Michael W. Ryan

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Michael W. Ryan was born on 3 August 1948 and received a death sentence on 12 September 1985. Ryan was the leader of a small, anti-government, and racially prejudiced destructive religious cult that occupied a compound near Rulo, Nebraska in the early 1980s. Ryan and his group of followers had loose ties to Posse Comitatus. Ryan's teachings included the supremacy of the white race, the inherent evil of Jews (antisemitism), and a distrust of all established earthly authority (governments). Ryan and his followers carried out months of burglary, by cover of night. Reselling the items obtained by theft they supported the activities of the group, and built up weapons and supplies they believed would be needed for the imminent battle of Armageddon, which they assumed would occur in the form of a race war. Ryan was arrested in 1982 after reports and a criminal investigation indicated that he had abused and killed 5 year old Luke Stice, and later killed fellow cult member James Thimm, after he had tortured him for several days. Ryan was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Ryan claims to have been in direct contact with God and vowed to spend his days in prison rewriting the Bible, but since has recanted on both. Ryan is currently in the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services on death row awaiting execution.