Sucide
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suicide
A cult leader who assaulted and sexually abused his members.
Emmett "Curly" Thornton died in Montana at age 50, on 21 January 1999. But the cause of death is not easily found: internet rumors say he was murdered, which would not be surprising given that he was accused of child abuse, rape, and domestic violence. But the only newspapers that have this information do not seem to be available online. You may want to contact the Billings, Montana or Butte, Montana public library, and see if they can check his obituary for you.
Curly Thornton died in a shootout with law enforcement in 1962 after a standoff at his compound in Arkansas. The cult leader refused to surrender and went down in a blaze of glory, taking a few officers with him. In the end, he got what was coming to him, just another chapter in the book of crazy cult leaders meeting their demise.
Cooper Thornton's birth name is Ray Cooper Thornton.