Sandy Cleaver
Real Names: Sandra Cleaver and Louise Watson
Nicknames: Sandy Cleaver and Weasie Watson
Location: Colorado
Date: September 9, 1981
Case[]
Details: In the late 1970s, Sandy Cleaver became a follower of Terri Hoffman, the leader of a spiritual movement called "Conscious Development of the Mind, Body, and Soul". In February of 1979, her fourteen-year-old daughter Deveraux drowned mysteriously while on vacation in Hawaii, shortly after making a will leaving everything to Terri. The two had a reportedly rocky relationship; it is believed that Deveraux wrote the will to act more like her mother and get closer to her.
Sandy tried to cope with her daughter's death, becoming closer to her housekeeper Louise Watson. On September 8, 1981, Louise and Sandy left to go to Colorado. After spending a day at Terri's sister's house, Sandy allegedly drove off of a 450-foot cliff; the two were both killed on impact. Although investigators determined that Sandy had driven off of the cliff at around 12PM, they could never determine why she drove off the cliff. Investigators soon discovered that both Sandy and Louise had placed Terri in their wills and their families believe that Terri may have been responsible for their deaths.
Suspects: Terri Hoffman
Extra Notes: The case was featured as a part of the November 10, 1995 episode, focused primarily on follower Charles Southern Jr..
Results: Unsolved. Terri died in 2015; she was never charged in any of the cases.
Links:
- Terri Hoffman's Website
- Texas Monthly - The Curse of the Black Lords
- Troubling deaths of spiritual seekers: Allegations of mind control follow Dallas couple's suicide - January 28, 1990
- Police Seek Link Between Cult Leader, Nine Deaths - March 4, 1990
- Prosecutor out to prove that beliefs can kill - March 4, 1990
- Mystery Lingers About Mystic and 10 Deaths - February 13, 1994
- After nearly four years, mystery remains in case of mystical leader - February 13, 1994
- Families charge meditation expert caused death of loved ones - February 16, 1994
- Dallas mystic sentenced to jail for fraud - May 21, 1994
- D Magazine's 40 Greatest Stories: Death in a North Dallas Cult - June 26, 2014