The Ant Hill Kids Cult : Bonus Episode

The Ant Hill Kids were one of the most disturbing cults in North American history. Deep in rural Canada, a self-proclaimed prophet named Roch Thériault—who called himself “Moses”—built a secluded commune where he controlled every part of his followers’ lives. What started as a doomsday religious group quickly became a violent dictatorship involving starvation, torture, forced “surgeries,” and horrific abuse carried out under the guise of divine punishment.

In this episode, we explore Thériault’s rise, how he isolated and manipulated young followers, the brutal crimes committed inside the commune, the deaths caused by his sadistic rituals, and the survivor whose escape finally brought him down. This is the shocking, real story of The Ant Hill Kids—where faith turned deadly.

CITED SOURCES:

• Hill, T. The Ant Hill Kids: The Courage of Gabrielle Lavallée. ECW Press, 1993.

• CBC News. The Fifth Estate – “Savage Messiah: The Ant Hill Kids”. CBC Television, 1994.

• O’Hara, M. “Inside the Ant Hill Kids Cult.” Toronto Star, Investigative Report, 1989.

• Radio-Canada. “Les Enfants de Moïse” – Survivor Interviews with Gabrielle Lavallée, Radio-Canada, 1990.

• R. v. Thériault, Quebec Superior Court, 1993 (Sentencing & Evidence Summary).

• Correctional Service Canada. “Case File: Roch ‘Moses’ Thériault,” Death Record, 2011.

• Welner, M. “The Mind of a Cult Leader: Roch Thériault.” Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, Vol. 10, No. 3, 1999.