Iskcon Guru to order murder of devotee
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Iskcon Guru to order murder of devotee
Sulocanas murderer, Tirtha das, testified he carried out the assassination
at the wish of his spiritual leader, Swami Bhaktipada
HARE KRISHNA MEMBER SAYS HE KILLED AT LEADER'S BEHEST
Copyright 1996 Charleston Newspapers The Charleston Gazette
April 18, 1996, Thursday, SECTION: News; Pg. P5B LENGTH: 531 words
HEADLINE:
HARE KRISHNA MEMBER SAYS HE KILLED AT LEADER'S BEHEST
MARTINSBURG (AP)- A member of a Hare Krishna fringe group testified
Wednesday that he tracked down a dissident in Michigan and attached a bumper
sticker onto the man's van to let him know he was being watched weeks before
the man's execution-style slaying.
Thomas Drescher (Tirtha) said he placed the sticker, which said "Are we
having fun yet?" on the van of Stephen Bryant (Sulocana) before tracking him
down in 1986 in Los Angeles, where he shot Bryant twice in the head.
Drescher testified he carried out the assassination at the wish of his
spiritual leader, Swami Bhaktipada.(Keith Ham)
"You have to understand that in my mind, it wasn't murder. It was
dispatching an undesirable element from the community," Drescher said.
Drescher is the prosecution's star witness against Bhaktipada, who is on
trial on six counts of mail fraud, three counts of racketeering, and one
count each of conspiracy and interstate travel to commit murder for hire.
In its indictment, the government said Bhaktipada used two murders, a
kidnapping threats and beatings to maintain control of the illegal business
scams that raised more than $ 10 million between 1981 and 1985 at the New
Vrindaban community near Moundsville in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle.
Also Wednesday, Terry Sheldon (Tapahpunja), leader of a Krishna temple in
Cleveland, testified that Bryant had been spreading rumors that Bhaktipada
was a homosexual and a child abuser.
Bryant threatened the life of Bhaktipada and others, Sheldon said.
Another dissident, Charles St. Denis (Chakradara), was shot and stabbed in
1983, he said.
Drescher was convicted in both slayings and is serving a life sentence for
murder.
Drescher testified that Bhaktipada was disgusted with St. Denis because he
was a womanizer and drug pusher. St. Denis also was seeking the return of
some of the $ 80,000 he had given Bhaktipada, he said.
But it was not until St. Denis was accused of raping a woman that Drescher
heard the first talk of killing anyone, he testified. Drescher said he went
directly to Bhaktipada and broached the subject.
"He became pensive and turned and said 'You can only offend the spiritual
master so many times,'" Drescher said.
Drescher said he and another man (Daruka - Dan Reid) killed St. Denis, then
buried the body beneath a stream bed near New Vrindaban. Drescher later
poured acid on the grave site.
Drescher said he killed Bryant three years later for spreading the same
rumors about Bhaktipada. He said he had asked Bhaktipada if he wanted Bryant
killed.
Bhaktipada replied, "Under the circumstances, it would be best," he
testified.
Drescher said he tracked Bryant's movement to Los Angeles, where he found
Bryant in his parked van near the home of a friend.
"I checked my weapon, walked up to the van, and killed him," he said.
Sheldon testified Bhaktipada's security was a concern after the leader was
beaten with an iron bar in October 1985 (by Triyogi - Michael Schockman).
The attacker was suspected to be under the influence of Bryant, Sheldon
said.
Sheldon said he participated in the surveillance of Bryant with Drescher and
told Bhaktipada of the plot to kill Bryant.