When he realized that he was not going to get out of prison as soon as he had hoped he decided that he did not want to fast anymore, so he had to come up with an excuse as to why he stopped. Travesser claimed that God told him that he did not need to fast anymore. This claim was just another way for Bent to keep the trust of his followers even though he was in prison. While in prison, he had his family buy him food from the commissary because he did not want to eat the prison food. In a letter to his followers back at Strong City, Bent said, “I don’t eat the prison food, since it is not good for me. God wants me to eat things that are good for me” This was once again just another form of manipulation. Through all of these examples, it becomes clear that Michael continuously uses God and the fact that he is supposedly the Messiah to manipulate his followers into doing what he desires. Not only did Bent’s followers not realize that they were being brain washed while living in their compound in New Mexico, but they also did not realize that they were continuing to be manipulated by a man in …show more content…
Bent manipulated enough people to a far enough extent that many of them stuck around and waited for him to be released from prison. Michael got out of prison in February of 2016. He was released early due to a cancerous tumor on his ear (Oswald, Mark). After his release he went back to the Strong City compound. Immediately after his release, Bent erased the website that proclaimed what their group had originally believed in. In its place Travesser created a new website that portrays Bent’s feelings and emotions toward his experience in prison. On this website Michael discusses his trial, sentence, and how he believes that he was innocent and wrongly treated by the state of New Mexico. By posting the new website Bent is fishing for sympathy. He wants society to know his story and feel sorry for him and his