Trust Me: The False Prophet — Inside the FLDS Cult of Samuel Bateman

Trust Me: The False Prophet — Inside the FLDS Cult of Samuel Bateman

Author: True Crime Today April 13, 2026 Duration: 19:27

Samuel Bateman positioned himself as the heir to imprisoned FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, building a breakaway sect of roughly fifty followers along the Arizona-Utah border. By the time he was arrested during an August 2022 traffic stop in Flagstaff, Arizona, he had claimed more than twenty wives — at least ten of them under eighteen according to federal prosecutors, with the youngest reportedly nine years old. He was sentenced in December 2024 to fifty years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transport minors for criminal sexual activity and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Eleven of his adult followers were also convicted.

The Netflix documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet chronicles how cult researcher Christine Marie and her husband, videographer Tolga Katas, infiltrated Bateman's inner circle and gathered evidence that became central to the federal investigation. The footage captures Bateman openly describing abuse, followers operating under total obedience, and a community where children were given as spiritual wives while the town of Short Creek watched in silence.

Robin Dreeke, retired chief of the FBI's Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, analyzes the behavioral control mechanisms Bateman employed — isolation, religious authority, family separation, and enforced compliance — and examines why some of his adult followers remain loyal even after his conviction, while all nine of his identified underage victims have since testified against him.

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Each week, Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary cuts through the noise of the daily headlines to examine the darker stories unfolding in real time. Hosted by Tony Brueski and presented by True Crime Today, this isn't just a recap of events; it's a deep, analytical dive into the cases that dominate the news cycle, asking the difficult questions that often go unasked. You'll hear detailed commentary on ongoing trials, breaking developments in high-profile investigations, and discussions on the societal and psychological patterns that these crimes reveal. The podcast operates at the intersection of news and thoughtful analysis, providing context where there is often only sensation. Rather than simply presenting facts, Tony engages with the material, offering a perspective that challenges listeners to think critically about the true crime stories they believe they know. It’s for those who follow the news with a keen eye and want to understand the "why" behind the "what." Tune in for a sober, engaging conversation that treats these serious subjects with the depth they demand, making this a standout offering in the true crime genre for anyone seeking more than surface-level reporting.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Podcast Episodes
Bateman's Playbook: How a Nobody Built a Cult in Three Years | Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:16
You've heard what Samuel Bateman did. Twenty wives. Children as young as nine. Fifty years in federal prison. But the part the Netflix doc Trust Me: The False Prophet can only gesture at is the how — the behavioral mecha…
Gilgo Beach Plea, Ellerup Suit, Kepner Cruise Ship Indictment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:32
Defense attorney Bob Motta and retired FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program Chief Robin Dreeke examine the legal strategy and behavioral dynamics across three cases that converged simultaneously — each one…
Larry Millete: Nine Bangs, a Dead Phone, a Missing Mom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:05
At 4:42 PM on January 7, 2021, a camera captures Maya Millete walking toward her front door. No camera in the neighborhood ever records her walking away.Between that moment and 6:45 the next morning — when Larry Millete…
Anna Kepner: What the Cruise Ship Indictment Just Revealed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:06
The sealed case is open. The charges are public. And they are worse than anyone anticipated.Timothy Hudson, the 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner, has been indicted by a federal grand jury as an adult on charges of…
Raised Inside IBLP: The Children the System Consumed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:41
The Advanced Training Institute didn't educate children. It produced members.ATI was IBLP's closed homeschooling system — fifty-four "wisdom booklets" filtering every subject through Bill Gothard's theology. Families cou…
Rex Heuermann Admitted to a Victim Nobody Saw Coming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:40
The guilty plea Rex Heuermann entered in Suffolk County Court did not come from a sudden crisis of conscience. It came from a legal defense that had exhausted every option and a defendant who chose to negotiate the terms…
Gilgo Lawsuit Targets Ellerup and Daughter's Profits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:07
The first civil lawsuit filed by a Gilgo Beach victim's family member doesn't just target Rex Heuermann. It goes after the people who lived with him. Benjamin Torres — the son of Valerie Mack, whose dismembered remains w…