KallMeKris

And of course, the media circus followed, attempting to grab any photos and information they could get their hands on.

and images of corpses still on their bunks with their fresh black and white Nikes clearly visible in what almost seemed like a dark ad for the brand.

And even Saturday Night Live would run a skit poking fun at the cult's Nikes, and clips of the strange exit videos left by Heaven's Gate members were aired on TV networks.

And the public as a whole found the situation hard to understand.

And they weren't forced or coerced.

Like in Jonestown, these people left seemingly willingly in pursuit of a sci-fi-esque salvation.

And autopsies confirmed that all deaths were from a combination of either sedative poisoning or asphyxiation.

And in the wake of the tragedy, all remaining materials, possessions of Heaven's Gate were gathered and sorted.

And the heavensgate.com website was found to essentially be their exit note, illustrating Marshall's sentiment, quote, we are happily prepared to leave this world, unquote.

And as mentioned, the site is still operational and maintained today.

And all personal items were removed from the mansion and later put up for auction by the county.

And Rio D'Angelo engaged in a legal battle with the county over ownership rights of Heaven's Gate's sole business asset.

higher source.

But the county treated it like any other part of the estate and liquidated the business, giving proceeds to the families of the deceased.

And though the initial shock and awe of the Heaven's Gate mass exit had essentially worn off within a few months, the situation left a number of unanswered questions that people would debate for years to come.

Because how is it that so many seemingly educated and intelligent people could be convinced

to exit in such a strange way.

And what does this say about the power of charismatic people in the search for meaning and purpose in life?

Marshall's life journey from devoutly religious southern preacher's son, family man, music teacher, and performer to self-proclaimed prophet of an apocalyptic UFO cult remains to be one of the most fascinating cautionary tales in recent history.

What began as a rather ordinary story quickly became shaped by a number of personal crises mixed with an unmet spiritual purpose.