Warren Elron

**Warren Darius Elron** (born **Warren Smythe**) was a cult leader, con artist and proxy killer.

## Background

At some point in his life, former minister Warren Smythe changed his name to Warren Elron and founded an apocalyptic Christian cult named Children of the Promised Land. He managed to attract countless followers (most of them outcasts and derelicts) he brainwashed into venering him as a saint. By convincing his disciples to deprive themselves of their assets, he established several worship places throughout Maryland. All the while, he began to also preach on live broadcast. After he and his followers relocated to an upstate secluded compound, Elron's activities came under scrutiny of Leland Cutler, a newly-elected city councilman, who was investigating suspicions of brainwashing and abuses within the cult.

## Proxy Murders and Suicide

Growing paranoid, Elron ordered Howard Anderton, and four others of his most zealots followers, to attract Cutler and his entourage inside an abandoned warehouse (by convincing them it was to be converted in a house of worship of the cult) and kill them all by shooting. After the massacre, Elron's followers were ordered to commit suicide by drinking cyanide-laced drinks. Questioned by the authorities on the event, he denied having anything to do with the murders, instead lamenting on TV that his religious beliefs were being persecuted by the government. Eventually, a cult member revealed the murders were indeed ordered by Elron. The latter, after engaging in a standoff with the FBI, resolved ending his own life, along with several of his followers, through a self-inflicted gunshot.

## Modus Operandi

Elron conned, manipulated and brainwashed his followers for years, employing seclusion, sex, abuse, and humiliation as means to achieve total control over their living. Eventually, he ended up being able to convince at least some of them to commit murders, and subsequently take their own lives, on behalf of him.

## Known Victims

* Unnamed dates and locations:
	+ Countless members of his cult (either conned, brainwashed or abused by him or other members)
		- Leland Cutler (shot to death by his followers on behalf of him)
		- Lisa Miller (member of Cutler's entourage; shot to death by his followers on behalf of him)
		- Tom Hollister (member of Cutler's entourage; shot to death by his followers on behalf of him)
		- Brent Peters (member of Cutler's entourage; shot to death by his followers on behalf of him)
		- Michael Lange (member of Cutler's entourage; shot to death by his followers on behalf of him)
		- Howard Anderton (one of his followers; committed suicide by drinking cyanide on behalf of him)
		- Elias Mitchell (one of his followers; committed suicide by drinking cyanide on behalf of him)
		- Darren Ross (one of his followers; committed suicide by drinking cyanide on behalf of him)
		- Robert Lewis (one of his followers; committed suicide by drinking cyanide on behalf of him)
		- Matthew Finney (one of his followers; committed suicide by drinking cyanide on behalf of him)
	+ Second Day:
		- Several of his followers present at the compound and elsewhere during the standoff (committed suicide in a variety of ways on behalf of him)

## Real-Life Inspiration

* Jim Jones: a former pastor and cult leader. When, in 1978, his Guyana-based congregation, Jonestown, was visited by U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan and his entourage (who were investigating allegations of human right abuses at the hands of Jones and other members of his Peoples Temple), he orchestrated the Port Kaituma airstrip shooting of the latters (which caused five fatalities, including Ryan) and the infamous Jonestown's mass murder-suicide, during the course of which 909 cult members either poisoned themselves, were compelled to do it or were shot to death. Jones eventually joined his followers and committed suicide by gunshot as well. Elron's first name is a hint to him, as Jones' middle name was Warren.
* Charles Manson: another infamous cult leader. In 1969, Manson pushed his followers (members of his so-called "family") into committing a mass murder (one of the victims was Roman Polaski's wife and famous actress Sharon Tate) and several other killings. He was finally arrested and incarcerated along with his acolytes, also thanks to the testimony of one of his former disciples, Linda Kasabian. Manson died in 2017.
* David Koresh: the Branch Davidians cult leader whom, in 1993, engaged in a standoff with the ATF and the FBI (which were executing a warrant over child abuse, statutory rape and illegal possession of firearms and explosives allegations). 51 days later, the siege ended with the explosion of the Davidians' complex and the death of 76 members of the cult, including Koresh. Just like Koresh's surname means "Cyrus", one part of Elron's full name is a hint to another persian emperor: Darius.
* His surname is a hint to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard (his abbreviated first name and middle name are pronounced "elron").
* Elron also shares traits with three other infamous cult leaders: Shoko Asahara, Marshall Applewhite and Rajneesh.