Confusion over dead cultists’ identity

The bodies of two Doomsday cultists, who joined 33 others in an underground bunker last November, have been recovered by police, although identifying them is proving difficult.

Authorities presumed they’d found the son of one victim, but he failed to recognise the body and says his mother is still alive, according to the Russian ‘Tvoi Den’ newspaper.

News about the death of two women was first revealed in April by one of the sect leaders, Vitaly Nedogon.

The bodies’ recovery became possible after members of the sect, remaining in the shelter, surfaced on May 16.

The cult members insist that one of those dead, Maria Yaroshevich, starved herself to death, while the other, 57-year-old Tamara Bystrova, died of cancer.

Meanwhile, Roman Bystrov says he was shown two partly decomposed bodies at a local morgue in Penza region, and none of them resembles his mother.

“I won’t believe my mother is dead until I get the post mortem examination results,” Roman says.

He claims Tamara Bystrova was in good health and it’s highly unlikely that she had cancer.

According to Bystrov, his cousin Elena has also joined the Doomsday cult. He was told that after she had recently emerged from the bunker, she headed for her hometown.

But Bystrov says she has not arrived there.

“Both my mother and cousin just disappeared without a trace!” he says.