Psycho Club

About the Book

A short article seen in the Kohler Lake Daily on 30 May 1993:

Below is the text version of a pamphlet written by the late Brent Mason, who was a twice-published author and youth pastor at Church of the Open Door in Kohler Lake, Colorado. Mason, 28, was found murdered in his home on the 25th of May, as was his wife, Gloria (Fitzgerald) Mason. Family and friends of the Masons believe that their deaths are the direct result of his having written this pamphlet. Police investigators say no proof exists and have closed the case due to lack of evidence.

Did the Psycho Club murder Brent Mason? Judge for yourself:

BEWARE! THE PSYCHO CLUB IS A REAL AND LOCAL DANGER!

First of all, I would like the citizens of Kohler Lake to understand that I am not writing this pamphlet to scare you. I am writing this pamphlet to inform you. It is my sincere hope and prayer that you will read these words, take them to heart, and become better-informed citizens of this fine city.

For the past twelve years, a man by the name of Nathan Shipchandler has lived in our city. He came as a young man, 15 years old, new to the community. I, too, was 15. I met Nathan my sophomore year in high school. I befriended him. Little did I know that he already had a wrap sheet a mile long, and that he had no intentions of reforming, despite his many stays in juvenile detention centers and rehabilitation centers in surrounding towns and in nearby Denver. Nathan formed a club that year, and I joined it. I had no idea how seriously he took this club, until it was almost too late. The name of Nathan Shipchandler’s club?

The Psycho Club.

It sounds almost silly, doesn’t it? Like something a couple of bored teenage kids would create to make themselves sound more tough than they really were, more tough than they felt. It sounds like the kind of club loners might want to join. Outcasts. Kids who weren’t accepted anywhere else could probably find a safe haven in a club called the Psycho Club. And some did. Including myself.

Nathan, my best friend (who will remain unnamed), and myself were the original three members. We thought we were the greatest, the coolest, the ‘baddest’ guys around. The problem is, Nathan’s true character began to show. It wasn’t long until he revealed the darker side of his personality. He said one night, over beer and cigarettes, that we should make a rule for initiation. Fine, I thought. Most clubs have a hazing of some sort. Everyone knew that. But Nathan’s rule was not the normal kind of rule, not in my mind.

In order to be a member of the Psycho Club, you had to kill someone. A human being, in cold blood. And Nathan chose the victim. He was, after all, the leader. And this was his idea.

I balked at it. I watched, sickened, as Nathan and the other few members began making plans. I went to Nathan, and I told him I wanted out. At first, he refused. No one leaves the Club, he said. I promised to never share with anyone the new initiation rule. I swore by my life. Reluctantly, he let me go.

Twelve years of guilt, heavily weighing on my shoulders, has led me to write this pamphlet. I don’t know where Nathan Shipchandler is. I don’t know for certain that he’s still in Kohler Lake, but my instincts tell me that he is. After last week’s bomb threat at the local nursing home, I am convinced that the Psycho Club is thriving in this town. But I can’t prove it. I can’t show you where the members of the Club are. I haven’t seen or heard from Nathan Shipchandler in over nine years. I never want to see him again, but I can no longer ignore the fact that he exists, and exists nearby.

Please, I beg you, watch yourselves. Take bomb threats seriously. Lock your doors at night. Remind your children to not talk with strangers. Keep your eyes open. And, most of all, pray for the safety of your family, yourself, this city. Because the Psycho Club

About the Author

Dana Beth Stenholtz, born in Portland, Oregon, grew up in Central Minnesota. Her interest in reading, writing, and the arts began at an early age, and she continues to have an insatiable desire for knowledge. Dana is a graduate of Crown College, in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Christian Studies. Psycho Club is her first published work.