Plot Synopsis

Using re-creations, original photographs, and first-person interviews with the person who once lived in a cult, this series chronicles the lives of former cult members who escaped the clutches of oppressive leaders. Each 60-minute episode features the stories of one or two former cult members, including: Leslie Wagner-Wilson, who escaped Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones and the largest murder-suicide in history; Susan Justice, who abandoned her family, which was forcing her a steady diet of David Berg's twisted teachings, convincing his followers to live a life of questionable morality, prostitution and institutionalized pedophilia; Flora Jessop, who left the FLDS in Colorado City, AZ, after suffering sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, while under the constant scrutiny of "The God Squad"; Maura Schmierer (pictured), who left the Aggressive Christianity Mission Training Corps after being forced to beat her children; and many more men and women who were brave enough to escape from cults.