Ramtha Followers Became Crime Targets

Expanding Frontiers Research continued to obtain records responsive to Ramtha's School of Enlightenment from the Thurston County Sheriff's Office in March and April. It brought the total number of releases to 13 since EFR submitted a records request to the Washington law enforcement agency in 2023.

Thurston County notified EFR on May 1 its response was now complete, enclosing an exemption key that explains how redactions are made and the statutory basis for material withheld per the state's Public Records Act. Find the March release, the April release, the exemption key, and the master folder of Ramtha records through the links leading to Google Drive.

Ramtha's School of Enlightenment is under the direction of J.Z. Knight, a woman who rose to popularity in the 1980s. She claims to channel a Lemurian warrior who supposedly battled residents of the mythical Atlantis 35,000 years ago, as described in her 1987 book A State of Mind. The school opened the following year.

Knight seemingly amassed substantial wealth as the channel of Ramtha. As one might suspect, her rise was not without controversy. Allegations surfaced ranging from alcohol-fueled racist rants to endangering followers on her way to becoming a major financial donor for the Mutual UFO Network and the Donald Trump political campaign. As public records obtained by EFR show, Knight was even implicated as a force behind a still-unsolved 1992 murder and robbery of one of her followers. Neither J.Z. Knight nor a representative for the Ramtha School responded to multiple emails offering opportunities to provide statements for potential inclusion in blogposts.

Material provided by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office since 2023 consists of hundreds of files, including police reports and related documents in pdf. The law enforcement agency also processed and released a variety of digital images, videos and audio recordings. The material should be examined with discretion, as violent crimes and their evidence are described and portrayed in detail.

The connection between the police records and the Ramtha School are often overt and apparent, while other times more research is necessary to identify why a file was responsive to the request. One might also bear in mind that different records for a single case may not always be grouped together in the same release obtained by EFR. It can be helpful to search the master folder - in addition to sub-folders - for more information on an incident by using the case number or key words, such as the name of a person involved.

The March release included digitally recorded witness statements for case number 14-0725, the discovery of the lifeless body of Fiona M. Regan. The deceased woman apparently shot her dog and then herself in February 2014. Neighbors entered her home and found the scene after growing concerned about her well-being. Ms. Regan was involved with the Ramtha School and a witness told police she had been participating in what was termed an “initiation.” Knight's school subsequently posted a document referencing a celebration of life for Fiona Regan.

A previously obtained report describes the home where the deceased was found. A deputy sheriff documented Ms. Regan lived “off the grid,” clarifying the power for the dwelling was from a generator. Inside the entry door were two pictures lying face down on the floor.

Detectives had been summoned to the scene, the deputy wrote, so while awaiting their arrival the officer continued examining and photographing the residence. Upstairs in a loft they found two more overturned pictures lying on the floor in the same manner as the ones inside the entry door.

“I took photos of the scene,” the deputy explained, “and it appeared that the four overturned pictures that were found were photos of JZ Knight.”

The March release also contains digital audio recordings of witness statements for case number 16-0896. Cross-referencing with previously released records, we find that Kellan Moynagh, owner of the Yelm Earthworm Casting Farm, became erratic and violent with employees in 2016. Police were summoned, at which time Mr. Moynagh turned his aggression toward the officers.

He was ranting and cussing, a report documented, about a golden eagle in the sky and how the world was coming to an end. Mr. Moynagh asserted he was going to strike the officers down since he was god and they were evil. He was ranting about being the "Master of Ramtha." Mr. Moynagh “was very agitated and kept rambling on about various things from parting the sea to 'X-File' type delusions,” a responding officer documented.

The ongoing violence and chaos reflected in these files and, in some instances, repeatedly involving the same circles of people warrants emphasis. Case 16-201064 once again finds Mr. Moynagh having interactions with police but this time as a reported victim. The case is the alleged theft of his checkbooks, money, gold, silver, and various other valuables and personal items with a reported value in excess of $200,000. The accused included a trio consisting of a “friend,” Mr. Moynagh's mother, and a representative employed at a local bank. Mr. Moynagh was apparently in jail during the months the items were reportedly stolen.

The March release also included a supplemental report on case number 07-9231, as referenced in a previous post, in which one Lee Nguyen was reportedly prospecting in 2007 for buyers for hand grenades, rifles and other explosives while attending a J.Z. Knight event. The Thurston County Sheriff's Office was alerted and subsequently advised Seattle Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which indicated it had an existing familiarity with Mr. Nguyen. He would be arrested twice in 2013 when he persisted in trying to access the 80-acre Ramtha compound, including one instance of scaling a wall within about 70 yards of Knight's home.

Images from case 17-3855, the 2017 burglary of a property formerly inhabited by a then-recently deceased Ramtha follower. Pictured left is the property's primary structure and on the right is a bunker hidden on the grounds. The burglary occurred just days after a memorial service was held at Knight's compound. A corresponding incident report states the deceased was stockpiling gold and silver, and "whoever burglarized the property would have had to have some insider information" about the death and layout of the property.

Among the dysfunctional dynamics consistently present within the Ramtha flock has been an ideology that cash and valuables should not be kept in banks. This correlates with the “off the grid” survivalist mentality. An all-too-common result was significant amounts of cash, gold, and other valuables were stored in disproportionately inexpensive structures like trailers in disrepair or makeshift bunkers in rural settings. The hoarded valuables naturally become targets of theft and violence.

As one detective put it in a 1993 murder and robbery case synopsis, Knight “caters to individuals with too much money and not enough brains.” Further complicating the circumstances, the detective added, “This has created the problem for us of handling well-to-do folks living in close proximity to those who are not. They (Ramtha followers) also embrace a survivalist lifestyle in which they horde [sic] gold and other valuables and live in underground bunkers.” 

The April records release contains three CAD reports. Those are "computer aided dispatch" records compiled for law enforcement incidents. Dozens of CAD reports have been provided since 2023. From page two of one of the recently obtained:

The above report reflects a chain of events that occurred at the Ramtha compound on June 9, 2021, when Wilburn C. Hutchinson repeatedly crashed the gates in his Toyota Tundra. Mr. Hutchinson seems to have been in much distress and police were initially informed of his escalating violent behavior by his wife. Thurston County provided many accompanying images and video clips in its September 2023 records release, as covered in a previous blogpost and referenced in an EFR video:

Thurston County Sheriff's Office recently advised EFR of the existence of more responsive audio recordings on cassette. They further explained transcripts of the recordings were already provided, and clarified they do not have the means to convert the cassettes to a digital format. Thurston County therefore requested EFR advise as to whether we require the audio recordings as part of our request.

Given the transcripts were apparently already processed and released, EFR informed the agency we do not require the audio recordings. EFR explained we would simply ask about availability or submit a new request for specific audio material in the future if a researcher expresses interest.

EFR appreciates and respects a number of things about the way Thurston County Sheriff's Office handled this sizable records request. In this writer's opinion, implementing a policy of systematically releasing the material periodically as it was processed over the past two years respected the spirit and intent of public records legislation. A less desirable alternative would have been to withhold all records until a point where they all could be released simultaneously, which would not have been until now. Thurston County's choices and policies of handling the request not only supported transparency and facilitated public access to the many records released, but allowed EFR and its readers opportunities to get started digesting, understanding, and sharing the material some 18 months ago.