A Kenyan cult leader who oversaw the deaths of more than 100 of his followers appeared in court Tuesday.
Paul Mackenzie was briefly released after a bail hearing in a lower court before he was rearrested for transport to a higher court.
Mackenzie is the pastor and leader of the Good News International Church, which was based on his massive property near the coastal city of Malindi.
Since mid-April, more than 100 bodies have been found on the property, which extends into the Shakahola Forest. Additionally, dozens of emaciated and starving survivors have been rescued by authorities. At least eight of those followers have died in the ensuing days.
Overwhelmed medical examiners have performed 40 autopsies so far, determining most of the victims died from starvation, strangulation or suffocation.
Authorities expect to find more bodies on Mackenzie’s property, though the search has been slowed in recent days due to heavy rain.
Investigators said Mackenzie ordered his followers to starve to death as a quicker path to meet Jesus. Sources told Reuters that Mackenzie predicted the world would end on April 15 and encouraged followers to kill themselves so they could enter heaven first.
In 2017, Mackenzie was charged in connection with the deaths of two children at his church. He’s also been charged with various technical violations of Kenyan law. However, none of the charges ever stuck, and he remained free.
Mackenzie’s wife, Rhoda Maweu, was also arrested Monday night after weeks on the run. Several other cult leaders had been detained earlier and appeared in court alongside Mackenzie on Tuesday.
The group was released together from the lower court in Malindi before they were rearrested and taken to a hearing at a higher court in Shanzu, a suburb of Mombasa. Their next hearing is scheduled for Friday.