Vol. 9, No. 8, 1992

Articles on the Occult

Satan's Underground, the shocking true story by an adult survivor of years of sexual abuse and bizarre satanic ritual, is not true after all, according to a team of Christian researchers.

Bob and Gretchen Passantino of Answers in Action Ministry, Costa Mesa California along with Jon Trott of the magazine, CORNERSTONE, Chicago, Illinois have released documented charges that Lauren Stratford's book Satan's Underground is an example, "...of how one woman's gruesome fantasy was twisted into seeming fact." (CORNERSTONE, Vol. 18 Issue 90 p.24)

Lauren Stratford, whose real name is Laurel Willson, gained a tremendous amount of public exposure in 1988 when Harvest House Publishers released her book which details a graphic account of pornography, human sacrifice, satanic ritual, and "snuff" films.

She has since appeared on TV's "Oprah Winfrey," "Geraldo," and Pat Robertson's "700 Club" in addition to countless radio programs.

Her first book, Satan's Underground, has over 145,000 in print and a second book, "I Know You're Hurting," has now been published bringing with it further opportunities for publicity.

In a press release and detailed article, the research team explain, "It's a great story, but our investigation has revealed that the facts of Lauren Stratford's life contradict the claims she's made in 'Satan's Underground'."

The full expose, published in Jesus People USA's CORNERSTONE MAGAZINE, portrays Stratford as an "emotionally disturbed" woman saying, "...we know that Laurel's book conflicts with known history, and over the past twenty years, she has not only given contradictory stories, but those who knew her testify that she has been disturbed and manipulative" (ibid, p.28).

The alleged contradictions include a number of significant differences between the Stratford's current story and testimonies of people she knew during the book's critical years. Among many other discrepancies the article lists:

"ABUSE: Laurel says 1985 first time able to admit she was abused. Yet multiple accusations of abuse over thirty years against mother/ father/ bother-in-law/ school personnel/ lesbian church members/ pornography and prostitution rings."

"SATANISM: 1985 first mentioned involvement with satanism, after two major satanic ritual abuse cases became news. This contradicts all her previous abuse stories."

"HER SCARS: blamed on mother/ pornographers/ prostitution leaders/ and/or satanists. Actually three people observed her cutting herself, others told by Laurel her wounds were self- inflicted."

"HER `CHILDREN': varying stories: she's sterile/ had two children killed in snuff films/ three children killed, two in snuff films, one in satanic ritual/ says she had children during teenage years/ her twenties/ lived two years in a breeder warehouse. In reality, no evidence she was ever pregnant...."

"CHILD PORN: States in "Satan's Underground" she was involved in child porn films and magazines during the forties and fifties. According to FBI experts, child porn films and magazines were all but nonexistent during this time." (ibid p.27)

Bob Passantino gave further evidence of problems stating, "For example, she claims in "Satan's Underground" that her involvement in satanic rituals ended shortly after her father's death (which was January 4, 1965), but we have testimony of people who knew her in 1985 who say she claimed to be STILL attending satanic rituals at that time, and she claimed on a video interview in 1986 that she hadn't stopped. That's a discrepancy of twenty YEARS." (Press Release p.2)

Co-author Jon Trott shared difficulties in trying to verify her story, saying, "Both Harvest House Publishers and Lauren Stratford maintained on numerous occasions that she could document her story, Hal Lindsey threatened on his television show to expose satanists with his claims of having her documentation.

"But Harvest House Publishers provided us with no documentation. Hal Lindsey's sister-in-law, author Johanna Michaelsen, admitted to us that Hal had been bluffing...." (ibid)

The researchers talked with a number of people who knew Stratford and had firsthand knowledge of her past.

Co-author Gretchen Passantino noted, "One of the consistent patterns that emerged from their testimonies was that Stratford seemed very manipulative, a self-mutilator, and told stories to gain sympathy. Several of her friends from those years said that when Stratford was caught telling a story that wasn't true, she would eventually admit that she did it for attention." (ibid)

Although critical of the story, the writers explained they were not attempting to attack Willson personally. "This article is not a condemnation of Laurel Willson.... Laurel evidently has been emotionally disturbed for most of her life. Emotionally disturbed people should receive compassion and empathy from their friends and other Christians...."

"The story of "Satan's Underground" is not true, but Laurel's emotional distress is real. Our Prayer is that she gets the help she needs." (CORNERSTONE p.28)

The researchers explained their motives for publishing the expose saying, "'Satan's Underground' has become the basis, the foundation, for Lauren Stratford's authority as an expert on ritualistic abuse and as a counselor of other victims. Because to story is not true, her foundation is illusory, and her expertise and counseling qualifications are nonexistent."

"That is why this investigation had to be conducted, and this article had to be written. As Laurel's old friend who nearly ended her own life told us, `I don't want to see her counseling anyone. If she counsels other people as she did me, there are going to be a lot of people in real trouble.'" (ibid)