For some context Melissa was kidnapped the very first time the woman came to babysit her, and the woman made efforts to disguise herself, so it is not clear whether the woman who raised Melissa is in fact the woman who kidnapped her.

Interestingly in the podcast on this, “Baby”, Melissa says that she does not remember her younger brother being born. She says that he just appeared one day as a toddler. It does not appear that there has been any public information released about whether police are investigating this angle of the case.

The sad thing is it was a stupid online argument. Basically someone insulted the Hindu deity Lord Shiva and he responded by insulting Mohammed. He immediately realized he fucked up, deleted it and posted an apology video but it was too late as someone had screenshotted it and they sentenced him to death.

https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/saudi-arabia-blasphemy-case-sri-lankan-hindu-death-row-facebook-comment-itspc-3012293-2026-10-09

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/07/16/melbourne-officer-resigns-15-days-after-bodycam-shows-police-taking-down-wrong-teen/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onfim

In January 1980, the Japanese man Hogen Fukunaga claimed to have received a spiritual revelation and began presenting himself as the final savior of humanity and the reincarnation of Buddha and Jesus in a single body. Later, he founded a religious organization called Ho No Hana Sanpogyo, popularly known as the foot reading sect or the foot fetish sect.

According to his teachings, feet could reveal personality, destiny, family problems, and even illnesses a person would suffer in the future. But behind these supposed foot readings, a system developed that exploited fear of illness, family misfortunes, and a catastrophic future to obtain enormous sums of money.

Some people were warned that they would develop terminal illnesses, others that their children might self-harm, or that their families would suffer terrible misfortunes. A foot reading could cost around 100,000 yen, about $600 at the time, while seminars and multi-day retreats ranged from 1.25 to 2.5 million yen, or $8,000 to $15,000 at the time. Devotees were also pressured to buy religious artifacts for exorbitant amounts.

The sect boasted some 2,000 committed followers, and it is estimated that between 22,000 and 30,000 people from all over Japan visited its clinics and centers. It is also estimated that the sect managed around 87 billion yen, about $500 million at the time. Meanwhile, Fukunaga enjoyed a life of luxury.

In 2000, Japanese authorities arrested Hogen Fukunaga along with 23 other people from his inner circle. The investigation focused on the fraud and the readings used to scare victims into giving up their money. Hogen was sentenced to 12 years in prison and disappeared from public life after serving his sentence.

Video about the terrifying story of the foot fetish cult. The strange cult of Japanese man Hogen Fukunaga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej9sCuI_x6k

Not all destructive cults resort to physical violence to subdue their members. Some find other ways to exploit fear, desperation, and the need for answers. In Japan, during the 1980s and 90s, a man appeared who claimed to have received a divine revelation that allowed him to discover people's ailments simply by examining their feet.

His name was Hogen Fukunaga, and under the promise of healing both body and spirit, he built a colossal pseudo-religious organization that gathered thousands of followers and amassed enormous sums of money. But behind those supposed foot readings lay a method of manipulation based on absolute fear. His victims could end up convinced that they suffered from terminal illnesses, that their families were in danger, or that misfortune awaited them if they did not obey all of the leader's instructions, including handing over all their money.

Video about the terrifying story of the foot fetish cult. The strange cult of Japanese man Hogen Fukunaga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej9sCuI_x6k