Where is Papa Pilgrim now? Details explored ahead of Evil Lives Here on ID

All 15 Pilgrim siblings faced abuse at the hands of Papa Pilgrim (Image via Artyom Kabajev on Unsplash)
All 15 Pilgrim siblings faced abuse at the hands of Papa Pilgrim (Image via Artyom Kabajev on Unsplash)

The upcoming episode of Evil Lives Here, which chronicles some of the darkest cases in the history of America, is all set to delve into the vicious case of Papa Pilgrim's abuses. Born Robert Allen Hale and having taken up numerous names over his lifetime, Papa Pilgrim mentally, physically, and sexually abused his wife and 15 children in the Alaskan wilderness for decades before being arrested.

The upcoming episode of Evil Lives Here follows this case closely, from the point of view of Elishaba Doerksen, the eldest daughter and the biggest victim of her father's abuses. The synopsis for the episode reads:

"Elishaba always believed her father wielded the power of God and that the only way to salvation was through suffering. Her father tormented and abused her for decades until she'd had enough and embarked on a daring escape."

Papa Pilgrim was ultimately arrested in 2005 after coming to prominence for a different reason. Elishaba made a daring escape to the outside world at the age of 29, and soon her father was arrested in 2005 after the family came out with their story. He was ultimately incarcerated in September 2007 but died while in prison.


Who was Papa Pilgrim and what did he do?

Born Robert Allen Hale on April 7, 1941, Papa Pilgrim has been known by many names, including Bobby Hale and Sunlight Sunstar. Hale was born into a prominent American family. His father, I.B. Hale was an American tackle at TCU. I.B. Hale was also voted as an All-American due to his contribution to Football.

Hale eloped in Ardmore, Oklahoma, with 16-year-old Kathleen Connally when he was 18, who also belonged to a prominent family.

After an alleged accidental shooting killed Kathleen, for which Hale was cleared, Hale met Kurina Rose Bresler in the California desert. They married and had their first child, Elishaba Doerksen. During a trip to Texas, Hale allegedly "found religion" and named himself Papa Pilgrim.

Hale and Rose soon moved to the Pecos Mountains of central New Mexico, where Rose gave birth to 14 more children.

The family lived at the 9,000-foot level in a rundown cabin that he built. They later moved to a remote valley in Alaska. By the time Elishaba was 19, her father had begun to maintain a twisted sexual relationship with her, which he justified by misinterpreting verses from the Bible.

He also started physically and mentally abusing Elishaba and her siblings, with the older boys of the family regularly getting beaten up by Robert Hale. Elishaba, after escaping the clutches of this twisted family home, later wrote a memoir recounting the gut-wrenching stories of assault, mental torture, and physical abuse.


Did Papa Pilgrim receive a death sentence?

Papa Pilgrim was arrested in 2005 after his family finally came out with the twisted tale of his deranged self. He was incarcerated in September 2007 and was sentenced to 14 years in prison but did not receive a death sentence.

Instead, he was already in poor health when he was sent to prison and died eight months later, on May 26, 2008. He reportedly had no regret for what he did.


The upcoming episode of Evil Lives Here will shed more light on this tale.

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