The leader of an internet doomsday cult who disappeared in WA a decade ago told online followers he was planning a suicide pact involving his partner, five-year-old daughter and another man, an inquest has heard.
However one of his overseas disciples or so-called ‘servers’, a US woman, advised him against it, saying it would constitute murder to involve his child.
Gary Felton, a self-styled spiritual leader who went by the alias Simon Kadwell, predicted a looming doomsday or judgment day in several books he sold on his website.
Chantelle McDougall, her daughter Leela, cult leader Gary Felton and flatmate Tony Popic
However the 45-year-old had been increasingly despondent about life in posts leading up to disappearing in July 2007 along with his partner Chantelle McDougall, 27, daughter Leela and friend Tony Popic.
Three of his followers in North America committed suicide.
A coronial inquest is being held over three days in Busselton this week into what is one of the nation’s most unusual missing persons mysteries.
No trace of the four people has been found since they disappeared.
Coroner Barry King suggested to investigator Senior Sergeant Greg Balfour that it was difficult to be sure beyond reasonable doubt that they were dead because of possible sightings, the possibility they left by boat, and Mr Felton’s history of having false identities.
‘Yes, I could not say one way or the other that they were missing persons or deceased,’ said Sen-Sgt Balfour, who investigated the case.
Gary Felton was a self-styled spiritual leader who went by the alias Simon Kadwell
Simon Kadwell and daughter Leela pictured before they disappeared in 2007
When the group disappeared they left all of their furniture in the Nannup farmhouse they rented, and their computer and other electronic gadgets.
However they sold their dogs and cars, took all of their clothes and the house had been cleaned and was ‘spotless’, said landlord Elizabeth Crouch.
They told numerous people and left a note at the farmhouse stating that they were moving to Brazil to live an alternate lifestyle in an Amazonian religious group.
Mr Felton was described in court as an odd and quiet person who did not have a job, stayed up all night on his computer and slept during the day.
He tried to ban Leela from seeing her grandparents, who would ‘poison her’, and had a psychological and controlling hold over Ms McDougall and Mr Popic, who were described as ‘avid followers’ and ‘subservient’, despite the fact they were hard workers who provided the income he lived off.
A coronial inquest is being held over three days in Busselton this week into what is one of the nation’s most unusual missing persons mysteries (Chantelle McDougall and her daughter Leela)
Mr Felton was described in court as an odd and quiet person who did not have a job, stayed up all night on his computer and slept during the day
Sen-Sgt Balfour said Mr Felton was skilled at manipulating people and had stolen the identity of the real Simon Kadwell, a former colleague in his native UK.
The police investigation failed to find any evidence of any of the four after their disappearance, including in Brazil.
Mr Popic – and possibly Mr Kadwell – likely travelled under false names on trains to Kalgoorlie and Bunbury on the same week.
Their bank accounts were never accessed.
Four days after the family told friends they were headed for Brazil, a Tam Airlines domestic flight crashed, killing 181 passengers
Four days after the family told friends they were headed for Brazil, a Tam Airlines domestic flight crashed, killing 181 passengers.
More than 70 of the bodies were so badly burnt they were never identified.
WA Police missing persons squad liaised with Brazlian authorities to determine whether the family were among the victims.
According to the passenger manifest, their names were not listed, but Mr Felton’s reported history of forging identity documents complicated the investigation.
According to the passenger manifest, their names were not listed, but Mr Felton reportedly had a history of forging identity documents
Chantelle McDougall said Chantelle told the family she was going to Brazil to live in a commune to ‘help people’ and were never heard from since
Speaking of his daughter Chantelle’s disappearance, Jim McDougall said he still lived with the guilt.
‘It’s really a big emotional roller coaster that you’re on, and you can’t get off it,’ he said in an episode of SBS program Insight this year.
Chantelle’s mother Catherine McDougall said she had a gut feeling something strange was going on with her daughter before the family went missing.
‘A passport for Leela has come while I was there, but they didn’t say anything about it. Simon took it and put it away,’ she said.
‘I wish I had asked more questions and tried to find out more, but I thought, she’s an adult. She’s got her life.’
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.