Kriti Mehrotra
As a news magazine that explores an extensive array of real-life mysteries with the help of in-depth investigations, NBC’s ‘Dateline’ has been a staple for true-crime fans since its premiere in 1992. From harrowing kidnappings to mysterious deaths to brutal murders, it covers every matter in a manner that gives us a glimpse into the realities of what transpired and why. Thus, of course, its episode ‘The Ascension of Mother God,’ profiling the demise of Amy Carlson, is no different. And if you’re curious to know the details of this perplexing case, we’ve got you covered.
How Did Amy Carlson Die?
Lia “Amy” Carlson Stroud, a former McDonald’s employee from Texas, was the leader of the now-defunct obscure religious foundation Love Has Won (LHW) when she passed away. This group has been characterized as a cult by many, and a Vice News Documentary from March 2021 stated that she, the “Mother God,” promised her followers “an alternative reality” if they adhered to their path. Amy’s teachings were a bit fantastical, and she claimed to be on her 534th reincarnation to save the planet, with a couple of them being Jesus Christ and Marilyn Monroe.
Amy even believed that she could speak to the soul and spirit of late actor Robin Williams and cure cancer. However, all this came to a shocking end around April 2021, when the 45-year-old’s mummified remains were found in a secluded cul-de-sac near Moffat, Colorado. On the 28th, a resident of the home went to the police station to report a dead body, stating that he noticed it soon after returning home after being away for a while. Officials raided the house around midnight and were confounded by how the other seven residents seemed unbothered by the corpse.
After all, they could recognize the badly decomposed remains in the back bedroom from the hall between the kitchen and living room, which looked settled in a shrine of sorts. The woman was unquestionably ensconced in a sleeping bag wrapped with Christmas lights, and glitter had been applied around her empty eye sockets. Furthermore, her skin was grey, and her teeth were showing through her lips. It took a while, but DNA testing eventually confirmed that the body was Amy Carlson’s. Her followers did not deem it death but rather an “ascension” to a higher domain.
Although Amy’s cause of death has not yet been determined, according to her and many of her disciples, she was battling cancer and was paralyzed from the waist down, which her family thinks wasn’t treated or affirmed by medical professionals. Authorities also believe that Amy passed away in California – where she was last seen alive on April 10 – and was subsequently moved to Colorado to be around her LHW followers. They’ve even revealed that she was ingesting large amounts of colloidal silver as a group-assumed covid-19 cure, despite the FDA warning them against it.
Was Amy Carlson Killed?
The seven individuals and suspected LHW followers at the residence from where Amy’s body was recovered were arrested and indicted on April 28 itself on a couple of counts each, including abuse of a corpse and tampering with a deceased human body. All seven were further charged with two misdemeanors for child neglect and abuse since a 13-year-old and 2-year-old were in the house when officers arrived to investigate. By September end, though, it came to light that the counts on all seven were dropped, but it’s unclear why.
There have been no public records intimating that Amy was murdered, yet her family still has questions surrounding her death. It does not appear as if they stayed extremely close since she left everything behind to join the cult, but it doesn’t matter anymore; they want answers. Her younger sister spoke to BBC and admitted that she always feared Amy’s LHW leadership would end with a tragedy. “We know she’s not completely innocent in this whole situation because she chose to join this cult,” Amy’s sister declared. “But at the same time, she doesn’t deserve what happened to her in the end. No human being deserves that.”
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