson was in Nexium?
What is YOUR motivation for claiming that this is the case? You seem butt-hurt about The Hutchinsons’ involvement in Raniere’s female destroying enterprise, to the point where you’re actually questioning the existence of one of his first victims?
I don’t know if Heidi or her family believe in ghosts, but I think you’ve managed to successfully remind everyone that Gina met the conditions for such a possibility, with your somewhat spiteful turn of phrase. You can expect karma to teach you, going forward, as much about ‘Ghosting” as you need to know. Nothing more, nothing less.
Thank you, Deet. That’s correct that I’ve never said Gina was in NXIVM, per se, and as far as I know neither has Frank Parlato.
(If so, Frank didn’t hear that from me — I didn’t know everything about Gina’s life and Frank has many other insider sources.)
None the less, not unlike Kristin Keeffe — one of Gina’s best friends for decades — Gina was indoctrinated in Keith Raniere’s “philosophies” — what became the NXIVM “Rational Inquiry” tech — from a very early age. Gina was 14, Kristin Keeffe was 19 when Raniere became their mentor.
Further, I believe that Raniere and, later, Salzman and others experimented heavily on Gina —eventually on ALL their acolytes — using what worked to best manipulate them on those who came after.
These methods were used to defraud, rob, rape, coerce, scar physically and emotionally and worse — to induce mental breakdown to the point of suicide, IMO.
Yet, there are some — such as our Ghoster here — who still apparently want to believe it’s a good, empowering thing despite the dead, scarred, bankrupted, imprisoned and otherwise damaged body count.
Let’s not ignore what was written in Kristin Snyder’s “suicide note” — whether she wrote it or someone making a martyr of her did — “I WAS BRAINWASHED…THE CENTER OF MY BRAIN WAS TURNED OFF…I DIDN’T KNOW I WAS ALREADY DEAD.”
That last line, btw, was one that Keith Raniere and some of his accomplices used on not only Gina but me, personally, when they attempted to recruit me. I saw it as threatening at the time, not necessarily “mind meddling.”
Some minds are not so easily meddled with.
Heidi. I see from comments at the top that this slander extends to accusing you of wanting blood-money from the DOJ. This commenter stooped lower than a snake’s ass with this claim.
Poor ex-nxers, they clearly have no clue at all, no sense of the basic goodness of most of us.
That’s right. Most of us would move heaven and earth to get justice for family and friends, hurt, tormented, or otherwise exploited by evil curs, and would do so with no thought for personal gain or compensation.
The Nxivm universe is so clearly corrupt, these scumbags can’t imagine having a duty of care toward anything, without a payoff. What grim lives they must lead and for what? God bless H, and bring truth for Gina and Kristin.
You can take the coach out of NXIVM but you can’t take the NXIVM out of the coach.
I’m beginning to think that applies to not only a few NXIAN’s but most.
Those who were sincerely, deliberately deceived are the only victims in this — no matter what lip service they give to their heroic efforts to purportedly bring this crime syndicate down. And that includes certain members of the justice system — some of them former or current NXIAN’s in deed and in spirit themselves — who are turning a blind eye to the facts and lies they well know — hoping that $6M fine charged to Clare Bronfman — along with some strong arm tactics — will secure the silence of the actual and alleged victims — some, indeed, eager as ever to partake in the vast, ill-gotten wealth of the Bronfman’s, the Salinas,’ the Helu’s and their ilk.
None of them should be surprised when the American justice system thoroughly rots and dies — along with the American Dream — when their children and their children’s children are shorn of their free will and forced to serve the whims of the most wicked in order to survive — which, of course, none will without real repentance, the power of God and the free will to manifest it in the hearts of humankind.
That’s my Sunday sermon. No collection plate but I do ask a prayer for myself, my son, Dylan Apple, and my sister, Gina Hutchinson’s, soul — I hear crying out for justice and the salvation of mankind at every turn I’ve taken on this road to uncover and discover the truth about her earthly demise.
Prayers for you and yours – always x
Was Gina being gaslighted or being subjected to peer pressure from certain of Nxivm’s “inner circle,” because she had expressed doubts about Raniere’s behavior? Do you think that Gina could have said some things to anyone involved with Keith’s “sexual deceptiveness,” which could have made her be viewed as a liability?
Also, I might have a mistaken understanding, but hadn’t Gina tried to move on and away from the whole group? Was she being emotionally and mentally messed with by members of Raniere’s clique, or by Raniere personally, before she died? Could this have become intensified because she, perhaps, had been deemed to be uncooperative and was not supporting the tall tales, the lies, anymore? Did Gina look like trouble to the group? Or maybe, especially to Raniere himself? After all, he knew what he had been up to with Gina, way back when he first began harming her.
People in cults have their own personal problems and motives, too, to say the least. Was anyone feeling jealous of Gina? Who might have thought of her, if anyone did, as a threat? If Gina might have begun to tell the truth about how Raniere actually behaved, as opposed to how everyone WANTED his image to be perceived, could she have been abused, gaslighted or even forced into silence?
Heidi, do you think that Gina ever had a chance to begin to process what Raniere had been subjecting her to, emotionally, sexually, mentally, ever since he first took sexual advantage of her as a young teen? He had invaded her very being, and she was too young to get through or past this kind of abuse. It takes time, education, help. I do not know, from when Raniere started in upon her, if Gina had been able to begin trying to find any healing, any peace even. You do have to begin to work to find any peace or relief inside. She might never have had the chance, especially if Raniere and his cronies kept insisting “everything is right with Raniere (and”us”) and “therefore, Heidi, you are the one who is mistaken, unenlightened, wrong, wrong, wrong.”
Just like Kristin was made to feel wrong, to feel outside of the group agendas, was this being done to Heidi, too?
You never really get over this, when sexual abuse is experienced, but it’s especially tough when one is young when it begins to happen. There is not enough maturity yet to even begin to handle the damges. Most who are abused blame themselves! It is a terrible burden, sometimes it’s never going to be “okay” again. It takes tremendous work, sustained efffort, to even begin. Sexual abuse, in particular, invades so, so deeply. When sexual abuse is one’s very first so-called “sexual experience”, this is very hard to begin to overcome. Take it or leave it , but I know, from personal experience.
Raniere got at Heidi repeatedly and he got her to accept his disguised evil intentions, by psychological influences and by disguising his motivations with all kinds of mystical bullshit, magical thinking. You can learn to live with experiences, to no longer feel so overwhelmed, to make room for the pain inside of you, but it is part of you for the restmof your life, nonetheless.
But it looks as though Gina could not get free of the lethal influences, not enough to begin to recover or to see that Raniere was sheer evil. It seems as if Gina was still in the stagemof blaming herself, maybe not yet anke to recognize Ranierenfornwhat he was and is.
And if course, there would be no honesty, no realism, no help for Gina, not from Raniere or his crew. Everone was invested in his/ their own fiction.
The diary note from Gina appears to indicate that she was restraining herself and experiencing an inner struggle, as if she would like to unburden herself about how she thought Raniere was really “operating” but knew that she would not be heard or acknowledged, at all.
One more thing, I am sickened, absolutely sickened, by commenter, Scott Johnson, calling Kristin Snyder “damaged goods.” My God. My God. My God. This is one of the most grotesque remarks I have ever seen, here at the Frank Report.
So sorry for the bad typing.
Heidi, love to you. And deep respect to you for your courage. There are no words, yet still, I am with you, too.
Heidi, I enjoy your writing when it appears here. I hope you and the Snyders get as many answers as possible.
Slightly off topic: Christine Chandler writes a blog about Tibetan Buddhist malfeasance in the US called extibetanbuddhist. She has repeatedly drawn parallels between the behavior of KR and that of the various “Rinpoches” who prey on their devotees in a very Raniere-like manner. I highly recommend her blog for shedding light on a subject that gets absolutely no scrutiny by the US media or politicians.
” Tibetan Buddhist malfeasance in the US ”
I am shocked how many people in NXIVM dabbled in Tibetan Buddhism.
It seems there is a relationship between that Eastern religion and the madness of NXIVM.
And because the Tibetan Buddhists are the CIA’s allies in the geopolitical struggle with China don’t expect America’s media to focus on Tibetan Buddhist malfeasance in the US.
Do you know that they dabbled in Tibetan Buddhism specifically, or Buddhism in general? Tibetan Buddhism is a very particular form, and a comparatively small minority, though probably over-represented in the US.
The people attracted to NXIVM seem to have been interested in Bhuddism in general, and yoga – maybe even more so. Have you looked into whether yoga could have some vast conspiratorial tie-in, particularly given the ties of NXIVM members like Sahajo Haertel to India-based groups?
The Tibetan Buddhist scandals have gotten as much attention as could be expected for such a relatively small religion. And it’s actually composed of a variety of disparate groups, some even at odds with the Dalai Lama, not particularly fertile ground for a seamless conspiracy.
“Do you know that they dabbled in Tibetan Buddhism specifically”
What do you call paying the Dalai Lama and his entourage over a million dollars to visit Albany?
I know from their social media that a lot of them are interested in Buddhism even years after the Dali Lama came to town to collect his cash.
Heidi,
Thank you for writing this and I hope that meeting with the Snyders gave all of you time to share stories about these beautiful women who died far too young and so tragically. I hope all of you get the answers you deserve.
Toni Natalie has much to answer for in keeping the Snyders’ story under wraps for so long and her using their tragedy for her own gain. It seems this woman is devoid of any conscience but that is all being brought to light. I believe it’s true that the liars will be caught in the end. Once again it’s taken someone betraying Frank Parlato for them to get called out and their true self exposed. This seems to be his vocation.
Many of the guilty have already died, and many more will probably die, to get to “in the end.” I prefer to focus on current law-breakers.
Scott,
The next of kin want closure.
They want to know what happened to their loved ones and why.
The US military goes out of its way to recover what remains they can from the dead of World War II just to provide their families with closure.
And that was almost 75 years ago.
Heidi, thanks for your remembrances.
You remind us that Gina died in October, 2002. Snyder began experiencing psychotic symptoms, and disappeared at the beginning of February, 2003. And according to the Times Union, in between, “a 28-year-old Manhattan woman from a prominent Mexico City family, experienced a psychotic episode in NXIVM’s New Karner Road facility and required hospitalization in January 2003” (that after two previous, similar, undated incidents).
One wonders how many more lives were damaged or destroyed, that we don’t even know about, just in the course of Raniere and Salzman’s negligent amateur tinkerings with people’s minds and psyches, just in the course of their regular programs – not to mention the relative horrors of DOS, SOP, the inner circle in Clifton Park and the harem.
That reminds me that Rainbow Cultural Gardens has yet to really be exposed. That may well have terribly damaged a number of children.
NXIVM is the self-help group that wounds more people than it heals.
Basically it is a Society of Wolves.
Most people only took a course or two, and they were probably helped more than hurt.
“they were probably helped more than hurt.”
Five thousand dollars or more for an “intensive” with a bunch of cult-minded half-wits who bully them.
No thank you!
And that is the best that NXIVM has to offer.
For people who have more money than they know how to spend and are confused, it’s a bargain.