Police in Missouri as well as the FBI are searching for six people, including two children, who have been reported missing after authorities say they followed a so-called cult leader who claimed to be a “prophet,” according to reports.
A spokesperson for the Missouri police tell Inside Edition Digital that they vow to work “until we have answers” on the six missing people who were last seen in the St. Louis-area in August.
Police in Missouri as well as the FBI are searching for six people, including two children, who have been reported missing after authorities say they followed a so-called cult leader who claimed to be a “prophet,” according to reports.
Cops say the six people were followers of a popular online spirituality influencer, Rashad Jamal White, and disappeared from the St. Louis area on Aug. 13, 2023.
The Berkeley Police Department is searching for Mikayla Thompson, 25, of St. Louis; Naaman Williams, 30, of Washington, D.C.; Gerrielle German, 27, of Horn Lake, Mississippi; 2-year-old Ashton Mitchell of Horn Lake; Ma’Kayla Wickerson, 36, of St. Louis; and 3-year-old Malaiyah Wickerson of St. Louis. They disappeared from a rental home near Lambert St. Louis Airport, police said in a press release earlier this month.
Berkley Police Major Steve Runge tells Inside Edition Digital in a statement via email, “The investigation continues and we do not have an update with regard to their whereabouts.”
On Wednesday, Runge issued a press release obtained by Inside Edition Digital which said, “It is extremely troubling to the family members of all of the missing people. The level of disconnect these cult members have demonstrated with friends and family members is unfathomable. We have learned that similar cult members travel at great lengths to live off the grid and stay with fellow cult members and that their economic status does not appear to be a factor.”
Runge had also told NBC News, “They've shut off their phones, shut off their social media, shut off everything. We've even sent them money via a cash app and they haven't collected it. They're just gone. It's like they don't want to be found."
On Thursday, he furthered his comments to Inside Edition Digital saying, “With regard to not wanting to be found, they have made this obvious by their total disconnect from friends and family, and total abandonment of social media. The families are very concerned and upset. They have not heard from their loved ones for months. The top priority of this investigation is to find all of them and we will continue to work on this case until we have answers.
“Your coverage of this story has brought the importance of this investigation to the forefront, and we are all very thankful. The more we can get these photos out, the better off we all are until they are found,” he added.
Runge said in the recent press release, “The investigation revealed these individuals had become a part of a spiritual cult and they follow the teachings of a man named Rashad Jamal (White). Rashad Jamal has tens of thousands of followers across multiple social media platforms. It should be noted he was recently convicted of various crimes in the State of Georgia and is serving a lengthy prison sentence. The purpose of sharing this information is to locate these individuals and bring awareness to other law enforcement agencies who investigate similar missing persons or come across sovereign citizens displaying this type of behavior.”
Rashad Jamal White, who also goes by the stage name Rashad Jamal, is a self-proclaimed prophet, rapper, poet and revolutionary, according to his Instagram profile, which has more than 90,000 followers. He is also popular on X, formerly Twitter; TikTok, and YouTube.
In August, White was convicted in a Georgia court for child molestation and cruelty to children. He was later sentenced to 18 years in prison, which he is currently serving in Georgia.
White also is said to lead the online religious group called the University of Cosmic Intelligence, which claims to be “geared towards enlightening and illuminating the minds of the carbonated beings a.k.a your so-called Black & Latino people of Earth,” according to its website.
White has also posted conspiracy theory claims online, including that birds are drones operated by the U.S. government to spy on citizens, the Grand Canyon is a gateway to Africa, and the Mississippi River is the Nile River, among others, according to the New York Post.
Despite being behind bars, White is still releasing videos on social media and songs to his YouTube channel.
White has not been charged or named a suspect in connection with the disappearance of his alleged followers.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to the St. Louis branch of the FBI for more information and has not heard back.
Last week, Inside Edition Digital had reached out to email addresses connected to Gerrielle German and Ma’Kayla Wickerson and have not gotten a response.
Anyone with information about the missing group is asked to contact the Berkeley Police Department at 314-524-3311.
