Kenyan Cult Leader Convicted in Mass Starvation Deaths of 191

A Kenyan court has found cult leader Paul Mackenzie and approximately 30 co-defendants guilty of murder in connection with the deaths of 191 people, primarily children, who were instructed to starve themselves in the belief they would meet Jesus. The grim discovery of bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola forest led to Mackenzie's arrest and subsequent trial.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Mackenzie, a self-proclaimed pastor, led a doomsday sect that ordered followers to fast to death for salvation. The case has highlighted one of the most horrific cult-related tragedies in recent history, with ongoing concerns for the welfare of children of the accused, some of whom are reportedly still being starved weeks before their own trial.