Murder at Ryans Run: exposing the cult of John Africa

July 2nd resonates with profound significance – marking both the launch of this podcast four years ago and the day Pixie Africa broke free from MOVE with her five children. That courageous exodus, described as "driving a tank through a concrete wall," shattered decades of silence and control, allowing truth to finally emerge from within the organization. This date now stands as an Independence Day for MOVE survivors – a powerful counterpoint to the dates MOVE itself commemorates. When those ...

“I love y’all so much. Ain’t nothing I wouldn’t do for y’all.” —John Africa (Vincent Leaphart), founder of MOVEThanks to a confidential source, we gained access to dozens of private MOVE letters sent to incarcerated followers. At first glance, some of these letters appear warm, loyal, even loving - representative of what MOVE says they are - a chosen "family". But beneath the surface lies a deeply sophisticated system of control. Using Dr. Robert J. Lifton’s landmark framework for thought re...

When MOVE feels threatened, they turn to friendly media outlets to control their narrative. This episode takes you inside a revealing 2005 WURD Radio broadcast where MOVE members responded to a Fox News segment about the unsolved murder of John Gilbride. The previously unreleased audio exposes how cult propaganda works in real-time. Ramona Africa, MOVE's Minister of Information, leads a coordinated response where members employ classic manipulation tactics: denying involvement in John's murd...

A powerful moment in 1999 captures everything you need to know about how MOVE operated. When Rage Against the Machine held a benefit concert for Mumia Abu-Jamal, they didn't just pack an arena with passionate fans—they delivered approximately $75,000 straight into MOVE's coffers. The organization's leadership understood that Mumia's case was their golden ticket to Hollywood, mainstream visibility, financial support, and fresh recruits. Here is the Howard Stern show mentioned - TC 01:30...

The shadows of Philadelphia's MOVE organization stretch far beyond the infamous 1985 bombing on Osage Avenue. Through an exclusive interview with Richard Garland—a former gang member who encountered MOVE while incarcerated at Holmesburg Prison—we uncover the cult's prison recruitment tactics and the mysterious figure at its center. Garland reveals his extraordinary three-day encounter with Vincent Leapheart (John Africa) through prison cell walls, describing a "soft voice that commanded you ...

This is Part 2—or as they say in France (where MOVE often solicits donations for themselves and Mumia)—Part Deux. It’s not as shocking as Part 1, but it’s still never-before-heard audio from 2001, recorded in the basement of MOVE’s Philly headquarters. A 23-year-old Mike Africa Jr. (aka Michael Davis) reflects on legacy, identity, and his self-declared natural rapping talent (pro tip: double the playback speed for that section). But tucked between the repetition and self-aggrandizing are rese...

Two days before the 1985 fire that killed 5 children and 6 adults inside 6221 Osage Avenue, MOVE’s Minister of Information, Ramona Africa, sent a letter to police: “We will burn this motherf***ing house down and burn you up with us.” This handwritten letter has been publicly available for 40 years. So why is it rarely included in books, documentaries, or retrospectives—especially now, 40 years later? This episode brings her words back into the story—and asks us all to think critically about w...

*cw: profanity and death of children It's hard to believe that an organization like MOVE, which preaches about natural foods and healthy living, could be responsible for the neglect and abuse suffered by its children. In this episode we share exclusive investigative information about Shaeida "She She" Hollaway, who disappeared from the group's care in 1978 at the age of five. Through in-depth research, we learn about MOVE's secretive practices that made it challenging for authorities to locat...

*explicit: child abuse, animal abuse and racial slurs MOVE wants the public to see them as a black liberation group and so Ria Africa has been conveniently erased from their current narrative which is why we made this entire episode all about the white rich girl named Suzy who became Sue Africa and then Ria Africa. For decades Ria has used the power given to her by MOVE founder Vincent Leaphart and then 2nd leader Alberta Wicker to abuse black children while saying she herself was...

Born into MOVE 15 years after the most deadly confrontation on Osage Avenue, Rain Africa was groomed to be a spokesperson and "fundraiser" for MOVE and Mumia Abu Jamal which she says is one in the same. Rain breaks down how MOVE deftly and deceptively uses the media, academics and "the movement". The producers of this podcast wish to stress that all individuals reference in this series are presumed innocent unless or until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court o...

This episode examines the real man behind THE COORDINATOR of MOVE, Vincent Leaphart, the leader and creator of the group who gave himself the name of JOHN AFRICA and the title of THE COORDINATOR. Vincent Leaphart, like most cult leaders, put his followers on the front line of his "revolution" and they certainly paid the price with their freedom and in some cases their lives. If you have comments, questions or information related to the podcast or our ongoing research into MOVE please r...

*CW: child neglect and abuse. MOVE has always bragged about the health/strength of the children raised in MOVE were even more exceptional because they were raised as the "pure generation" under MOVE Law - the teachings of John Africa but the reality was the children were sick with diseases like Kwashiorkor which is only seen in developing countries experiencing famine. What are the signs and symptoms of kwashiorkor? Edema (swelling with fluid, especially in the ankles and feet).Bloate...

MOVE claims that their "organization" was created by one man, a black man named Vincent Leaphart. Vincent did not create the MOVE cult by himself, he had a lot of help from a white graduate student named Donald Glassey who then escaped and became a government informant in order to stop Vincent's bomb plot. The producers of this podcast wish to stress that all individuals reference in this series are presumed innocent unless or until they are proven guilty bey...