A conspiracy theory’s originator can be discredited while the theory itself survives

Evidence

By the late 1970s, Todd’s increasingly strident attacks on other Christian religious leaders had begun to erode his support. During these years, he predicted that the Illuminati’s plan would begin to be implemented in fall 1979. In 1984, Todd was placed on fi ve years’ probation for incest and in 1988 was sentenced to thirty years in prison in South Carolina for rape. He was subsequently involuntarily committed to a behavioral-disorders treatment program as a sexually violent predator. Todd was a man of many names as well as a prolifi c litigator while in custody, where he generally sued as “Kris Sarayn Kollyns.” In one curious fi ling, he attacked personnel at his institution for preventing him from practicing his Wiccan religion, an odd complaint for someone whose brief moment of fame was tied to his claim to having unmasked the witchcraft conspiracy. In response to what must have been his last foray in the judicial system, a later court reported that “the plaintiff died on or about November 10, 2007.” Notwithstanding the strange trajectory of his later life, his ideas maintained an independent existence. They were adopted wholesale by the heavily armed Christian Identity commune, the Covenant, Sword, and Arm of the Lord, which published a summary of Todd’s conspiracy beliefs in a 1981 pamphlet, Witchcraft and the Illuminati. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 311

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the theme of charismatic cult leaders whose doctrines outlive them, seen with Todd and later figures in this book. — connects to: Conspiracy believers abandon specific claims while retaining a core that something must be wrong — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 214; Conspiracy beliefs follow source identification, so only rival trusted figures can dislodge them — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 327; In conspiracy culture any widely accepted belief is presumed false — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 172 (+1 more)
• SEED: The gap between a theory’s originator and its independent life could frame an essay on why movements outlive founders.

Broader Connections

• Conspiracy believers abandon specific claims while retaining a core that something must be wrong #corroborates (0.82) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 214
• Conspiracy beliefs follow source identification, so only rival trusted figures can dislodge them #qualifies (0.75) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 327