'The Lost Women of NXIVM' Uncovers Horrifying Story of Sex Cult's Whistleblower in Sneak Peek

The Lost Women of NXIVM is bringing a whole other side of the disturbing story of the now-defunct cult and the rise and fall of founder Keith Raniere, investigating the mysterious deaths and disappearances of four women who had connection to the group and Raniere himself. As part of Investigation Discovery's two-part special, premiering Sunday, Dec. 8, former NXIVM member Kristin Keeffe is telling her story of 16 years of involvement with the NXIVM cult and 24-year relationship with Raniere.

In a PopCulture.com sneak peek of the special, Keeffe explains how she became the "primary whistleblower" for the cult after growing concerned for the safety of her and her 7-year-old son after Raniere impregnated her during her involvement with NXIVM.

"I left my house with nothing but my pocketbook. And I took a taxi to the police station," she recalls in the preview. "And while I was at the police station, the NXIVM attorneys found out and the NXIVM attorneys called there, and said, 'We know she's there.' And I said, 'That's it. I can never go back.'"

"I knew they would put millions of dollars into finding me, grabbing me, doing whatever they could to take my son," she continues. "I knew that when I walked into that police station in Keith's mind, that was nuclear war. No one had ever done anything like to him before. I knew I was being hunted like an animal."

This may have led to the fall of NXIVM, but the group's former publicist, Frank Parlato, thinks there's much more to the story as he takes viewers on a deep dive to answer questions surrounding the deaths and disappearance of Kristin Snyder, Gina Hutchinson, Barbara Jeske and Pamela Cafritz, who had connections to NXIVM and Raniere before their untimely end.

"Understanding the depths of depravity of the NXIVM cult goes far beyond what we have seen in the headlines," Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America, said in a statement. "This explosive ID special takes a never before look at the stories of four women who were unfortunately caught in Raniere's twisted web and explores how their association with him may have led to their tragic fates, providing hope that authorities might reopen these cases to bring closure to the victims' loved ones."

The Lost Women of NXIVM premieres Sunday, December 8 at 9 p.m. ET, only on Investigation Discovery.

Photo credit: Discovery