Swami Chetanananda Mystery: What Happened to Liz Bazzani?

The FR is seeking information about Mary Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Bazzani. She died on or about January 19, 2017. She was 62.
 
Her death by drowning, ruled a suicide, is suspicious, knowing what we know about her guru.
The Swami Chetanananda
 
Liz was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1954. She was 5 feet 4 inches tall, 110 pounds. She had green eyes and met Michael Shoemaker when she was around 17. She became his student and followed him for 45 years – until her death.
 
In 1978, Shoemaker changed his professional name to Swami Chetanananda. He adopted the costume of a Hindu monk and pretended to be one.
 
Liz was a long-time resident of his ashram. She married Michael Bazzani and had two children and a grandchild.  Michael also followed the Swami. They divorced, but remained friends. Michael was the ashram chef but decided to leave the Swami.
Liz Bassani with daughters Pia and Vanessa.
The crew with Michael Bazzani on his last day in the kitchen.
 
He left around the time Kristin left. Kristin went because, allegedly, she said Swami was trying to have sex with her 13-year-old daughter. Many people have left the Swami over the 50 years he has been a guru.
 
Liz was very fond and protective of Kristin’s daughter.
 
If the grave were to open or runaway voices unmuted, the cries of girls lured to his dark world we could hear. Of lives lost to drugs, debauchery, and chicanery – in the name of the great tantric guru.
 
Salman, Theresa and Swami
Liz’s sister, Theresa also follows the Swami. Teresa’s husband, Salman Khan follows the Swami.
 
Liz was not rich. She was a jewelry maker. She understood gems and their properties. She was marketing and sales manager of Lapchi, her sister’s rug business.
 
Liz also worked in the ashram kitchen and made meals for the Swami. She carried heavy pots up to his room not long before she died.
 
Liz Bazzani, daughter Vanessa, and granddaughter Vivi.
She was an excellent baker. She would bake dozens of pies for ashram events.
 
She often took care of her granddaughter at the ashram. Her granddaughter had her own bed in Liz’s apartment. Sometimes she was the only child in the ashram. She would make funny drawings and put them in people’s mailboxes.
 
In January 2017, Liz was 62. Her whole adult life was one of service to the Swami.
 
Before she died, the Swami complained about Liz.  One of the Swami’s lovers spoke about this. He often commanded this lover to give blow jobs to strangers as he watched. She later attempted suicide.
 
This former lover said she never heard the Swami talk “crap” about Liz before. As all who know the Swami know, he talks ill of everyone. But she never heard him talk ill about Liz.
 
He was angry because Liz stayed close to someone who fell out with him and left the community. He expected 100% loyalty. She was in contact with someone who left the ashram. Someone she was not supposed to contact, which was anyone not loyal to the Swami.
 
It is unknown if she knew about the Swami’s alleged attempt to rape Kristin’s daughter.  
 

No Farewell

The last time we knew of anyone seeing Liz was on January 18, 2017. 

Heather George saw her. Heather was leaving the ashram and moving out. She was close to Liz.

She wrote, “We were talking about how much we were going to miss each other, but acknowledged that distance was not going to weaken our connection. [Liz] wished me well on my next adventure. And I wished for [Liz] to get the rest [she] needed. We hugged and said goodnight and how much we loved each other.”
 
Liz was tired? She was to work the next day. She disappeared that night. She left without proper clothing and identification. It was cold, and there was sleet. It was cold when she went out that night. She left by foot, they say.
 
The people in the ashram – her so-called ashram family – said Liz had been acting confused and disoriented. They said she experienced medical issues. Some alleged she had dementia. Others said she had depression and was suicidal.
 
We do not know what time she left the ashram. She left without anyone seeing her. She wore green Ugg boots, a blue sweater, and Indian cotton bell-bottom pants – or pajamas. She left behind all her belongings and identification. She didn’t leave a note.
 
She may have taken her cell phone. She texted no one.
 
Someone spotted her at 8 pm at the corner of NE 31st Ave and NE Hassalo Street in Portland, Oregon. Someone reported her missing on January 19, 2017, after she did not show up at work.
 
Her ashram “family” said she had a medical emergency. She was likely confused and disoriented.
The police missing person number was 17-18178.
One report::
 
“Liz Bazzani, 62, was reported missing after she didn’t show up for work in the Pearl District on January 19,” Portland police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said. “She left all her belongings at her Northeast Portland home,” Simpson said.
 
Her phone was reportedly pinged the following day. Her phone pinged to SW Taylor, and 2nd Ave in Portland, at 7:30 am on January 19.
 
This was reportedly near or at her sister’s business, Lapchi Rugs, one mile from the ashram.
 
A report:
“Liz Bazzani was reported missing after she didn’t show up for work in the Pearl District Thursday morning. Bazzani usually is in regular contact with her family, but she hasn’t been heard from in days.”
 
Days passed, and no one heard from Liz. She was feared dead.
 
Report:
“Police continue to search for a Portland woman who’s been missing since January 19. Family members tell KATU-TV 62-year-old Liz Bazzani left home without proper clothing, with no identification or money, and had been suffering some medical issues lately.”
 
Sharon Ward
Sharon Ward took her “cadaver dog” to find Liz. She said they stopped at the banks of the river.
 
On Saturday, January 28, Ward announced at meditation that she was confident Liz was in the river.
 
On January 30, a boater noticed a body in the water and called the police. Multnomah County’s river patrol pulled the body from the water at about 12:45 pm. January 30. The county medical examiner’s office took the body.
 
She drowned, according to the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office. They determined Liz passed away on January 19, 2017, and ruled her death a suicide.
 
Did Liz walk into a river and drown?
The ashram family agreed Liz was suicidal. Did she also suffer from dementia? Was she depressed? Did she have cancer?
Was there an autopsy?
 
If Liz was sick, she could still care for her grandchild. If demented, she was still working.
 
They said she made “an irrational decision.”
 
So many stories.
They said her cancer returned. She knew she was going to die.
Some say people who take their lives because they aren’t well are methodical. They put everything together for those they leave behind. They think about who will find them. If someone finds them, they think about in what condition they will be found.  When you have kids, you think about that.
 
They said, “she thought her cancer was back and didn’t want to go through the pain again”.
 
Did she not believe her Swami was a miraculous and gifted healer? Did she not seek his magical psychic powers?
 
Did his powers not alert him to Liz being in trouble?
 

The official story is suspect

The ashram people told outsiders she had dementia. 
But her daughter left her child in the care of Liz at the ashram. But Liz was suffering from dementia? Someone with dementia wouldn’t show up for work in the morning.
 
This is the problem with this ashram. No one questions things that make no sense.
 
They said she did an “irrational act.” An irrational act is hanging yourself. Shooting yourself or immediately walking to the river and jumping in.  Her phone pinged at 7:30 am. It suggests she wandered around in a “medium sweater” and pajamas in the cold for 12 hours.
 
Jess and Dan said they left around New Year’s. They lived with her until a few weeks before she died. They said they saw her carrying heavy pans up to the Swami’s room. How sick could she have been?
 
One woman told me,
When Liz Bazanni disappeared, I heard about it from my friend – a follower of the Swami. She told me all the going inside the gossip of the ashram for years. I was led to believe Liz was old, had dementia, and wandered off one day. That’s not the case obviously.
Another woman said, “Liz loved her granddaughter. To her, she was her life.”
 
Yet one day Liz left without notice. Left with nothing, no farewell message to anyone not even her beloved Swami.
 
She made the “irrational decision” to jump in the river?
 
One woman told me that she herself told the Swami she was contemplating suicide. The Swami seemed pleased. He told her – “go to it, and I will guide you to the other side.”
 
The woman did not commit suicide. She got advice from his disciples. They shook their heads and admitted its solemnity. It meant the Swami had no more need for you in this life. Your service to the guru has ended. What meaning can remain in life for anyone not needed by the Swami?
 
The faker in the orange clown outfit, this mocker of the ancient order of monks, plays with life and death. He plays with people’s well-being.
 
He cannot control his own drug, sex, and sadism addictions. How could he help anyone?
 
What happened to Liz Bazzani?
 
All with information may contact me.   305-783-7083 or frankparlato@gmail.com.

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Frank Parlato

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  • the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office would have the autopsy report. HELLO! is there a PI in the group? Is there a family member or layer or police officer who can access the autopsy report to see if she was choked then thrown in the river?

  • I’m not willing to hold my nose and “vote for “lesser evil” here to “take him out”.

    That’s just another soul sell, you get that right? This isn’t a fucking election. I had to abandon politics entirely to stand for what I do. Im here for truth.

    I don’t pick and choose “favorite predators” nor do I dismiss victims based on their lack of likability factor. I’ve sacrificed EVERYTHING but one thing for this path and that iS truth.

    I don’t vote for, seek entertainment or guidance from accused rapists. I’ve left countless people I love dearly for this. You can’t put it on and take it off like a pussy hat for a march. That’s why we are in the mess we are in globally: I am NOT cool with lies by omissions or otherwise and I will not hitch my wagon to that for this notion of “the greater good”.

    It’s a disservice to the entire cause and certainly to the victims in this. If that is what this is to be, I will gladly wait for a different opportunity.

    This world is aplomb with it. I’ve been a boots on the ground advocate for sex abuse survivors primarily kids and crime victims for over a decade.

    Almost killed me and ironically that’s how I ended up there. Pretty funny huh?

    Joke was certainly on me. Didn’t know shit about all this nightmare and now I get to have pushy victims who can’t disclose their whole story because they signed an NDA for money or because by their own admission are “not credible” put their shit on me and now my pictures and business out there.

    If I can’t win with truth then I don’t play. There are plenty of people out there who can be fully honest about their experiences and those will prevail in the end. I’m here for that.

    You want my support Becker? Please add the considerable detail your account is sorely missing. If you are going to come out, come all out or buzz off. Your “process” was really traumatizing for me and you know why. Make it right. This work is all or nothing. You don’t get to do it with only half your face with the same kind of energy that created this and expect a just or soul freeing outcome.

    It doesn’t work like that and I do not work for you. To be clear I’m pretty sure the predator in this whole scenario started out as a victim too probably when he was very small. I’m a childhood sexual assault survivor. I’m sure there are many of us here. I’ve studied my kind exhaustively.

    As a result we can become predators, we can become prey, sometimes we become both and sometimes we can transmute any of those things into being a force of truth and personal accountability to bring this to light so this soul sucking kind of suffering, deepest affront to the spirit can end. The perpetuation of it will not stop until there is a clear space for people to acknowledge it’s wrong and ask for help. When they can quit LYING about it.

    You cannot change energy with the same kind of energy. It takes truth. I’m here for that, not your bullshit or control of how I should feel about who and what I experienced there.

    If I did that to you and the others I would still be going to Gold Beach and actually welcomed at the gates. This has been literal torture for someone with CPTSD, fibromyalgia and a history as severe as mine for obvious reasons and I won’t forget anyone who played their part in that or leave them out of my story when I write it. I promise. Truth only looks like hate to people who can’t be in relationship with it. ❤️

    • Nice manifesto, that must have taken a lot of energy and time to write. Glad you can absolve yourself and call your verbal abuse in comments “truth”. Help yourself maybe instead of wasting time here defending the indefensible which we can all see. Thats the tricky thing about internet comments. They stay up forever.

    • Um….this is an unhinged rant if i ever saw. Who are you talking to?

      Fyi male batterers and rapists have been documented to not be more likely to have child abuse histories, they are just as likely to have had a normal childhood. There is no correlation with adverse childhoods, just like with alcoholics there is a mixed bag of all backgrounds. This myth has been long debunked among academics.

      You sure talk a lot with not much to back it up.

      Nobody elected you anyones representative or advocate here. Show us proof of your advocacy. A true advocate would never be this abusive especially to other victims.

  • They blocked us in. We were not on the property of ” la hermitage “. We were OUTSIDE OF THE GATE. THERE WERE NO SIGNS WHERE WE WERE THAT SAID “private property- stay out”. They Attempted to intimidate us behind their phones from inside their vehicle. This is who you put your faith in. These our your fellow devotees. This is what the inner circle is. Cowards with only lies and crimes under their belts who use intimidation tactics to quiet those of us who see who he truly is.
    I got out. You can get out. You are not alone.
    https://www.igotout.org/resources

    • If he is such a god man who would “heal” or “save ” us – according to his followers- why did he cower and hide behind his own phone filming us from Jimmy’s truck? The disciple who probably wrote how ” her swami” would help- was in her car right behind him and saw this entire interaction. There was no healing, they were not showing sympathy, Jim and Chet instead tried to bock us from leaving, started taking photos and filming us – absolutely not getting out of the car to try and hold us and help us. Where was the God man then? The man who could heal us? The man who only wished love and growth? The man who is omnipotent? The man who who only wishes to help me grow? Cowering and crouching down in the passenger seat of Jim Brissette’s truck trying to intimidate us with his filming. Looking more frightened a little child facing consequences for eating all of the sweets. Jimmy doing the same, looking so frightened that he might have soiled his pants. This is your god man and his” loved ones”.
      I got out. You can get out. You are not alone. https://www.igotout.org/resources

      • You tried to go to his home? With others? What was your intention? What we’re your expectations? I’m watching your story from across the country and I hope the victims continue to speak up.

        • We had no intention of going on the property. We only went to the front gate. We know they are looking for any opportunity to maliciously litigate and defame.

          As of now they are calling us many names from within the community and we are documenting that. We had many reasons to go there, personal mostly. We had not prepared to confront any of them. We just wanted to see it the source of our pain, see the town, make our peace with it and leave. So we found them anyway (or they found us!) They came up the drive and blocked us in. Luckily im a good driver and know how to get around things : ) we took some pictures, waved at them and left

          • I’m actually really sorry you were roped into that, Tina. Jessica’s methods (though her anger is valid) always tends to neglect the well-being of other people. Using other people as bait and they incur the wrath. Obviously they have cameras. I just came to the Ashram to heal too. Hahaha. Nope. Further traumatized by all the traumatized. All the lies by omission. All the girl games. All the brainwashing, all the gaslighting, all the competition, all the time. Even the victims have played parts in that. Trained in how to hurt others for their own elevation and atta girls. Some ruthlessness here. Is throwing other people in the fire just a “necessary evil”?

            In all honestly all my trauma from this experience came from the women of the Ashram. Women that will throw you under the wheels of the Swami Bus so fast it will make your head spin no matter what you thought your connection was. What you invested in them or ever thought you meant to them. That’s what terrifying.

            He’s ONE MAN and look HOW MANY WOMEN have happily destroyed other women for him in 50 years. 100’s? Thousands? I’ve spent a decade having the backs of the abused only to be stabbed in mine repeatedly. I’ve kept at it because I don’t do it for thanks, I do it because I have to be what I wish to see. I certainly hope more people will come forward. I think we would all like better representation than Jessica Becker.

            While I recognize you are a victim, you also are so traumatized you are deeply traumatizing. I know you and spent the most time with you as the Ashram and everyone in it unraveled. Your posts are erratic as a s your behavior. I know your “style” and I know it was certainly your idea to “storm the gates” which was just irresponsible and dangerous for the precious cargo who I’m sure has a story a hell of a lot worse then yours. You tend to become so histrionic when you are like this, your only single focus is revenge. I’m not out for revenge. I just want this cycle to stop.

            I have had MANY people tell me that they are holding back from coming forward because the tone you are creating around survivors, Jessica. That isn’t something HE created, that’s you. Please take some time off from this for a moment Jessica, do some obviously needed self care and give some other people a chance to speak.

            I don’t think you are a bit in any kind of shape to be of service to other survivors with these antics. I would know, I’ve experienced you when I’ve been in the worst PTSD straits of my life. You poke the beast until he’s livid and attacks and then you throw him an unsuspecting human sacrifice to eat and then stand behind and stick your tongue out at him while he feeds. I suspect your latest game has ALOT more skin in this and FAR more to lose. I mean you can just go back to your supposed enormous powerful protective family, right? I fail to see how you aren’t completely fucked up and dangerous in your own right. This isn’t all about you. You said once that Monica was the first Histrionic Personality Disorder you’ve ever met in real life. Let me propose an introduction. Jessica, meet Jessica. Meanwhile, could the rest of you ladies get off your asses of the cushions and help out here? Could use some better company. Tina, please call RAINN, an attorney. Maybe your family I used to respect so much could grow a set and finally stand for something besides their own perceived insults by this man? You need support that isn’t akin to a suicide bomber. She doesn’t take friends. She takes hostages.

          • Everyone knows who you are “Tina”.

            Your “friend” completely blew your cover roping you into her amateur gum shoe suicide mission. I’ve been there.

            I can only hope at this point that YOUR family can grow a set and finally stand for you and other family members that have been hurt inside the confines of that fancy brick nightmare.

            I used to respect you both so much. Now I believe to be whiny self absorbed pansies that only got upset when he finally treated YOU like shit.

            Anyone who KNOWS Tina whom by every account I have heard is brilliant and was only made out to be “”unbalanced” was so no one would believe what was happening to her there need to reach out. See how she is doing, see if she needs anything and give her some support that isn’t going to put her in even worse harms way.

            Please. It is well demonstrated many of his victims go on to victimize. That’s what they are trained to do.

            Don’t pretend like you don’t know “Tina”, she was that little scrappy ball of fire that worked tirelessly, constantly for her place at the Ashram.

            The one that hated Jim’s guts and it was just easier for you to believe she was “bi- polar”instead of wonder why she hated Mr. Left Hand Paths right hand “man”.

            I don’t care if you do it secretly. I know this blog is a guilty popcorn time indulgence for many of you and you are talking. You have resources. Pool them and hey her some help.

            It’s not her fault that she got roped into that suicide mission.

            It’s yours.

          • To JP

            Your comment is wildly inappropriate, not only denigrating Jessica in order to denigrate me, but pretending to be my ally while you clearly have no idea who I am or what I am. The statement that I’m traumatizing others is fully projection when you verbally abuse in comments.

            I want to highlight this part of your own words:

            “While I recognize you are a victim, you also are so traumatized you are deeply traumatizing. I know you and spent the most time with you as the Ashram and everyone in it unraveled. Your posts are erratic as a s your behavior. I know your “style” and I know it was certainly your idea to “storm the gates. Which was just irresponsible and dangerous for the precious cargo who I’m sure has a story a hell of a lot worse then yours. You tend to become so histrionic when you are like this, your only single focus is revenge. I’m not out for revenge. I just want this cycle to stop.”

            Have to break it down in its inanity:

            1) I left the ashram long before the “unraveling”, in my opinion. So I’m not sure who you think I am. This must be a case of mistaken identity

            2) Next, notice have not described any of my actual behavior, not even a hint, to justify your premises here. You certainly imagine a lot though. Like things about revenge that couldn’t be further from the truth.

            3) Its not clear here though, but seems like halfway through this you switched from me to Jessica. but the paragraph I quoted above is a drive by diagnosis on me or her (or both), which is verbally abusive behavior. This makes you the abuser who is traumatizing others. You need to stop. Now. Because….

            4)….If your intention was to try to bring more calm and balance into this situation, you did the exact opposite with this abusive rant. If you think you’re a better representative, I think you should check yourself before you wreck yourself. Statements like yours actually, really, scare people away.

            5) Your statements about women being the only or main abusers is wildly wrong as well, and extremely unhelpful and untrue, and I can attest to that personally. Your singular perspective is not the only perspective on this place. It speaks to me that you have major issues of your own that need to be addressed.

            6) I find your infantilizing of myself and my choices in this to be also deeply inappropriate and therefore demand that you stop, I don’t need to be protected or saved from you and especially not in this abusive way you’re doing. Extremely inappropriate and I do not accept it. I have my resources and if I do need help I can ask them for help. I’m not asking you for help. Therefore stop. I ask you to not assume I was used, or abused, or misused by Jessica. You are not my voice, my voice is my voice. I did not ask you to speak for me or rescue me. And you are not the spokesperson of other victims. Your misplaced condescension is as obvious as is your vitriol for Jessica so….

            7) Maybe you have been hurt by Jessica, if so, I’m sorry. I can’t speak for her and I can’t speak for he intentions with you while she was under the cultic spell. However she has been very helpful for me and has “eaten her crow” in the sense of owning up to mistakes, at least with me. OFC that’s just my perspective, not a final reality. Your moral injuries and moral outrages are yours, not mine, and between her and you, not the community of other survivors.

            In conclusion, absent a better argument about how I (and she) are hurting other survivors or myself (outside of just some rant about “WOMEN” being abusers yet us “ladies?” (heavy sigh….) need to get off our cushions and do the work?!? um what….the…effff?) I’m going to discard it as the insulting nonsense it is. What are we “laydeees” (oh boy…) supposed to do, nothing but something at the same time?!? We’re doing something but its obviously something you’re entitled to sit by and critique and do nasty and bullying ad hominems about (!!?) look at yourself!… major contradictions here…you think other women want to come forward for you to say this kind of thing about them? Why don’t you come forward!

            Hope you work your stuff out. Maybe reach out to Jessica herself, she’s left her phone number here in comments on one of the articles. Contact her privately instead of in this defaming manner so victims can help other victims rather than detract from eachother. You know her so well right?

        • To Durga:

          You cannot pose to be a savior or concerned for anyone when you say:

          “I used to respect you both so much. Now I believe to be whiny self absorbed pansies that only got upset when he finally treated YOU like shit.”

          This is extremely verbally abusive, and I am going to probably ask Frank to remove the comment, but I know he has a thing about free speech so he probably won’t. But what would you do if you were the moderator in this place and you saw a comment like this? In what way on this planet do you think this aids other survivors to say? In what way would you ever think this was appropriate to say to anyone and not extremely wrong?

          Without this insult I might have guessed who you are, but I can’t actually at all now. I mostly kept to myself at the ashram and was very selective on who I talked to. If you were mean to me once I avoided you for my own survival.

          I have no idea who you are, and to be honest, I think you have a case of mistaken identity about me.

          Not sure if you’re able to be rationalized with therefore but I will try.

          We were all treated like shit, some of us took longer than others to wake up because we, being individuals, were responding differently under this fascistic system of abuse. Fascistic = like fascism, btw. How wrong you are to think I wasn’t abused. Or that I’m less of a victim because I supposedly tolerated it for longer.

          Its not the oppression olympics here, and in fact in my case I HAD NO IDEA what was going on to others.

          Part of my problem was I thought it was just me. THATS ONE OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF A CULTIC SYSTEM BTW, IT WORKS VIA ISOLATION AND PROPAGANDA (LIES.) ITS THE FEATURE NOT THE BUG.

          One of the most amazing books I ever read after getting out was “Why Does He Do That” by Lundy Bancroft.

          His main focus of research is male batterers (which is what Chet is and that is relevant too.) but in a bigger way, what his research found is that domestic violence is a cultural (social) issue and its found in small and large communities. It is the culture of male dominance and in fact fascism itself.

          Here is a long but extremely helpful talk by him, if you want to learn more its titled “Inside the Minds of Angry And Controlling Men”:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmbrAWDft0s

          It says everything I’ve said here and more.

          Please don’t verbally abuse anyone in this space especially fellow victims.

          • Yall need to cool it with attacking eachother. Jp- let these women process their shit. They can go give Michael a hard time if they want to. I know you don’t like jessica. Now is the time for unity against the scumbag not time for in fighting.

    • Really? I thought Salami wanted you back and was going to welcome you with open heart and open arms and love you. Isn’t that what “watch out for your karma” wrote? Did you get photos? I hope you go back again with more people. And keep going back.

  • Why did he stay in the car? Would he not want to embrace us because he has so much sympathy for us and only wants us to learn to live through love? Where was your god man then. Cowering in the passenger seat of JIMMY BRISSETTE’s truck. Hiding behind his phone, attempting to intimidate us . Afraid and startled, knowing that he has been discovered as the man he really is.
    I got out. You can get out. You are not alone. https://www.igotout.org/resources

  • If he is such a god man who would “heal” or “save ” us – according to his followers- why did he cower and hide behind his own phone filming us from Jimmy’s truck? The disciple who probably wrote how ” her swami” would help- was in her car right behind him and saw this entire interaction. There was no healing, they were not showing sympathy, Jim and Chet instead tried to bock us from leaving, started taking photos and filming us – absolutely not getting out of the car to try and hold us and help us. Where was the God man then? The man who could heal us? The man who only wished love and growth? The man who is omnipotent? The man who who only wishes to help me grow? Cowering and crouching down in the passenger seat of Jim Brissette’s truck trying to intimidate us with his filming. Looking more frightened a little child facing consequences for eating all of the sweets. Jimmy doing the same, looking so frightened that he might have soiled his pants. This is your god man and his” loved ones”.
    I got out. You can get out. You are not alone. https://www.igotout.org/resources

  • I knew Liz for the three years I lived at the ashram. She didn’t have dementia when I was there. Never experienced anything but kindness from her.

  • Worth looking into. I guess the theory from her family (published in a news report) is that she was disoriented and stayed out in the cold underdressed… Suffered from hypothermia, which can make you do very bizarre things, like people will take off all of their clothes outside in dead of winter because they suddenly feel hot… It may be that she felt hot from hypothermia and thought it was a good idea to go for a swim to cool off. Very sad. Tragic.

    People with dementia can still be very physically strong so it is possible she could still carry the heavy pots up the steps.

    I am assuming the police ran tests to see if she had any drugs in her system. The only thing I could think of is don’t they say you can’t detect LSD? However she seems like an old hippie who would know better than to trip alone.

    So very sad. my condolences to her family.

    • Yeah except a Chinook Wind happened to hit that day and brought temps well into the mid 40’s that night. She would have been miserable for sure, hypothermia not sure about that.

      Certainly doesn’t explain why she would be wandering around for 12 hours clutching a cell phone? Didn’t bring her personal belongings because she going to make an irrational decision that if the last account of her phone pinging at 7:30 am was true took TWELVE HOURS? Not going to use her phone to message anyone? Say goodbye to her kids?

      No note of any kind? It’s absolutely bizarre. Not saying there is foul play here, saying there is ALOT more to this story. Sad thing is, if you ever have a history of depression or any suicidal ideation better be able to trust whomever is around you.

      Because it would make it ridiculously easy to make it look like you offed yourself and most would never question it. Chet is 100% against psychotherapy of any kind. Of course he is. A licensed mental health professional is also a mandated REPORTER. They MUST report if anyone with a mental health issue including depression is being abused in any way. Also that place was CLEARLY never set up to help people with mental health or drug issues and the people who have been hurt or even died as a result of this man playing Holy Healer is nothing short of criminal negligence.

      Furthermore, many people said “Oh she was afraid her cancer was back and couldn’t bear to go through all the treatments again”. Oregon is a Death With Dignity state.

      Any person with less then 6 months to live has the option to go out very peacefully and painlessly. Perhaps if their personal Lord and savior has been more forthcoming about his own relationship with drugs Liz COULD have had a far more dignified to say nothing of less terrifying and lonely death. One more time. Criminal negligence.

  • I didn’t know this woman but this story has broken my heart. How could a “family” so close and loving not care more about Liz who had been there in service most of her life. She not only served the guru, she was a mother and grandmother.
    It’s hard to read the Frank Report because I feel so hurt for the followers of such a deviant and callous man. No matter what their story is… whether they love him or hate him… the mess this man has made with innocent people is heartbreaking.

  • Frank, please tell me you are working closely with the FBI and investigators. When can we expect some traction? We’re all needing an orange perp walk. Soon?

  • This Swami is an outright sociopathic killer.

    Forget the dead-enders. Just get OUT, save yourself, save your friends. Reality is priceless. Let the fools and clowns fool themselves.

    Keith Raniere should still stand trial for the people he killed.

  • Frank,
    Thank you for this!
    I hope you can turn that orange clown outfit into prison orange- like you did to Keith. Keep fighting, I love to watch you work!

About the Author

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist.

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: frankparlato@gmail.com

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