Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘The Bergholz Clan’ of Hulu’s ‘How I Escaped My Cult’ explores the dark side of a particular Amish community of Bergholz, where Samuel Mullet Sr. served as the leader of an alleged cult called the Bergholz Clan. Being an Amish bishop, he misused his power to wreak havoc in the lives of those in the community who opposed him or his ideas. The documentary features interviews with the former member of the Bergholz Clan, including his grandson, Johnny Mast.
Sam Mullet Was at the Heart of the Hair and Beard-Cutting Attacks in Bergholz
Samuel Mullet Sr. grew up in the Amish community alongside his siblings, including John Mullet and Barbara Miller. His strong religious beliefs led him to establish a religious group called the Bergholz Clan or the Bergholz Community in 1995. Based in the eponymous village of Ohio, the alleged cult also included members of his own family members, including his sons, Daniel, Lester, and Johnny Mullet, whom he shared with his wife, Martha. Also, as a bishop of the Amish congregation in the village, Sam eventually convinced his followers to cut off the hair and beards of other people in the Amish community.
During the five beard-cutting attacks of the Bergholz Clan, which took place at night between September and November 2011, the victims were held against their will as the members used scissors, battery-powered clippers, and horse shears to cut their hair and beards under the instruction of Sam. The attackers even documented the attacks with a camera. Apart from giving orders for these attacks, Sam also reportedly imposed strict discipline and controlled several aspects of their lives. Reports also suggest that he used to engage in sexual relations with several young and married women, convincing them that it would absolve them of their sins. When the beard-cutting attacks came under the radar of the authorities, all the individuals involved, including Sam, were charged with multiple counts of hate crime.
Sam Mullet is Now a Free Man, Living a Life Away From the Spotlight
Around early September 2012, the trial of Samuel Mullet Sr. and several of his followers commenced. During the trial, the prosecutors argued that the defendant considered himself to be a god-like figure who didn’t have to abide by the laws of humans. According to them, he led the Bergholz Clan and convinced his followers to commit violent crimes against other people in the Amish community. After several hours of deliberation, the jury returned with a guilty verdict, and on September 20, Sam was convicted of federal hate crime and conspiracy charges. Along with him, more than a dozen men and women, which also included his family members, were also found guilty of the same. Despite not directly taking part in the criminal activities, Sam was guilty of being the leader of the entire hate campaign.
Following his conviction, his defense was reportedly shocked by the jury’s decision. He stated, “There was very little, in fact no evidence, connecting Sam Mullet to any of these matters. The government was successful in convincing the jury that he had a Svengali-like influence over these people.” A few months later, on February 8, 2013, the Bergholz Clan leader was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his crimes while the rest of the convicts received lighter sentences. By March 2015, the sentences of all the convicts were reduced, with Sam’s sentence getting reduced from 15 years to 10 years and nine months.
After spending several years behind bars, in March 2020, the Amish bishop appealed to get his sentence reduced further to time served due to some health complications with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the 74-year-old cult leader was in a halfway house in Youngstown, Ohio. The Federal Bureau of Prisons considered his request and allowed him to remain on house arrest. Thus, on March 23, 2020, Sam Mullet was transferred from the halfway house to his own house in Bergholz, Ohio, where he served the rest of his sentence until January 18, 2021. Although the current whereabouts of the Amish bishop remain unclear, it is likely that after serving his sentence, he continues to reside in Bergholz, Ohio.
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