When Internet conspiracy theorist Sherry Shriner told one of her long-time followers, Steven Mineo, that his new girlfriend Barbara Rogers was a deadly reptilian agent, Steven broke with Shriner's cult. Two months later, he was dead from a gunshot wound to the head, and Barbara had been charged with his murder. Shriner claimed credit for a true prophecy. But the truth was darker.

Journalist Tony Russo's investigation of Mineo's death, along with the earlier suicide of another cult member, led him inside an exotic new form of religion, where true believers assemble in internet chat rooms to stave off the demonic hordes of Lucifer, the New World Order, cell phone towers and reptilian shape-shifters. 

Dragged Into the Light is a look at how conspiracy cults wield surprising power, and what their growth says about deepening religious and political divides in the U.S.

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Telling compelling stories about ordinary people has been Tony Russo's specialty for the entirety of his journalism career. Whether profiling artists, community leaders, or combat veterans, he has a knack for helping people connect to personal stories.

After nearly 20 years covering news and writing features for local outlets, Tony moved into independent journalism, telling stories about how small events affected the larger culture.

In addition to writing about the craft beer revolution, Tony wrote and hosted "This Is War" a narrative podcast documenting the personal stories of combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
His most recent work, Dragged Into the Light: Truthers, Reptilians, Super Soldiers, and Death Inside an Online Cult looks into how one nondescript woman was able to tap into the rising paranoia that birthed the conspiracy theory culture.

Tony lives on Maryland's Eastern Shore with his wife and the only of his four daughters who has yet to move out. Together they keep their dog and cats comfortable.