Basically, in 2002, Gina Hutchinson’s body was found with a 20 gauge-pump shotgun in her jacket with the nozzle at the side of her head in rural Woodstock, N.Y. Journalist Frank Parlato, who’s often credited with outing Raniere and NXIVM’s true danger, looked into the circumstances of Hutchinson’s death and found that something was amiss. However, it’s always been ruled a suicide, and Heidi has since made peace with that.
However, Parlato claims that there was very little investigation into Hutchinson’s death. While the autopsy report said that “numerous” pellets were found in Hutchinson’s brain, police didn’t search for all 18 pellets around her body. Not only that, but her hands weren’t properly checked for gunpowder remnants. And Parlato noted that it’s very rare for women to commit suicide by gun, especially women who don’t own guns, like Hutchinson.
The night before Hutchinson’s body was found, she was staying at Coco’s Motel, which was right next to Raniere’s townhouse, even though she lived just a few miles away. When her body was found, she still had her motel key, which hints that she was planning to return to her room. Even if she did commit suicide herself, Heidi believes that her sister was coerced into it.
A journal of Hutchinson’s that was later found had references to Raniere and “black poison,” as well as “the Keith problem.” Clearly, Raniere’s involvement in Hutchinson’s formative years marred her emotional well-being. Even beyond that, however, Raniere had a motive to hurt Hutchinson. She was getting louder about his statutory rape just as ESP was gaining ground, and he needed to silence her.
According to Parlato, “One source close to Raniere, who knew Gina, said she observed Raniere discussing with Gina various methods people use to commit suicide. Sometimes, he would send her images of suicide for her to comment on. He took her to movies with scenes or themes of suicide. He would sometimes pose the question – ‘Is suicide always wrong? When could it be the right thing to do?’”
When Raniere learned that Hutchinson had a boyfriend, he reportedly punished her by saying she must take her own life. “He reportedly said she must ascend to the level of the goddess by leaving her body,” per Parlato. Raniere may have used Hutchinson’s beliefs against her, as he admits in a 2009 video when he says, “Here’s the thing, I’ve had people killed because of my beliefs — or because of their beliefs.”
We still don’t know exactly what happened, but hopefully Raniere will eventually come clean while serving his time behind bars.
The Vow, Part Two is now available to stream on HBO Max.
