ADDENDUM::Prosecutor drops murder charge against Micah Moore in the death of Bethany Deaton | The Kansas City Star

When I initially posted concerning the recantation of Moore's confession back in early November, there was no mention that the charges had been dropped.

“My office concluded that we could not ethically continue to pursue the case given the current evidence against Micah Moore,” Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said Friday in a statement. “The duty of the prosecutor is to seek justice, not merely to convict.”
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Baker went on to say that Deaton’s death remains a great tragedy and that the decision to drop the charge against Moore was reached after consultation with the woman’s family.
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Baker said her office acted properly in filing the charge against Moore after he confessed to suffocating Deaton. She added that prosecutors will keep the case as an open investigation.

I am a bit confused as to why, " prosecutors will keep the case as an open investigation."

Prosecutor drops murder charge against Micah Moore in the death of Bethany Deaton | The Kansas City Star

Attorneys: Exorcism drove Micah Moore to confess to murder, but MIssouri woman's death was really suicide - CBS News

I really hate when I get - SQUIRREL -sidetracked. But an update to this story The Seven Signs You're in a Cult - Boze Herrington - The Atlantic.

Although my original post focused on the "cult" aspect, if your scroll down you will see these 2 articles Love and Death In the House of Prayer and What Rolling Stone Didn’t Tell You About Tyler Deaton. Both are excellent and offer a deep look into the details surrounding the case.

That aside is seems that Moore is now pulling the woowoo rabbit out of the hat. And to be clear, I am not dismissing the psychological damage that can be caused by his experience, but the fact that 3 days elapse between the killing and his confession makes me question some of his claim.

After turning himself in to police on Nov. 9, 2012, Moore told investigators Tyler Deaton had ordered him to kill Bethany to keep her from revealing the group's secrets, including that Tyler Deaton was having sexual relations with male group members.

But Moore's attorneys argue the confession should be thrown out. They say it isn't legitimate because it came only after an evening prayer service in which exorcisms were performed.

During an evening prayer session on Nov. 8, 2012, an International House of Prayer-affiliated group called Prisoners of Hope put "their hands on the cult members, shouting at demons to leave and scream-praying in tongues, soon had many in the group crying and yelling and falling to the floor," Moore's attorneys wrote.

BUT,,,

I also question the involvement and manipulations of IHOP.  (If you remember, my concern with Herrington's article was the reliance on IHOPs "7 Signs" rubric in defining a cult.)

",,,scared of the negative exposure Bethany’s death may bring to IHOP, leaders move to break up Deaton’s group and distance themselves from Deaton, a four year graduate of their Bible school and a staff member, hoping that if he goes home to Texas the news will shortly blow over" 

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"The emotional healing session was lead by Prisoners of Hope, who IHOP brought work with the members of Tyler’s group."

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in court.

Attorneys: Exorcism drove Micah Moore to confess to murder, but MIssouri woman's death was really suicide - CBS News

The Seven Signs You're in a Cult - Boze Herrington - The Atlantic

Although I am glad to see that the author is out of the clutches of this Tyler character, I am disturbed by his reliance on IHOP's "7 Signs" rubric. It is suffice to say, a false measure designed to incriminate any group not based in their brand of Christianity.

If one where to look at Diane Benscoter made as well in her TEDTalk:

What really caught my attention was Benscoter's use of the "Us vs Them" mentality A dichotomy I have noticed in regards to Nephilim Eschatology and the Ancient Alien Hypothesis: ,,,[a]nd the most dangerous part of this is that is creates "us" and "them," "right" and "wrong," "good" and "evil." And it makes anything possible. Makes anything rationalizable.

And for anyone who follows what I write, this Us/Them dichotomy is IMHO a big issue in regards to the Dominionist/Theocratic movement as well.

But I digress,,,

Many moons ago I read an article that talked of symptoms of cult membership rather than characteristics. Whiston, in attempting to move away from the "negative connotation" that the word cult entails (the bizarre nature of the group's belief), felt that by focusing on characteristics a more accurate picture would emerge. His focus is on the "behavioral, cognitive, and organizational impact the belief system has on the participants."

1] A belief in the core cult dogma that is independent of facts, logic, or even one’s own intuition. In other words an absolute and blind acceptance of any information provided by cult leaders and literature as undeniable fact.

2] tendency to isolate from the rest of society, often justified by the suggestion that those outside of the faith are wicked, lost, etc.

3] A compulsive need to recruit others into the cult.

4] The deriving of most or all of one’s self esteem from the cult collective and the cult dogma. Often cult members will see themselves as worthless (because this is what they are taught) and will insist that only through the practice of the cult’s teachings can they serve the world in any worthwhile manner.

5] The complete loss of individuality, logic, and objectivity. The only reasons for continued existence becomes the serving of the cult’s agenda.

So I wonder, if Herrington were to be exposed to the above list, would he still be involved in the church as he now is?

Though some of the group’s former members remained part of the prophetic movement, I mentally checked out after Bethany’s death. I joined a church in a liturgical tradition and formed a new circle of friends, many of whom had also left IHOP. I began to rethink my views on homosexuality and other marginalized groups. I also underwent counseling with IHOP leaders. During this process, I tried to renounce what I saw as harmful beliefs, including the conviction that our group had been messengers called to battle the forces of the anti-Christ. To my surprise and dismay, they told me, “No, Tyler was right about that. You need to pray out loud for God to show you your calling.”

The Seven Signs You're in a Cult - Boze Herrington - The Atlantic

See also: 
Love and Death In the House of Prayer

What Rolling Stone Didn’t Tell You About Tyler Deaton

How to Recognize Cults: 7 Characteristics

Massachusetts IHOP owner fined $100K for forcing staff to pay when patrons walked out on the check | The Raw Story

The owner of an IHOP in West Springfield, Mass., will pay $100,000 to settle charges of abusing labor law, including billing waitstaff for breaks they didn’t take and meals they didn’t eat, and forcing them to pay for the meals of diners who skipped out on the check.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced the settlement with Robert Max Evans and RME Enterprises Friday.Robert Max Evans

Coakley noted that wait staff were required to pay from their tips the full meal costs of customers who left without paying their bills, were required to share their tips with non-wait staff, and were required to pay from their wages the full meal costs of any meals for which a mistake was alleged to have been made. Employees were also required to pay from their wages for broken dishware, and were subject to meal deductions from their wages when no meals were eaten.


Massachusetts IHOP owner fined $100K for forcing staff to pay when patrons walked out on the check | The Raw Story