True Crime

Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult

by American NIghtmares

True Crime

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Latest episodes

CLOSER LOOK, E3 - Understanding The Why and How

April 14, 2026 · 47 min

Following the story of Zion, survivors share the moments, memories, and manipulation that couldn’t be fully captured the first time. Jackie and Ron reflect on the turning point that led them to leave, as Arvin Shreve’s behavior grew…
CLOSER LOOK, E2: When Memories Return and Puzzles Are Solved

April 7, 2026 · 56 min

What happens when you return to the place where it all began? In Episode 2 of Gardens of Evil – A Closer Look Inside The Garden, hosted by Mike King, survivors revisit the neighborhoods where their childhoods were shaped, and where trauma…
CLOSER LOOK, E1: Get Over It, Kids are Resilient

March 31, 2026 · 50 min

After the events of Gardens of Evil, the story doesn’t end for the survivors. In the first episode of our series A Closer Look, we examine the lasting psychological impact of growing up inside the Zion Society cult. Surv…
E7 - Standing Tall

March 17, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

Arvin, Carla and others see their day in court, but was justice served? Most of the Zion Society children are either uncooperative or unable to testify. Mike King and Reed Richards do everything they can to avoid re-traumatizing those who…
E6 - Tell Me Everything

March 10, 2026 · 56 min

The media descends on Northwood. The Zion Society children are interviewed, but many refuse to cooperate. Mike King gets a surprise call from Cedar City. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at…

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E5 - Deliver Us From Evil

March 3, 2026 · 57 min

Seventy Ogden police officers gather in the dark and move into Northwood at dawn, hitting multiple Zion Society homes at the exact same moment. The plan is simple on paper and terrifying in practice: secure the children, secure the…
E4 - The Buyer

February 24, 2026 · 54 min

Jeff Peterson has spent years trying to pull his kids out of the Zion Society - until the cult’s hunger for money creates an opening. When his ex-wife Carla asks for help selling the group’s lingerie line, “Sweet Things,” Jeff hires a…
E3 - The Alpha

February 17, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

From inside the Zion Society, Erin (heard in rare archival audio) explains how predators exploit vulnerability - love-bombing, isolation, and religion used as camouflage. In Northwood subdivision recruiter and enforcer Carla tightens her…
E2 - To Hell And Back

February 10, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

Investigator Mike King is officially assigned to investigate Erin’s allegation - quietly, urgently, and under the threat of destroyed evidence and stockpiled weapons. But Erin’s aunt isn’t waiting for law enforcement. She drives into…
E1 - What Lies Beneath

February 3, 2026 · 50 min

A pristine neighborhood in Ogden, Utah hides something rotten. When a couple move into Northwood subdivision in 1981, they’re welcomed with free landscaping, shared supplies, and a sense of family - until the community’s leader, Arvin…
Prelude: Gardens of Evil

November 13, 2025 · 6 min

Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult begins February 3rd. It was just another quiet neighborhood in small town America. At least, that's how it looked. But the immaculately groomed yards, trimmed hedges, and brightly colored…
Introducing Gardens of Evil

September 25, 2025 · 3 min

It was just another quiet neighborhood in small town America. At least, that's how it looked. But the immaculately groomed yards, trimmed hedges, and brightly colored flower gardens hid an insidious secret. More than a hundred residents…

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About the show

It was just another quiet neighborhood in small town America. At least, that's how it looked. But the immaculately groomed yards, trimmed hedges, and brightly colored flower gardens hid an insidious secret. More than a hundred residents were members of a cult called The Zion Society. Hiding in plain sight, they hoarded guns and ammunition. They created, sold, and modeled sexy lingerie. They took children away from parents and groomed them for sexual abuse. Their beliefs were centered around satisfying the perverted desires of one man - their leader: an unassuming, soft-spoken landscaper. Neighbors knew something was amiss, but it wasn't until a brave young woman broke away from the secretive group and confessed to authorities that everything began to unravel for this dangerous cult. This is the story of that unraveling told by the people who lived it.