EFR Launches Online Database of Ramtha Police Records

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Expanding Frontiers Research just launched an online searchable database of records it obtained from the Thurston County (WA) Sheriff's Office responsive to Ramtha's School of Enlightenment. The latest addition to the Expanding Frontiers Archive, the public database is loaded with dozens of folders representing over 60 law enforcement cases and totaling some 1,200 files. Cases go as far back as 1992, with the latest records compiled in 2022. Expanding Frontiers Research received the material through a request it filed under the Washington Public Records Act.

The database is divided into master folders, categorized by types of incidents, such as homicides and deaths. Each of the folders hold corresponding files. A prominent category is burglary, as Ramtha followers often adopted “survivalist” lifestyles, storing valuables in modest rural homes and makeshift bunkers, circumstances that contribute to making them targets of crime.

Folders of the Ramtha's School of Enlightenment, Thurston County Sheriff's Office Database

Ramtha's School of Enlightenment was founded in 1988 by J.Z. Knight on an 80-acre property near Yelm, Washington. She claimed to channel the teachings and prophecies of Ramtha, an ancient warrior who battled the residents of mythical Atlantis. Knight and her following built one of the more widely known and financially successful alternative religions of the past 50 years.

“Ramsters,” as they came to be known, constructed bunkers and suggested a culture of self-sufficiency, but records show how the group often required public resources like police assistance. The Thurston County Sheriff's Office was called repeatedly to protect the property from violent trespassers – sometimes former “students” - who aggressively sought access to Knight or Ramtha. Police responses regularly involved coordinated support among multiple law enforcement agencies, from neighboring departments to the FBI. Two of three homicide cases investigated and responsive to the records request remain unsolved and, according to files obtained, implicate the Ramtha following.

“The database is the culmination of two years of collecting, organizing and analyzing records for publication,” explained Erica Lukes, executive director of Expanding Frontiers Research. “We submitted a request in 2023 and the sheriff's office began incrementally processing and releasing a voluminous amount of responsive material. In April 2025 we received what was the 13th and final release. We took the Ramtha records and organized them into a readily available public resource.”

Most of the files are digital law enforcement reports and photographs taken at crime scenes. Also included are audio files of witness statements recorded by officers and video clips entered into evidence.

“We are pleased to provide the database for researchers and others who will find it useful,” Lukes said. “There are meaningful stories in the files that should be preserved and accessible.”

Expanding Frontiers Research is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. It is dedicated to providing the public reliable information through proven research methods.