Someday perhaps some will study the history of Nxivm, that peculiar group of mainly intelligent women led by one crazed and diabolical man.
Perhaps it will start “In a [mental] galaxy far, far away…”
Yes, the place was earth and species homo sapiens. Though they may seem like alien creatures.
Most of the inner circle followers of the madman, Keith Alan Raniere, lived near him in a subdivision called Knox Woods in the town of Halfmoon, a suburb of Albany New York.
Halfmoon is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 21,535 at the 2010 census. The town is apparently named for the shape of the lower elevation land north of the junction of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. It is also said to be named for Henry Hudson’s ship.
Street map of Knox Woods. Keith lived for most of the years he led Nxivm at 3 Flintlock Lane.
Aerial View of Knox Woods
We get a fascinating insight into the way the inner circle lived near Keith from the testimony of Lauren Salzman at the trial of Keith Alan Raniere.
AUSA Tanya Hajjar is examining her.
Tanya Hajjar
Lauren Salzman
Q Ms. Salzman, you testified about various members of the defendant’s inner circle?
A Yes.
Q Did they live in the same general geographic area?
A Yes, all within a few miles of each other.
Q Where was that?
A In Clifton Park, New York; Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Waterford, all right around, like mostly a three-mile radius but in some cases extending a little beyond that, all within ten minutes of each other.
Q I’m showing you what’s in evidence as Government Exhibit 176. Are you familiar with this area, Ms. Salzman?
A Yes, I am.
Q And as to certain individuals that you’ve been discussing, I’d like to just go over where they lived in relation to each other. Pamela Cafritz, do you know where she lived initially?
Pamela Cafritz was the harem leader for many years. She died on November 7, 2016.
A Initially Pam lived at 3 Flintlock Lane.
Q Where did she move after that?
A She moved to 8 Hale Drive in Halfmoon.
8 Hale Drive
Q And after that?
A To 2 Flintlock Lane in Halfmoon.
Q And after that?
A To 21 Oregon Trail in Waterford.
Q And when Pamela Cafritz lived at 3 Flintlock, who did she live with?
A Keith, Karen and Kristin and then later Marianna moved in there.
Keith Raniere with Karen U, Pam Cafritz and Barbara Jeske.
Q And that’s Karen Unterreiner and Kristin Keeffe?
A Yes, correct.
Q What about Barbara Jeske, where did she live?
A Barbara Jeske lived in another development at 1 Brigantine.
Q Was that nearby?
A Yeah, it’s like a mile away.
Q And Dawn Morrison, where did Dawn Morrison live?
Dawn Morrison
A Dawn Morrison, — I can’t remember the name of her street but she lived in the same development as this, so she lived like a quarter of a mile from 3 Hale Drive.
Q Within Knox Woods?
A Yeah, within Knox Woods, just around the corner from where I lived at 3 Hale Drive.
Q … where did your mother live?
A My mother lived at 3 Oregon Trail.
13 Q Is that depicted on this slide?
14 A Yes.
Q Where did you live between 2004 and 2015?
A I lived at 3 Hale Drive.
Q Is that in Knox Woods?
A Yes, in Knox Woods.
Q What about Barbara Bouchey, where did she live?
A Barbara Bouchey lived almost right across the street from Flintlock Lane on — I think the street was called Washington Court or Washington Drive but it was just — it was literally across the street.
Q Was that in Knox Woods as well?
A All in Knox Woods, yeah.
Q What about Kathy Russell, where did she live?
A Kathy Russell lived two or three miles away in an apartment complex, I think it’s called Mohawk Terrace Apartments where Barbara Jeske had originally lived and then Kathy moved into her old apartment when Barbara moved to Brigantine, all within a three-mile radius.
Kathy Russell
Q And Daniella, Marianna and Camila, where did they live?
A They lived at 12 — well, originally they all lived at 12 Wilton Court, then Marianna moved into 3 Flintlock and then subsequently 8 Hale, 2 Flintlock and then 21 Oregon with Keith and Pam; Dani stayed at 12 Wilton Court and eventually Cami moved to 120 Victory Way, all in Knox Woods.
Mariana later fled with Raniere to Mexico with their child.
Cami lived at 120 Victory Way.
Cami
Q When Daniella was in the room what address was she at?
A 12 Wilton Court.
Q What about Camila, where did she live?
A Cami lived at 12 Wilton Court until she moved to Victory Way.
Q Monica Duran, where did she live?
A Monica Duran lived on a street called Minuteman Court, it’s right behind Hale Drive where I lived. It’s in — literally just right across the street in Knox Woods.
Monica Duran
Q And Ivy Nevares?
A Ivy Nevares lived on Grenadier Court, so half a mile away in the same development.
Ivy Nevares [l] with her therapist Lauren Salzman.
Q And Loreta Garza, where did she live?
A Loreta Garza lived in 9 Hale Drive for a period of time and then she moved to a development right behind Knox Woods, so still a mile away.
Loreta Garza with Keith Raniere
Q Where did Clare Bronfman live?
A Clare had a house on Button Road, so within five minutes drive.
Clare’s house was nestled in the woods
Q And Jim Del Negro, where did he live?
A I’m not sure the address specifically but I think it was in an apartment complex that was like within a mile or two of Knox Woods.
Jim Del Negro
Q Emiliano Salinas, did he live in the same area generally?
A Emiliano, yes, he bought a — he lived in a condo that I owned on Minuteman Court, so near Monica, in Knox Woods for a number of years and then he moved to the same development as Loreta, like one mile away.
Emiliano Salinas [Photo: Octavio Gómez]
Q Where did Mark Vicente live?
A Mark Vicente lived at the Twilight House, I can’t remember the number, but then he moved closer to the same apartment complex I think as Jim Del Negro. Oh, and he lived for a period of time as well at 7 Generals Way.
Q Where did Nicki Clyne live?
A Nicki Clyne lived on Hancock Way originally which was right next to Wilton Court, so similarly in Knox Woods over by Dani, and then she moved to the other side, I think she was on a street called Yorktown which was near Ivy, all in Knox Woods.
Q Did she eventually move to 9 Milltowne?
A She did, she eventually moved to 9 Milltowne; when Rosa Laura bought the house for the [DOS] sorority house, Nicki lived in it.
Q Where did Rosa Laura Junco live?
A Rosa Laura Junco lived ten minutes away — let me see —
Q Showing you Slide 34.
The mansion of Rosa Laura Junco.
Q And Daniella Padilla, where did she live?
A Daniella Padilla lived over by Wilton Court, so over by where Dani lived and Nicki originally.
Dani Padilla on a walk with Keith in Knox Woods
Allison Mack with sister-wife Dani Padilla
Q Where did Allison Mack live?
A Allison Mack lived in 7 Generals Way and then she moved I think to Grenadier Court, I’m not sure if 127 was the number. I believe it was. Yes, 127 Grenadier.
Q And Alex Betancourt, where did he live?
A Alex lived over by Rosa Laura, so within ten minutes.
Q And [redacted], where did he live?
A [redacted] rented an apartment right across the street from Knox Woods just on the other side, so one mile away.
Q Were you aware of an instance in which someone outside the defendant’s inner circle attempted to move into Knox Woods?
A Yes, there was a man named Ed Kinum who moved into Knox Woods and my mother — Keith directed my mother to tell him that it was a security risk to be there for Keith and so he was asked to move out.
Q Did he move out?
A Yes, he did.
Ed Kinnum – he moved in then had to move out of Knox Woods.
Q Were you aware if the defendant attempted to stop a member of the inner circle from moving out of Knox Woods?
A Yes.
Q Can you describe that to the jury?
A Nicki [Clyne] rented an apartment outside of Knox Woods about maybe a mile and a half, two miles away and she had told me that Keith called her and told her that it was a breach and she should live closer. She moved back into Knox Woods.
Q She moved back into the community?
A Yes.
Q Into Knox Woods?
A Yes, back into the development.
***
This is a slice of Nxivm life. Ed Kinum had to move out of Knox Woods because he was not a member of the inner circle. Nicki had to move back because she was in the inner circle.
Keith wanted his women to be close at hand.
As for Kinum, this is telling since this likely occurred after the disappearance of Kristin Snyder. It suggests he was not trusted as part of the lying, keep Keith’s secrets, inner circle.
He may have been used inadvertently to help seal Snyder’s fate but may not have been taken into the confidences of Raniere, Salzman and Esther Chiappone Carlson as to how to silence her forever.
It is interesting that every woman named above was part of Raniere’s harem. He could easily walk to any of their homes and mentor them with his immaculate ejaculate. This cad had a bevy of attractive and intelligent women, all waiting around for him every day. All he had to do was walk outside his house and drop in on anyone. None of them had any men [at least not openly]. They were his slaves and lived to do his bidding.
Had he not abused his power and started branding and blackmailing women – had he just been content with his harem of 20 or so women and nearly unlimited funding from the Bronfman sisters – he might have lived out his life quite contentedly.
But he had to venture further, more precariously, recruiting people from all over to be his DOS slaves. Branding such as India Oxenberg and Nicole and others. And, of course, he had to attack people like me and try to smother us forever.
That invited a response.
He should have stayed right in his backyard, within the boundaries of Knox Woods.
