EDMONTON—You don’t need pants for the apocalypse.

At least, that’s what three Jehovah’s Witnesses thought when they kidnapped their neighbours from a home near Nisku, Alta., in November 2017 after what was described by psychologists as a “brief psychotic disorder” caused by a combination of pseudo-scientific medicine and deep religious beliefs.

Two women and a man, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of two teen relatives involved and an infant victim, pleaded guilty to unlawful confinement and one woman pleaded guilty to another charge of dangerous driving after a family gathering took a bizarre turn.

According to court documents, five family members — including the three accused and two teenage relatives — had gathered at a home in Leduc County on Nov. 2, 2017, where they would spend the weekend locked inside, hiding in a bedroom and bathroom.

They believed they were in danger from wicked people or demons. In their minds, the Great Tribulation had come, a sort of Rapture before the end of days, which was supposed to occur on Nov. 6.

Locked in the home, the family created a confirmation loop feeding into each other’s delusions. One of the teens reported hearing banging and screaming outside and seeing ashes in the air.

Read more:

Released court document gives details of last year’s naked kidnapping

Three people plead guilty in naked kidnapping case that may have involved hallucinogenic tea

Naked suspects in bizarre Alberta kidnapping may have sipped trippy tea, relative says

On Nov. 6, convinced they were experiencing the end of the world, the family fled the home naked — except for a woman driving — jumping into a white BMW SUV and racing to their neighbours’ home, smashing through a garage door and metal gate to get there in time, all the while chanting, “Jehovah.”

Their neighbours — a man, his daughter and grandson — were forced into the SUV. The daughter and her 6-week-old baby were pushed into the back seat, while the father was stuffed in the trunk. All were ordered to chant “Jehovah” as the SUV sped away.

After driving wildly, the SUV slowed, allowing the man in the trunk to escape.

TOP STORIES. IN YOUR INBOX: For the day’s top news from the Star’s award-winning journalists, sign up for our daily headlines newsletter.

The daughter climbed out with her baby and the three were picked up by a passing truck.

In the chaos, the driver of the SUV then rammed the truck from behind before careening into a ditch.

The mother and baby were slammed against the dashboard of the truck, but were fortunately unharmed.

The group kept chanting even when the RCMP arrived, resisting arrest with what responding officers described as “extreme strength” seemingly unfazed by pepper spray and repeated Taser shots.

On Thursday in a Leduc courtroom, Justice Jacqueline Schaffter said while she understood that the family was acting in a misguided attempt to rescue their neighbours “from what they perceived to be the impending apocalypse” by trying to save their souls, the accused put their neighbours’ lives at risk.

“Such behaviour can never be condoned,” said Schaffter.

While the kidnapping could have netted each of the accused up to 10 years behind bars, Schaffter accepted a joint submission of a one-year sentence to be served in the community — starting with six months of house arrest — followed by two years of parole, understanding that the family posed no real continued threat to their community.

As part of their conditions, the family is barred from taking part in various forms of alternative medicine, including applied kinesiology.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Applied kinesiology, otherwise known as muscle testing, is a pseudo-scientific alternative medicinal practice where practitioners diagnose and treat their clients based on testing muscles for strength and weakness.

The family members will also have to attend counselling to teach them critical thinking and reasoning skills.

While court psychologists believed it was this mental cocktail of pseudo-science mixed with their religious beliefs that created the delusion behind their crimes, Schaffter acknowledged that many questions around their “bizarre” actions will likely remain unanswered.

Read more about: