Where Is Samuel Bateman Now? Everything to Know About the Convicted Cult Leader of Netflix’s ‘Trust Me’ Docuseries
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Samuel Bateman claimed he had divine authority to shepherd his own extremist sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS). In reality, he was orchestrating a multi-state scheme to conceal horrific sexual crimes.
Netflix is reexamining Bateman’s downfall and its aftermath with the four-part docuseries Trust Me: The False Prophet. Now streaming, the project looks at how the longtime faith member was able to assemble his own followers, and what led investigators to catch on to his misdeeds.
While Bateman is currently serving a 50-year prison sentence, his community is still grappling with the severity of his confirmed and alleged crimes.
Who Is Samuel Bateman, and Why Did He Call Himself a Prophet?
Samuel Rappylee Bateman was born sometime around 1976; an exact month and day hasn’t been made public. Not surprisingly, little else is known about his childhood and immediate family.
Bateman grew up in Colorado City, Arizona, and was a devoted follower of the FLDS, led by Rulon Jeffs from 1986 through 2002 before son Warren Jeffs succeeded him, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. FLDS members believe their president is a prophet through whom God communicates directly.
Warren Jeffs was arrested in 2006 and later convicted of sexually assaulting two underage girls. He is estimated to have taken around 80 “spiritual wives,” including more than 20 who were underage girls. Bateman attended his trial.
Around 2019, with Jeffs unable to perform new marriages from prison, Bateman began claiming his own prophetic authority and led a breakaway sect of about 50 people known as the “Samuelites” along the Arizona and Utah border. Their community was known as Short Creek.
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