“Keith didn’t kill anyone,” Keith Raniere’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo told the New York Post in a story published today.
Then, denigrating my investigation into the deaths of four women, and the forensic science used and filmed for Investigation Discovery’s “Lost Women of Nxivm,” Agniflo added, “That is an insult to real forensic investigation as well as to the people who have passed away.”
“The Lost Women of Nxivm” airs Sunday at 9 pm ET/8 CT/9 PT.
The NY Post’s Jon Levine reported on the upcoming film under the headline, New TV special links Nxivm leader Keith Raniere to deaths of four women.
This story is going mainstream. In addition to the Post, there have been stories in The SUN, the Daily Mail, Radar Online and numerous other media outlets this week.
All of them pointed to the gruesome possibility that Raniere, despite what Agnifilo says, may very well have killed some of his followers.
In fact, he once admitted it, in a 2009 video where he says, “I’ve had people killed for my beliefs.”
See the clip from “The Lost Women of Nxivm”:
Of course, I don’t mind Agnifilo representing his client, the odious Keith Raniere, to the best of his ability. I did not mind when he cross-examined various prosecution witnesses at Raniere’s trial and kept bringing up my name to try to make it out that they were in cahoots with me to get Raniere in trouble.
He was just doing his job. It was not personal.
And he is doing his job now by telling the Post that Raniere is not a murderer.
But, how does he know?
As readers recall, he also said Raniere was innocent of all charges the feds leveled against him from sex trafficking to forced labor and racketeering.
The jury disagreed. It took them about four hours to convict Raniere on all counts on June 19, 2019, following a trial that lasted six weeks.
Raniere will be sentenced – most likely for decades – on January 17. He faces an absolute minimum sentence of 15 years for the sex trafficking alone.
It is also not necessarily true that, as Agnifilo’ says, my work is “an insult … to the people who have passed away.”
I don’t know how he could know that unless he can commune with the dead.
It is not an insult to their families. I have the support from three of the victims’ families – Barbara Jeske’s, Kristin Snyder’s and Gina Hutchinson’s – to pursue my investigation.
Do you know why? Because, unlike Agnifilo, they are not certain Keith never killed anyone. In fact, they blame Raniere for the deaths of their loved ones.
The Post, in Levine’s elegant prose, writes, “In ‘“The Lost Women of NXIVM,’ airing Sunday on Investigation Discovery, former cult insider Frank Parlato alleges Raniere may have been involved in the deaths of at least four women who were close to the organization.
“Kristin Snyder, Barbara Jeske, Gina Hutchinson and Pamela Cafritz died under what Parlato and others say are suspicious circumstances. The deaths span a 14-year period between 2002 until 2016. The women had been intimately involved with the Nxivm leader.
“’I don’t think the official stories on the deaths of these four women should be allowed to rest without a challenge,’ Parlato told The Post….
“Although Snyder’s and Hutchinson’s deaths were ruled suicides — by drowning and gunshot, respectively — Parlato believes there may be more to it. In the months before they died, the women had become irritating for the guru.
“’Gina Hutchinson [age 33 when she died] was going around saying she had sex with Raniere when she was 14 years old. Others, including her sister, have verified this,’ Parlato said of the New York woman.
“Snyder, meanwhile, had begun telling a Nxivm class in Anchorage, Alaska, that she was pregnant with Raniere’s child. She was ejected from a seminar and disappeared less than 24 hours later. A suicide note was later found in her truck.
“Around the time of their deaths, Raniere had been passing himself off as celibate, and the women’s stories posed an existential threat to his nascent movement.”
***
As readers know, four women developed cancer [we have now identified a 5th woman – who also died – which I will be discussing in-depth in an upcoming story].
While Agnifilo was quick to discount the hair sample tests I had made on another woman who lived with Raniere and developed bladder cancer, those tests revealed unusually high levels of bismuth and barium and cannot be dismissed out of hand.
The Post writes, “Jason Kolowski, a forensic consultant interviewed for the documentary, said he was confident hair samples from the woman revealed a ‘chronic exposure’ to the heavy metals — and speculated that it may have come from rat poison.”
I am not sure what Marc Agnifilo knows that I don’t know. Maybe he knows his client is such a gentle man that he would never harm a fly – and was falsely accused.
Maybe he has probed and entered the mind of Keith Raniere and knows intuitively that his client could not have murdered anyone. Maybe he believes in his client’s veracity. Raniere has told Agnifilo that he never murdered anyone and Marc believes him.
However, I have to question Marc’s certitude. How does he really know his client is not far more devious and evil than he understands?
Of all the scenes I saw in the courtroom during the trial of Keith Alan Raniere, I think the most impressive was Marc Agnifilo’s opening statement. He was brilliant.
It was like watching poetry in motion. He told the jury, as he laid out the reasons why they should not convict Raniere, that the case against him was just a lot of hyped-up sensational stuff and no evidence of criminal intent.
He said to the jury, “I submit to you that you haven’t heard much about the truth so far. What you’ve heard is you’ve heard a lot of conclusions. You’ve heard a lot of slogans. You’ve heard a lot about the names of certain crimes, but you haven’t really heard what you’re going to need to know to reach the truth. And this case is not about slogans or conclusions that are imposed on you.
“They’re certainly about conclusions that you reach on your own after listening to the evidence. But this case isn’t about labels. It’s not about jargon. It’s not about headlines…..
“One of the things you’re going to hear is intent, a concept called criminal intent. There is only one criminal intent that is worth anything in this case that matters at all and it’s whether he has it. That’s it. No one else’s intent, no one else’s motivation, no one else’s good faith or bad faith matters a lick. It’s all him. So one of the things you are going to be doing as the evidence comes in is you are going to be looking at it through his eyes, what does he think about it? What is he doing? And why is he doing it? Never forget to ask why…..”
Yes, we will be looking at intent a lot as we further investigate the Lost Women of Nxivm.
Raniere’s intent. Not Marc’s or mine. But Keith Raniere’s.
Did he intend to kill these women?
And if he did, how did he do it? And who helped him do it?
Frank Parlato 
Janine Morrison 
J.J. O'Hara 
Richard Luthmann 
Marie White 
Paul Serran
Please leave a comment: Your opinion is important to us!
Will Raniere get time to watch The Lost Women of Nxivm, on one of his lawyer’s devices in a conference room? Or does he not have much, if any, Epstein clout? Does Clare still give a damn what happens to the Vanguard, Prefect and Legatus crap? Or does she fancy herself as the new Foundation with her own amigos, amigas, who will all aid her to move her con$tipation elsewhere, sparing no expense for re-packaging her desperations about cruelty and exclusivity. She has no inkling of how banal she has been and is, but Clare was born into this delusion, poor thang.
Do the Bronfman’s all have copies of the 2 hour documentary already? Will there be attempts at damage control?
What about the big, semi-female kahuna, Nancy Salzman, who can be seen to have never really stopped advertising her “helpfulness” to all of humankind. Even after her quick plea deal and after everyone has seen her pitchfork, the woman cannot seem to shut up. It is a wonder that she can face herself in a mirror to brush her fangs without projectile vomiting at herself.
Will those who need to deploy the tricks of the trade and to try to dismiss and discredit tonight’s incipient exposures, set up one or two distractions? In other words, who is going to play Gloria Allred/Lisa Bloom? You know, acting all “goodly” while preparing the way for knives in the back of whatever truth “needs” to be dismantled, via playing both sides.
At least retire Allred to her Barcalounger, before the act gets too preposterous and haggardly weather-beaten. Who can guess if Lisa Bloom will ever decide to overcome walking in her mother’s hoofprints? Yeah, yeah, nothing’s left to swallow here, ladies, not from what I’ve seen so far. One $ee$ how come certain chickens cross the road too often.
Snakes in the grass? Water moccasins on the edge of ponds? And again I say, where are Frank Parlato’s awards for journalism? Cut to the chase, ye tightwads and thought police, before Frank gets nominated for an Emmy or two.
Go listen to my man Clarence Carter sing “I’m Not Just Good, I’m the Best” and stop chewing your fingernails for a few minutes and look at Frank Parlato’s body of sustained work.
This is journalism every way you look at it. Yes it is. The minute that Leah Remini and Mike Rinder came out on A&E with their Scientology exposé, I saw the Emmys coming. Frank is an absolute diamond, my opinion.
Tonight is the night, but already there is more to come. How do we know that? Because Frank Parlato has more on videotape right now, and it isn’t all going to be on the ID Discovery 2 hour show tonight. Now the Snyder family, the Jeske family, Heidi Clifford, Susan Dones, Frank, Heidi Hutchinson, Mr. O’Hara and a lot more people have the ways to say their thoughts, more than ever. Doors, gates, windows are opening between people who might have never had the chance to communicate before.
There were some logjams mucking up vital communications, for family members who want answers about Nxivm and deaths, and people tried to block Frank Parlato over and over again.. One sneak has been moved out of the way, thanks to her own obtuseness, named Toni Natalie or Noni Tattlelee. She is not the only logjam, though. Those stagnant waters surely do stink to high heaven, and heaven has had enough.
Old old dance, liars bought and paid for, with their fanatically hackneyed stabs at new disguises. As for some, very unwelcome truth emerges, and many things will no longer remain underground.
I am sure that there are people who know things who are feeling the pressures mounting already, completely uncertain about HOW MUCH TRUTH can be “handled.” Microcosms to microcosms, once you see certain patterns, the is no way to turn back or to ignore experience. Instead you learn to pay ever-increasing attention. Too bad, cult hyenas can only wake up one by one, if at all.
Just as one example, Kristin Keeffe saying to Frank that she thinks Kristin Snyder is “still alive.” That is her choice, right now? As if Kristin Snyder would have abandoned her family or her entire life, for all of these years! SMH. What is pathetic is the hiding and how long its impacts can last.
Whatisoutrageous and sickening is how Kristin Snyder, Gina Hutchinson and many others have been screwed over by Raniere, Salzman and Salzman, Bronfman, Mack, Russell and those who so far evade any ckmeuppances.
Probably it feels awkward to Agnifilo, when he could feel obligated, however half-heartedly, to try shooting the messenger(s.) But all along, Raniere was the same as that killerman in The Shining, calling his murderousness “redrum.” Vantard thought he was winning with his psycho-sexual sister-wives design, but psychosis guarantees only destructiveness, and ultimately, self-destruction.
With a side of Rat poison. That seems to be how Queef would ‘take care’ of his aging harem. Give them all small doses of rat poison. Not enough to kill them instantly. But enough to slowly kill them over 1-2 years.
And the whole time, Keith Raniere is laughing inside as his victims were slowly dying. Allison Mack was going to be the next Pam Cafritz. Think about that for a second.
Certainly all of the recent stories about the mysterious deaths in NXIVM combined with Raniere’s braggadocio about people dying for his (Raniere’s) beliefs merit opening an investigation into these strange deaths and disappearances.
Will Agnifilo bill KR time spent watching Frank’s documrntary tonight?
“Will Agnifilo bill KR time spent watching Frank’s documentary tonight?” Nataschka
If he does, will Clare Bronfman pay the bill?
Aha. She or her sister must be if he’s still yapping in his defense!
Natashka,
Agnifilo’s ego is so big he would miss the birth of his child to watch a 2 min clip of himself on tv. I promise you he will be watching the show…..
…..And charging Raniere for it. The money it takes to purchase the $4800 custom suits Agnifilo wears needs to come from somewhere. LOL
He killed these women and poisoned others, as Frank points out he was recorded saying so. Statistically, it’s impossible that all the occupants of the home, cats included, developed cancer, yet he escaped unscathed. My money says that NDNY will announce their own investigation shortly after the New Year or possibly sooner depending on how explosive tonight’s ID show proves to be.
It doesn’t matter what Marc Agnifilo thinks.
The truth will come out anyway.
The mere denial of facts or circumstantial evidence is not proof to the contrary, but Marc Agnifilo and the genius Keith Raniere and the obsolete British royal house also know this. This is a weak defence that is no longer taken very seriously today, because too often what has been denied has been confirmed. What is missing now is only the word of honour of Keith Raniere and hopefully also of Prince Andrew in his special case.
” I’ve HAD people killed because of my beliefs.”
Yikes.
Maybe he never killed anyone, but he says he HAD people killed.
Could his teachings have also driven people to suicide?
Sounds like an admission to me.
Just my opinion
Just sayin,
” I’ve HAD people killed because of my beliefs.”-Raniere
I think at the time Raniere said those words he was trying to intimidate the Nxivm 9. I don’t think he was actually alluding to the women that died, per se.
I do believe he killed all or some of the Lost Women of Nxivm. Raniere is on some level definitely responsible for both of the suicides.
Who cares what this so-called “Esquire” (Agnifilo) says, The general public considers such people to be paid liars, and even less credible than the politicians.
Did he intend to kill these women?
Yes
And if he did, how?
Gun and poison
And who helped him do it?
Heidi Clifford
Nina Cowell
Clare Bronfman
Nancy Salzman
Lauren Salzman
Kristen Keeffe
Ed Kinnum
Ester Chiappone
Karen Abney
Suspect 1
Suspect 2
Suspect 3
?????????
Oh, Raniere the puppet master and the way Toni acts, she might be involved somehow.
In my opinion, of course.
Well, maybe Marc buddy ol pal will be signing another tune down the road.
He did do a public apology outside the courthouse after we heard Guilty, Guilty, Guilty, Proven, Proven, Proven, so many times from the jury on that joyful day.
Marc has to blow off this kind of stuff when called by the press. What is he supposed to say? Ya, I think the prick is guilty?
That is up to the jury to decide.
Frank I wanted to congratulate you. Very motivating to see how far you have gone.
Everyone came out with their stories and books about what NXVIM was about, thir experiences etc…
YOU CAME OUT WITH A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION ON NEW CRIMES OF KR, AND ON PRIME TIME TELEVISION!!
Great vision. Keep building!
…
Thank you for noticing. This is not about making money. It is to finish the work I started. The result may not be any more prison time for Keith Raniere, but if he did murder these women, it will be good to prove it and bring the families some closure.
I never thought it was about money. I thought it was more to expose evil? I think it’s helpful to understand just how evil KR is. For the victims, I think this is very important. For instance, I think it is very validating for Dany to see that she was never wrong. KR was Satan.
We need the accomplices to do more prison time. Nancy Salzman, Ester Chiappone, Ed Kinum, Nina Cowell ……..
Over a year ago, a list of two dozen attorneys was published at the Frank Report, all representing Nxivm clientele. Remember? And the only one singing right now is Mr. Agnifilo?
Is everybody else drinking barium carbonate eggnog and reading the Frank Report? This is not supposed to be a funny question, but alas. Some flaming Baked Alaska for the other 23 attorneys? Creme de menthe? Frank Parlato has an audience but hopefully not of the purposefully deaf and mute.
Who is cracking and who’s cracked up? Too soon to ask? Who is bothering to read up on bismuth and say, kidney damage, gingivitis, halitosis, and that haunting metallic taste?
“Yet another lawyer, Arizona Mafia lawyer John Sandweg appears to be on Clare Bronfman’s legal team now.” Sept. 25, 2018. Frank Report. That’s where the list of potential stars appeared, perhaps now semi-reluctant and occasionally pro-bono or voting in absentia, but who knows?
What can a lawyer do when a client tells on himself or herself, or in Keith Raniere’s case, on itself? Inhale and exhale?
“It is emphatically denied” blah blah blah, said royal family out of a Buckingham Palace “public service announcement” regarding Prince Andrew.
“Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.” So declared, ye royal highn’asses, so vomited and soooooo bleated. False and without foundation. Well, well, well. There went that olde royal family, telling on themselves again. Who is false and without foundation?
Surely non, rien de rien, for when English cannot explain it, not to Raniere’s head pitcher. Raindrops weren’t falling on Flabturd’s head. Never happened. Eh-yeh.