The Brethren was a cult founded by Mother.
History[]
Origin[]
The Brethren was founded by Mother as a "family" for New York City's homeless population. Their stronghold and base of operations was a rat-infested building called Gehenna.[1]
Brethren Holy War[]
William Blake Obsession[]
In 1967, Mother grew obsessed with the work of William Blake. Reading Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell sent Mother into a holy frenzy, causing her and the gang-cult "children" to go on a spree of ritual killings and kidnappings, somehow avoiding the attention of police and masked vigilantes.[1]
Ritual Killings[]
On January 7, 1968, the Brethren kidnapped a 45-year-old man, stabbed him in the chest, drained all of his blood for a religious ritual, and disposed of the is body. The New York City Police Department's Special Investigations division discover the victim's corpse just off Houston Street, but are unable to identify him. This murder kicks off the investigation into the Brethren killings.
On March 14th, 1968, the Brethren strangle a woman named Marianne Eliot and leave her body in an alley near Roehman Avenue. Her body is discovered, with a pinned note stating, "The cut worm forgives the plow". Two days later, the NYPD's Special Investigations division documented Eliot's murder in its files on the Brethren killings.
On May 15th, 1968, the Brethren kidnapped a person near Wicker Park, stabbed the victim eleven times, decapitated the individual, and drained all the blood from the body for use in their religious ritual.[1]
Investigation[]
Ben Richter, an investigative reporter with the New York Gazette, spends months working to expose the Brethren. In the course of his research, he paid street youths to keep tabs on the gang's activities for him.[1]
Defection[]
A member of the Brethren left the gang, no longer able to stomach its violent actions.[1]