大象传媒

5 October 1994: Switzerland is in shock after the discovery of 48 corpses in farm buildings in the remote village of Cheiry and two burned chalets in the town of Salvan. What do the victims have in common? They are all part of a sect, the Order of the Solar Temple. At first, it seems they have taken part in a death ritual, with police and forensic investigators arriving at the horrific scene shocked to find children amongst the dead. Two cult gurus are quickly identified as the charismatic Dr Luc Jouret and swindler Jo Di Mambroand, international arrest warrants are issued, but are these cult leaders amongst the victims?

Soon, the case takes on an international dimension. Nearly 4,000 miles from Switzerland, in the village of Morin-Heights, Canada, the charred remains of two more cult members are found. The homemade fuses that started the fires are identical to those used at the Swiss locations. As the story grows increasingly macabre, the Quebec police make another, terrible discovery - the stabbed corpses of two more followers, and their three-month-old baby son. Journalists and investigators try to uncover the secrets behind these massacres, and the investigation grows in scope. What happened? Murder, manslaughter or mass suicide? No leads are ruled out.