When Lindsay Tornambe was 11, she and her family relocated to a secluded area in Minnesota to be part of River Road Fellowship, a religious group. This community was run by Victor Bernard, a man who claimed that after the original leader Victor Paul Weirville died in 1985, he was divinely chosen to lead those who had broken away from Way International, a controversial sect.
Initially, life felt almost perfect for Lindsay. She spent her days with other kids, tending to animals, and skating on frozen lakes. But then, the dark reality of Bernard’s intentions pierced through this facade, trapping Lindsay and others in a long cycle of abuse within a sex cult.
In a recent episode of “Relatable,” Lindsay spoke about her ten years spent as a “maiden” in this cult, where she is now serving a lengthy prison sentence.
Victor, who groomed Lindsay in secrecy, even removed his wedding ring, saying he was “married to the church,” akin to Christ. He preached about a passage in Exodus, twisting its meaning to suggest that parents must sacrifice their firstborn daughters to him.
“He read a list, and my name was on it,” Lindsay recalled.
This all transpired in the early 2000s, influenced by a notorious period known as the Summer of Love at Way International, which allegedly promoted sexual promiscuity among members, including married individuals, as a form of expressing “God’s love.”
The girls’ roles weren’t presented as sexual, but rather as a calling to serve the church. Seeing her friends willingly participate, Lindsay felt compelled to become a maiden, unaware of the true nature of her situation.
Along with nine other girls, she was taken from her family home and placed on Victor’s property. Their assigned tasks included cooking, cleaning, gardening, and helping Victor with various activities—many of which were deeply intimate.
“It started okay,” Lindsay mentioned. Initially, she thought this situation could only be temporary.
“I believed I would serve there, live in a camp, and eventually go back home to be homeschooled,” she said.
However, a supervising shepherd soon told her, “You’re not going home. This is your home now,” shattering her hopes.
“Shortly after that, Victor raped me for the first time,” Lindsay recounted. He rationalized his actions by citing biblical figures like Mary Magdalene as sexual partners of Christ.
He also claimed, somewhat paradoxically, that “even if he had sex with me, I could stay spiritually a virgin.”
The abuse, both physical and emotional, persisted for years.
Through manipulation, Lindsay was led to believe that her love for Victor was real. “Victor told us that the more devoted we were to him and God in this life, the better our afterlife would be,” she reflected.
Yet, this sympathetic view of Victor was a delicate illusion.
In 2008, the maidens were relocated to another remote site in Washington state, especially after one was deported to Brazil. Victor even sent other maidens to join her there.
For Lindsay, this marked her first exposure to real freedom, a refreshing taste after years of confinement.
Returning to Washington, the maidens had begun a cleaning business. Working as a housekeeper allowed Lindsay to glimpse life beyond the cult—seeing family photos and listening to popular music started to shift her feelings towards Victor.
As she absorbed the outside world, she learned that Victor, who was still legally married, was having affairs with married women in the area.
This situation, illegal for pastors in Minnesota, prompted one woman to report Victor’s actions, leading to his flee and the destruction of their commune.
Confronted by Victor’s behavior, Lindsay began to wake up to her own reality and decided to leave her role as a maiden. Even when others pleaded for her to stay, calling her a traitor, she remained resolute.
She contacted her parents, who still supported Victor, but eventually agreed to let her come home.
“They gave me $500 and bought me a train ticket, and I took Amtrak from Washington State to Philadelphia,” Lindsay recounted.
At 23, adjusting back to the outside world proved hard and confusing for her. “I ended up sleeping a lot, thinking that meeting a man’s needs meant being intimate,” she shared.
“I felt driven to explore life, make new friends, and distance myself from my parents, who were still with Victor.”
Though her new life seemed vibrant, Lindsay struggled internally as memories of her past continued to haunt her.
“I kept asking, ‘If God is all-loving, why did He let this happen to me? If heaven is so wonderful, why shouldn’t I just end it all and escape this pain?’” she confided.
In her quest to cope, Lindsay explored various methods, from self-help programs to witchcraft, but nothing fulfilled her.
Ultimately, despite her doubts, she found solace and clarity through single motherhood, unexpected friendships, and a newfound understanding of God.
To hear more about Lindsay’s profound journey of healing and redemption, including her family’s current situation and the trial that put Victor behind bars, watch the full interview above.
