Episode 116: The Wakemanites
The Wakemanites were essentially a mid-1850s cult based out of New Haven, Connecticut that followed a woman named Rhoda Wakeman, who claimed to have been murdered and come back to life with the entire fate of the world in her hands.
Rhoda Wakeman (née Sly) was a hardworking housewife who was married to an abusive distiller named Ira Wakeman. The relationship continued to sour over the years, and by their 25th year of marriage the emotional torment was intense and the death threats from Ira were plentiful. Rhoda claims that one fateful night, her husband stabbed her with a hot metal brand directly in the heart, which killed her immediately. She then was dead for seven hours where she spoke to God and a band of angels who basically told her that the antichrist was going to try and kill her, and if she were to die, the whole world would end. Rhoda was then sent back to Earth.
Following her sudden revival from a brutal murder, Rhoda’s loyalty remained strong and she stayed with her husband, essentially waiting out until his demise in 1833, before she jumped in and gathered around a dozen or so followers who called themselves The Wakemanites. These people believed every word Rhoda said and thought that her seven hours spent with God were valuable and prophetic. So, when she told them that one ex-follower, Justus Matthews, had an evil spirit inside him that needed out, the followers did not hesitate to help her and her brother, Samuel Sly, murder the man.
Justus Matthews’ brutally murdered corpse was discovered on the property where The Wakemanites often met, so they were instantly looked into as suspects. Rhoda, Samuel Sly, and a follower named Thankful Hersey were charged with his murder almost immediately.
While the three Wakemanites were in jail, a fellow believer, Charles Sanford, coincidentally a nephew of Justus Matthews, took the belief of evil spirits inhabiting the body to heart. The inexplicable stomach cramps he had been suffering from had caused him to kill two elderly farmers with an ax. When he was charged and questioned, he credited Rhoda and her teachings on evil spirits and how destroying them would get rid of his pain. Charles Sanford was found guilty and sentenced to hang but died of an illness before seeing the gallows. As for Rhoda, Samuel, and Thankful, they were all tried together and were ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity. Thankful Hersey was released to the community but Rhoda and Samuel spent the rest of their lives believing in the story and died in the asylum.
Image Sources:
murderbygaslight.com - “The Wakemanite Murder”