American Nightmares returns for its most unsettling season yet

The Gamut Podcast Network’s flagship true crime series American Nightmares returns February 3 with its most unsettling season yet: Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult, a firsthand account of a cult that thrived for years behind the appearance of suburban normalcy.

Set in Ogden, Utah, the season traces the rise and collapse of the Zion Society, a secretive group embedded in a pristine neighborhood of manicured lawns and flower gardens. Beneath the surface was a system built on control, manipulation, and sexual abuse, centered around an unlikely leader: Arvin Shreeve, a soft-spoken landscaper who hid predation behind faith and community.

What sets Gardens of Evil: Inside the Zion Society Cult apart is the involvement of the man behind the cult’s takedown. Season 5 is guided by Detective Mike King, the lead investigator who helped dismantle the cult in 1991. King takes listeners inside the case from the moment a young woman walked into the Weber County Attorney’s Office and confessed what was happening behind closed doors, through the investigation and raid that finally exposed the truth.

“American Nightmares has always told stories about evil hiding in plain sight,” said John Goforth, Head of the Gamut Podcast Network.

“This season is different because it’s shaped by the knowledge of the man who actually brought this one down. Mike King isn’t reflecting from a distance, he’s taking listeners straight into the case as it unfolded.”

“For years, people saw clean lawns and friendly faces and assumed everything was fine,” King said.

“But behind those doors was something horrific. This season is about telling the truth of what happened, and honoring the people who lived through it.”

“At Gamut, we believe true crime storytelling carries a responsibility,” said Jeremy Sinon, VP, Podcast Operations at Gamut.

“American Nightmares doesn’t sensationalize tragedy — it documents how ordinary environments can conceal extraordinary harm. Gardens of Evil is exactly the kind of rigorous, survivor-first journalism we want to bring to audiences: deeply reported, uncomfortable, and necessary.”

Mike King is also donating all of his proceeds from the season to child advocacy charities.

“This story isn’t just about what happened, it’s about how people crossed lines they once believed they never would, and how we make sure no child ever pays that price again.”