Crimeatorium - The Family of David | The Prophet and the Eleventh Floor

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

In May 1977, Immanuel and Rachel David moved their seven children into an eleventh-floor suite at Salt Lake City’s International Dunes Hotel. The children rarely ventured outside, received no conventional schooling, and appeared to live entirely within the world their father had constructed.Born Charles Bruce Longo, Immanuel David claimed to be a prophet and eventually declared himself to be God. Around twenty people accepted his teachings, contributed money, and became members of what became known as the Family of David. As federal investigators examined fraudulent fundraising connected to his followers, Immanuel disappeared into the mountains outside Salt Lake City.Three days later, Rachel gathered the couple’s seven children inside their hotel suite. Before that morning ended, the David family would become the center of one of the darkest and most haunting events in Utah history.This episode examines the rise of Immanuel David, the isolation of his family, and the beliefs that continued to exert their influence long after his death.If you’d like to support Crimeatorium and help fund its research and production, visit crimeatorium.com/support.Music:CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/@co.agmusic1823If you have a case suggestion for Crimeatorium, please send it to [e-mail] this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/crimeatorium4542/donations

to true crime stories with crime atro rachel david looked down to the street below as she sat upon the railing of her eleventh story suite angry onlookers were chanting the words jump bitch jump this episode contains violence against children listener discretion is advised charles bruce longo was born in yonkers new york on november 9th 1938, to a wealthy prominent area doctor. He also had a younger brother named Dean, who went on to become a police chief in Florida. Bruce was described as striking and handsome as a young man, not very athletic, but fun-loving and active. This description came from a neighbor. His mother, however, described him as self-centered as he thought he was better than others, because his dad was a wealthy doctor. Bruce went to Gorton High School, and upon graduating in 1955,

he enlisted in the Marine Corps. While in the service, he became friends with members of the LDS Church and began attending services with them. In 1958, he returned to Yonkers where he was baptized as a member of the church. He served in the LDS-run version of the Boy Scouts, and it is said that he was a strong influence on the young people. In 1960, Bruce was called to serve a two-year mission to Uruguay. Bruce funded this mission himself. It was while on his mission that the first inklings of mental instability began to surface.

It is not uncommon for symptoms to show in someone that already has a propensity. for mental illness while they are serving a mission. He was hearing voices and told church officials that he planned on becoming an apostle. Despite this onset of mental illness, he was able to memorize the Book of Mormon. That's the LDS Church Companion scripture to the Bible, and he was described as a zealot. After serving 11 months of his two-year mission, he was sent home. He had contracted hepatitis and was continuing to hear voices. This is typically not done unless it is deemed absolutely critical for the health of the missionary. Bruce was briefly hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation and treatment for his hepatitis,

but he continued to have visions. An example of what a zealot Bruce truly was, It has been said that he was responsible for baptizing his doctor and a nurse that cared for him in the hospital. Shortly after he was released, he headed to Brigham Young University, a credible school owned by the LDS Church, and young LDS students go there hoping to find their eternal companion. That's an LDS term for husband or wife. Bruce majored in Spanish and minored in political science. He met Margit Brigida Erickson, a fellow student at BYU from Sweden.

Marguet was born on November 4, 1939 in Sweden, and was converted to the church at the age of 18, before attending BYU. She was described as soft-spoken and easily influenced. Bruce proclaimed a Marketer. Margate's roommate that he had a revelation that the two were supposed to get married. Margit is said to have been flattered by Bruce's proposal. He was a good-looking and charming man. She dropped out of school and the two were married in December of 1961.

By the time Bruce graduated in 1965, the couple had two children and the family moved to Salt Lake City. Around 1969, Bruce claimed to have had a revelation saying that he was going to be the next prophet of the church. In 1970, the standing prophet of the LDS Church, David O. McKay passed away. Bruce was sure he was going to be named as his replacement and was severely depressed when that role was handed

to Joseph Fielding Smith. Bruce had been in contact. with church officials during this time, professing to be God, the Holy Ghost, or the Messiah, and demanding all ties from the members be paid to him. Bruce was excommunicated from the church

for apostasy, as was Margit. Shortly after this, he grow out his hair and let his beard get long, and legally changed his name to Emmanuel David, and Marguet's name to Rachel. Emmanuel was the clear patriarch of the family, and Rachel dutifully took on her role as a subservient wife. Emmanuel David formed a cult of about 13 followers, many of whom were family members, with some being friends.

Almost all had been excommunicated from the church and took on the surname of David. Emmanuel continued to claim he was the Messiah and taught his followers. to refer to him as such. At various times, he referred to himself as the Holy Ghost, God, and Jesus all wrapped up into one. He seemed to truly believe this about himself, and so did his family and followers. Emmanuel acquired a heavy, finely crafted long sword that he carried with him at all times, claiming it was his holy weapon. It was inscribed with the words,

holiness to the Lord on one side, and David on the other, next to a star of David. Emmanuel moved his family, along with his cult, to a small town called Mantai, named after a city in the Book of Mormon. Like most false prophets, Emmanuel was charismatic and was able to convince some prominent people in Mantai to donate to his cult. During their stay in Manti, the David's opened a knife-crafting business that was run by the cult members, which is one way they supported themselves. The members also became adept at scamming people into donating money for supposed family emergencies. These scams caught the attention of the FBI, and David and his followers were under investigation for wire fraud. In 1971, the David family and his devout group of followers moved out of Mantai and took residence in hotels across different states, mostly in the West, leaving unpaid bills in their wake. They made their way back to Salt Lake City in 1977 and moved to the International Dunes Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.

By this time, the Davids had seven. children who had all been given biblical names. Rachel, born in 1962, Elizabeth, 1963, Joshua, 1968, Deborah, 1969, Joseph, 1970, David, 1971, Rebecca, 1972. Their given names were Marcy, Eva, Frank, Anthony, Deborah, Rebecca, and Charles Bruce. They too all carried the surname of David. The David children were homeschooled by Rachel, the mother, and had never been to a public school. Lessons taught were reading, art, math, and Bible study.

They were described by those. who were able to see them as clean, neat, literate, and well-behaved. Their skin was milk-white, no doubt from being kept in the sweet most of the time. The boys wore their hair and braids like their father. The girl's hair was long and parted in the middle, pulled away from their face by barrettes. They were never permitted to use the hotel swimming pool. Water is considered a place where the devil has a strong, influence. There is speculation that this may be why. The Davids kept the children sheltered

from the outside world and would only allow them to speak to others with Emmanuel's permission. Whenever the maids came in to clean their suite, the children were ushered into another room until the cleaning was complete. This hotel suite they lived in cost $90 a day, and it was paid daily with cash by Emmanuel. with a crisp $100 bill. They would order food in from expensive restaurants in the area as Emmanuel had a big appetite and was a large man, weighing around 300 pounds and standing at 6 foot 4.

It was figured that the Davids needed about $300 a day to maintain their lifestyle. That's equivalent to about $1,200 in today's money. Emmanuel did not work and hadn't since 1965 except for an odd job here and there. The family's living expenses were being funded by its members, some selling their homes and belongings and handing the proceeds over to the Davids.

Even prospective members would pay for the privilege of belonging to this cult, with one such woman giving the David's $25,000. Another devoted follower, who had been a member of the famed Tabernacle Choir at one time, conned some of those members and friends out of money to hand over to the David family. This cult member was convicted of wire fraud and spent five years in prison. He used the story of a paralyzed nine-year-old girl in need of money for medical expenses as the con. He pleaded guilty to the charges, but in later years, he denied being involved in any illegal activities. Needless to say, there was all manner of fraud and scams going on in those years that never fully came to light.

This all speaks to the effectiveness of Emmanuel's charm. This was especially evident in the influence and hold he had on his wife, Rachel. She was described as unusually subservient to Emmanuel, probably due to the fact that she actually believed he was a god, or at the very least, a prophet. Emmanuel's sister-in-law stated that Rachel followed her husband around like a puppy dog. Emmanuel David had friends outside of the cult that helped him as well, by loaning him money and use of their vehicles.

One such friend was a man of me. who was a missionary companion of Emmanuel's while in Uruguay. This man is still living, so I won't use his name, as he has struggled throughout the years for giving Emmanuel cash and loans and just generally buying into Emmanuel's stories. This friend was under the impression that Emmanuel had access to money due to his extravagant lifestyle. Emmanuel really pulled one over on this guy and took advantage.

of his kindness. On July 31st, 1978, Emmanuel entered his friend's place of employment, panicked and out of breath, stating that he needed to borrow his truck. The friend handed the keys to Emmanuel, and off he drove, destination unknown to anyone but himself.

Pinecrest Canyon is located just east of Salt Lake City. It's filled with houses now, but in the 70s it was used for outdoor recreation. On August 1st, a hiker discovered the body of Emmanuel David in the driver's seat of the truck. He had rigged a new garden hose from the exhaust pipe to the inside of the truck he had borrowed and used cloth to seal off any potential leaks.

Emmanuel David had committed suicide. All afternoon and has a report. Sandy? Well, Patrick, Bruce, Dave. David Longo, who died several days ago, did indeed live high. His disciples seemed to be the reason he was able to do this. For example, a co-owner of the Fleur de Lis restaurant, an expensive French cuisine outfit in town, says Longo ordered food to be catered regularly to the international hotel. Usually I was told the bill was $110, sometimes $140 for dinner, plus a 20% tip. When Marguerite Gales of the Flour de Lis delivered, she said the children were already. seated at the hotel room table. David Longo bought his clothes at Dallie's big and tall store, size 14 shoes, 50 inch waist, size 56 jackets. Those cost $300 each. In the last six weeks alone, the cult leader spent $3,000 on clothes, according to Jack Sanders of Dallies. Well, people I

talked to today who knew Emmanuel Bruce David Longo could recall no time when Longo has ever actually worked, the money he lived on, may have come partially from the estate of a deceased father who was a prominent Yonkers, New York physician. Some money came from a former disciple by the name of Washburn Chipman, said to have had an inheritance, and more recently, Longo apparently got money from disciples engaged in fraud by interstate telegram. The local FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office recently, in May of this year, got disciples Sterling James Peacock sent to the federal penitentiary. Now, evidence we have gathered indicates that Peacock, known as Moses, gave money to his prophet Longo. Peacock got the money

by telling people falsely that he had a daughter in a Salt Lake Hospital who needed money. Another disciple of Longos is under investigation right now for similar type of fraud. Well, together these disciples took $38,000 from suckers in the last eight months alone. The FBI says Bruce David Longo himself has been under investigation and was in under investigation at the time of his death. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Snar told me today, they never could actually prove that Longo made his disciples commit the fraud. The FBI was looking for Longo about the time he committed his suicide on Monday. It seems that Longo's spiritual world, his religion was coming to an end very fast for very material reasons,

an ostentatious lifestyle apparently supported by common theft. officers arrived at the International Dunes Hotel the next day to inform Rachel of her husband's death. The officers stated that she didn't seem shocked, just agitated and worried. She told the officers that her husband had been depressed and had a better place to go. She also added that she had no way of paying for his funeral. Rachel, who was wholly dependent financially on her husband Emmanuel, must have felt desperate and at a loss as to what to do next. It is said that she made a call to her family who lived in Denmark at the time.

She spoke to the hotel manager that night and asked if he would work with her until she got her finances worked out. She even spoke to a delicatessen manager that night about enrolling her kids in school. Although we will never know what's transpired when the family arrived back at their suite at 11 p.m. on that night, we do know what happened at approximately 7.15 on August 7, 1978.

Jim Bradley, the hotel manager, who had just spoken with the new widow the previous evening, was standing at the front desk when his wife, who also helped manage the hotel, approached him and said, Quote, Jim, they're jumping from the balcony, unquote. Jim exited the hotel and went to the east side of the building where a crowd of onlookers was gathering.

Witnesses that saw the whole event state that who we now know is Rachel walked her kids to the railing of room 1105. There she pushed Joseph 8, David 7, and Rebecca 6 up and over the railing. At least two of these younger children clung to Rachel before going over. After that, the older children, Rachel 15, Elizabeth 14, Joshua 13, and Deborah 9 stood on folding chairs that were stacked next to the railing and jumped without provocation from their mother. All the while this was happening, the crowd was. was yelling at Rachel to stop, but it was to no avail.

After the children had gone over, Rachel stepped up and sat on the railing for around 30 seconds. The crowd was angry at what they had just witnessed and began chanting, jump, bitch, jump. And that is exactly what she did. Lifted them up and dropped them over. Then the last person paused for a while and then went, just went. over the edge. I kept yelling, oh, God, stop him, stop him, but then we could see some observers up on the platform there. All were members of the Emmanuel David family. The father, Emmanuel, committed suicide by asphyxiation Monday. His body was found yesterday in a pickup, parked up a canyon.

When deputies last night told his wife Rachel about the suicide, she said it didn't surprise her that her husband had said he was ready for the next world. Emmanuel considered himself the true prophet, the Messiah, God, his family, and a few close friends believed him. This morning, the mother and the three children who voluntarily jumped apparently decided to join him in the next world. Six of the David family members landed on a canopy roof of the hotel coffee shop, nine stories down, then onto the sidewalk. Three fell the entire 11 stories onto the sidewalk. One of the boys ended up in the gutter. Witnesses say that the youngest daughter, Rebecca, desperately grabbed onto the railing and Rachel pried her fingers loose.

This was confirmed when an autopsy was performed on her by the bruising on the tips of her fingers and broken fingernails. They were all taken to area hospitals where they were all pronounced dead upon arrival or shortly thereafter. Except one. Rachel, the oldest child of Rachel and Emmanuel David. She just literally mangled both of her legs. All the bones and both of the legs are broken. She fell a straddle of something and she split her pelvis and literally tore right up into the abdominal cavity. She sustained some abdominal injuries including a ruptured spleen. She also has a light bruise on the lung and she also has a fractured shoulder that's an open fracture. At first it was thought that it was Elizabeth that was still alive. It was later confirmed that

it was Rachel. Rachel was admitted to the shock and trauma unit of the LDS Hospital. She was in a coma and doctors weren't sure if she was going to survive. She immediately went into surgery where she was administered 21 units of blood. About a week into her hospital stay, she was listed in stable condition, although she was still unconscious. After two weeks, she was still in a coma. However, the doctors felt that she was gaining consciousness. After multiple surgeries to repair the damage from the fall to her broken body, she regained consciousness. Rachel was kept protected from the public, so little is known about what happened. to her after being released from the hospital.

It is known that she lived in a foster home for a time and has been in different care facilities in the Salt Lake Valley throughout the years. She lived with her uncle Jacob David, who became her legal guardian and other cult members in Colorado until recently. While staying with him, she was not able to remember what happened that day. At one point, she stated to her uncle, quote, I want to shove it all out. I want my family back, unquote. She can't walk, but she can raise her body with the use of a walker. She would pass the time by doing paint-by-number

art. She loved coffee and listening to Neil Diamond. She believes her father will return someday as God because, quote, he never lied to her, unquote. According to Insight, Inside Edition, whom she did an interview with in 1993, she has continued to try to follow the suicide order and has attempted to kill herself several times. She is now in a long-term care facility in Idaho and is still in a wheelchair. She is 56 years old. Epilogue Autopsies on the victims revealed that they all sustained fractures of the legs, ankles, or pelvis, indicating that they went down feet first. Spectators claim that none of the victims made a sound as they were falling. The medical examiner stated that it was common for people who

jumped willingly from heights to make no sound at all. The police found a $5 bill in Emmanuel's wallet and $65 cash in Rachel's purse. There were no suicide notes. None of the children were wearing shoes and they were found neatly placed in plastic bags in a closet in the suite. After the deaths, Emmanuel's mother, Luzanne and brother Dean arrived in Utah and informed the authorities they weren't interested in taking any of the belongings of the David family and that they didn't have the money to provide funeral services. When officials went through the hotel to gather the family's belongings, there were several drawings the kids had done in honor of their father. One note that was written by two of the children read, quote,

Dear Daddy and Mama, we hope the temple goes. We hope we get the watches soon. We hope we get to go to Hotel Utah sooner than soonest. We hope California is destroyed. Love, Joseph, and David, unquote. It was clear that the children revered their mother and father and took their teachings to heart. The maids from the hotel that David stayed in struggled with regrets

for not reporting the parents to social services. It is speculated that the reason Emmanuel committed suicide was loss of disciples, which resulted in less cash. pending investigations and unfulfilled prophecies. One failed prophecy was that California would fall into the ocean. Another one is that Salt Lake City would be consumed by fire. The state paid for the burial of the eight family members at a cost of $3,472. Their caskets were gray, and there was a spray of flowers placed.

on each one, pink for the girls and yellow for the boys. The parents' caskets were bare. Emmanuel's mother, Luzanne Longo, and her brother, Dean Longo, Rachel's brother Leonard Erickson, 18 members of the press, and about 100 onlookers attended the small graveside service that was held. The Lord's Prayer was recited, and Jim Larkin of Larkin Funeral Home, gave the eulogy. He asked for a moment of silence from the crowd, since he didn't know what the David's beliefs were. He said, the way they lived was no more a mystery than the way they died. They were all buried in one unmarked grave until recently, when a headstone was purchased for the family. As recently as 10 years ago, members of this cult still remained and believed that

Emmanuel would return to Earth as God.