It’s Finally Here! A Hard Story… and Why It Matters

This podcast examines one of the largest ritual sexual abuse cases in Utah history, a case that unfolded quietly in a suburban neighborhood, hid in plain sight for more than a decade, and left lasting damage on women and children whose voices were never truly heard.

Before I walk you through the first episode, it’s important to understand the scope of this project. This is a seven-episode series, and what you’re reading here represents only the beginning. Just as important: all of my proceeds from this podcast are being directed toward child advocacy efforts and an endowed criminal justice scholarship at Weber State University. This project isn’t just about telling a story; it’s about doing something meaningful with it.

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Episode 1: What Lies Beneath

The first episode takes you back to the early 1980s, long before the Zion Society became a criminal investigation. This is the story of how it began: quietly, deceptively, and under the guise of generosity, faith, and community.

Listeners meet Ron and Jackie Van Beekum, a young couple who move into a picture-perfect Ogden neighborhood called Northwood. Their new neighbors seem unusually kind. The lawns are immaculate. The help is constant. Landscaping, food storage, home improvements, all provided freely by a soft-spoken, charismatic man named Arvin Shreve.

But Episode 1 isn’t really about lawns or food storage. It’s about grooming. Over time, what feels like neighborly support turns into dependence. Religious discussions begin to shift. Boundaries blur. Money, authority, and spiritual manipulation quietly change hands. By the time the Van Beekums realize what’s happening, they are emotionally isolated, financially entangled, and afraid of what might happen if they leave.

This episode lays the groundwork for everything that follows. It shows how cults don’t start with abuse; they start with trust. And by the time something feels wrong, the cost of walking away feels unbearable.

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Why This Podcast Exists

Gardens of Evil exists because silence protected this abuse for too long. It exists because survivors deserve to be heard, carefully, respectfully, and truthfully. And it exists because understanding how manipulation works is one of the strongest tools, we have to prevent it from happening again. This series is not sensational. It is not graphic. It is deliberate, survivor-centered, and rooted in documented investigation and lived experience.

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A Simple Ask

If this episode resonates with you, I’m asking you to stay with this story. Listen to the full seven-part series. Share it with someone who cares about protecting children. Talk about it. These stories only matter if they’re heard and every listen helps support child advocacy work and an endowed criminal justice scholarship at Weber State University. This project exists because silence once protected abuse. Your support helps ensure that silence doesn’t return.

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Subscribe Right Now and Share the Link

Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform here: https://go.gamutpodcasts.com/americannightmareseries

Then, share the link with your contacts and ask them to subscribe. By doing so, you’ll be helping child victims and law enforcement students.

To the Profiling Evil BOLO community, thank you for trusting me with stories this difficult and this important. Your continued support makes it possible to tell them carefully, responsibly, and in a way that puts survivors first. If you choose to listen, please do so thoughtfully. This material is heavy, but it matters.

And finally, please consider sharing this link with all your contacts and associates so that we get the story out on February 3^rd. Thank you! You can tag us with #ProfilingEvil #GardensofEvil

All the best, Mike