Church of Synanon, was a cult founded in 1958 by former alcoholic Charles Dederich. Synanon began as a rehabilitation program to help drug addicts, whom Dederich felt did not have a program to respond to their needs. Eventually allegations of murdering former members began to surface. Many threats were made against police and lawyers who threatened Synanon. A recorded speech was found in Synanon by Dederich claiming that he was more then ready to see all of their enemies dead. Dederich stepped down as leader of Synanon and the group officially disbanded in 1989. Dederich died in 1997.