The Second Most Controversial IUIC Story Ever
Joy Morgan's murder by a fellow IUIC member is the most controversial IUIC story. The second: (estranged?) IUIC member Gerald Lewis shot a transgender person in Indiana in 2016. Here's the story:
SEVEN YEARS AGO, Gadiell Ben Israel of IUIC shot a transgender person in the face in Evansville, Indiana on July 10, 2016. (IUIC is Israel United in Christ, the largest One West “Hebrew Israelite” group). The person whom Gadiell Ben Israel shot is known as Crystal Raquel Cash, who was 55 years old at the time. The incident happened in Evansville, Indiana, inside an apartment building at 715 North First Avenue, just after 3 pm on a Sunday. Cash used the space as both a massage parlor and residence.
The Courier Press wrote that, “There was some initial confusion because the police report released Monday morning listed Cash as a male. A police department official confirmed that Cash is a transgender woman later that evening.”
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED ON JULY 10, 2016 IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA?
Crystal Cash claims it was a "completely random encounter” with Gadiell Ben Israel. Cash told police they met at a nearby intersection and had a conversation. The affidavit says that Gadiell Ben Israel asked Cash to use the bathroom. They both entered the North First Avenue building, where Cash had an office and apartment.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case, Cash recounted that Gadiell Ben Israel was "very nice at first”. Cash told police that Gadiell Ben Israel then started acting suspicious. He walked into restricted areas and spent an unusual amount of time in the bathroom. Next, Gadiell “turned into a monster", the affidavit states. 14 News, based on an interview with Cash’s brother, reported what happened when Gadiell came out of the bathroom: “Lewis rushed up to Crystal with a gun” and “Crystal pushed him away”. Then Cash fled into another room. Gadiell Ben Israel followed and shot Cash in the head. Cash later told police that Lewis said “die, die, f****t” during the attack. Suffering a broken jaw, Cash "faked death" after being shot. Gadiell Ben Israel then took Cash’s ID, passport, credit cards, and office keys.
Cash called police after suffering a bullet wound to the left side of the face. Police arrived and found blood outside the building, in common areas inside, and in the room where Cash was shot. Cash survived but couldn’t speak due to the injury. While being treated at Deaconess Hospital, Cash wrote information down for police, including notes that stated “I was robbed attacked and shot” and “I guess he thought I had money. No.”
MORE ABOUT THE VICTIM, CRYSTAL RAQUEL CASH
The Courier & Press wrote that, "It appears that Cash uses Backpage.com and other adult websites to advertise her services under her middle name. In those ads, she portrays herself as much younger, and her most recent postings on the adult classified page broadcast that she provides body rubs in a 'relaxing mood atmosphere.'"
According to the Courier Press, “Investigators wrote that Cash said she had shown Lewis "her website" before the shooting. Additionally, RawStory wrote the following about Cash’s brother:
Johnny Dickens, Cash's brother, says that his sister has been in a "committed relationship for twenty years." He alleges that police are trying to portray his sister as a prostitute rather than as a transgender businesswoman who was targeted by a Christian extremist.
… Cash was able to describe the suspect in writing, whom she said was wearing an "Israeli-Christian" tee shirt.
He said she'll have to have more surgeries to correct her jaw before he hopes she's able to return to a normal life.
When a member of a Hebrew Israelite group does something like this, I’ve observed the “Israelite” commentary on the subject is never about the victim. Rather, it’s always about how the media is trying to paint “Israelites” in a negative light and how the government will use this event as a pretense to begin cracking down on their religion.
However, notice that Christians are receiving blame for something a Hebrew Israelite did. In fact, the RawStory headline reads this way: “Christian extremist shoots trans woman in the face”. Another outlet, LogoTV, reported it this way: “Trans Woman Unable to Speak After Being Shot in the Face by Christian Extremist”. To state the obvious, Gadiell was in no way a Christian or associated with anything even remotely Christian. His group, IUIC, disavows anything Christian and spends a great deal of time attacking Christian churches.
THE IUIC CONNECTION EXPOSED
In an interview with police at the hospital, Cash gave a detailed description of the attacker to investigators, including part of his alias: Gadiell Ben Israel. WFIE 14 News reported:
Although Cash told police her encounter with Lewis on Sunday was completely random, according to Captain Chandler, she gave a detailed report to police of him.
"She knew his age, where he was born, where he was from - Alabama," said Captain Chandler. "She was able to give his alias, 'Gadiell Ben Israel' that he was using."
This led detectives to his Facebook page, where he identified as a member of Israel United in Christ group. In fact, he posted and shared 28 different IUIC links on July 9, 2016, the day before the shooting. He even posted an IUIC link on the day of the attack at 12:55am. Detectives believed that his social media activity suggested that Gadiell Ben Israel was still in the area, but more on his apprehension later. For now, I want to explore Gadiell’s connection with IUIC. Let’s start with the official statement that IUIC released.
Nathanyel Ben Israel, the leader of IUIC, posted a statement on this “unfortunate situation” on the group’s website:
“Israel United in Christ Church finds it necessary to make it clear that Gerald Duane Lewis aka Gadiell is not a member of our organization,” the statement said.
The release claims that “Gerald was removed from the congregation months prior due to not adhering to the stringent guidelines of our organization” without providing specifics.
“As we staunchly stand alongside the Holy Bible and its tenets, Israel United does not teach or condone violence against any person,” the statement said.
BRIEF ANALYSIS OF THE IUIC STATEMENT REGARDING THE SHOOTING
NATHANYEL LIED ABOUT GADIELL’S DATE OF EXCOMMUNICATION
Nathanyel claims “Gadiell is not a member of our organization”. Since when? Nathanyel himself is in a picture with Gadiell in an Instagram phot dated May 30, 2016. THIS IS ONLY 40 DAYS BEFORE GADIELL WOULD SHOOT A TRANSGENDER PERSON IN THE FACE WHILE VISITING SAID PERSON IN THEIR MASSAGE PARLOR!
The statement reads that “Gerald was removed from the congregation months prior due to not adhering to the stringent guidelines of our organization”. When exactly was he removed? And for what reason? Where’s the PROOF? Nathanyel never gave any proof of his removal, or a date. How was he removed “months prior” when Nathanyel has a picture with Gadiell only 40 days before the shooting?
Not only that, Gadiell is pictured with another prominent IUIC member from Oklahoma on the same date: Deacon Abbayael. Both pictures are clearly by a hotel front desk (I studied the rest of the pictures in the set as well). This indicates IUIC leadership from both New York and Oklahoma had traveled to Evansville, Indiana. Somehow, Gadiell was one of the fortunate local members who took a picture with the higher ups. How is it that Gadiell was removed months (plural) prior to July 20, 2016 when the photos are dated May 30, 2016? Not even two months had passed, indeed, barely even one month had passed! The calendar does not support Nathanyel’s claims.
THE STATEMENT BRAGS ABOUT IUIC’S PATIENCE — BUT WHY?
One interesting sentence reads: “We pride ourselves on self-discipline and patience”. Now, what exactly does “patience” have to do with this specific situation? Self-discipline could make sense (“don’t shoot white people just yet”), but what does UIC having “patience” mean in this context? This is coded language drawn from IUIC’s misinterpretation of Revelation 13:10 (KJV):
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword
must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
IUIC takes this verse wrongly to mean that one day they will be able to kill and enslave all of their enemies, which includes those whom they perceive to be members of another nation … such as Crystal Cash. This means they must have patience before they lay waste to their enemies. See the quick note below to see that is not what that verse means. Note: below is a live stream I recorded on this news story.
SIDE NOTE: THE TRUE MEANING OF REVELATION 13:10
For the context of Revelation 13 is about how the people of God will experience strong persecution in the future. The verse is saying that some believers will be imprisoned while others will be martyrs. It will be as the Lord wills for them. The NASB translates Revelation 13:10 in this manner:
If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes;
εἴ τις εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν, εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ὑπάγει·
if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed.
εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι.
Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints
Ὧδέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπομονὴ καὶ ἡ πίστις τῶν ἁγίων.
*NOTE: There are variants in the Greek text of verse 10. The NASB translators used the Critical Text in Nestle-Aland 27th edition. The CT there relies primarily on the 5th century Codex Alexandrinus. Antoniades Patriarchal Text (PT)4 has an additional variant:
εἴ τις εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀπάγει, εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ὑπάγει·
If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity.
εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποκτέννει, δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποκτανθῆναι.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed.
As you can see by the last line, this variant also supports the aforementioned interpretation.
Their patience is waiting through the fiery trial of persecution before the Lord redeems them in the future, via his return and their resurrection. Revelation 13:10 is literally the opposite of what IUIC says: it’s not about inflicting suffering upon others but rather it’s about having patience when you undergo suffering as a Christian. Studying Jeremiah 15:2 and 43:11 are the Old Testament background for the language employed. Both Jeremiah 15:2 and 43:11 support Revelation 13:10 as dealing with one’s predestined path of suffering. Below is a brief video on this verse:
Under the IUIC version of the End Times, however, Mr. Lewis did not display the patience of the saints that IUIC takes pride in. This is not a stretch, for IUIC Atlanta’s radio-style livestream broadcast is literally called Patient Saints Radio. Not only that, IUIC drops albums with that title. For example, Patient Saints 2: Blessing & Curses.
Notice the album cover features a flying saucer in the background. That is because IUIC’s eschatology teaches that UFO’s are actually weaponized chariots for the black angels who will take part in destroying the US. Also notice the hands of a clock are prominently featured. This indicates a period of waiting patiently before this slaughter can happen. Remember, IUIC believes that in some way, they themselves will take part in slaughtering "those whom they deem as “Gentiles”. For IUIC, the problem was Gerald did not display the patience of the saints because he jumped the gun and sought vengeance upon the heathen to soon.
3. IUIC EXPRESS ZERO EMPATHY FOR THE VICTIM, ONLY VENGEANCE!
Their theology of revenge is present even in the letter itself, where it reads that Scripture teaches “us that … vengeance belongs to the Most High”. Vengeance? What does vengeance have to do with Crystal Cash? In Nathanyel’s warped mind, Cash deserves vengeance simply by virtue of being white!
This is not a case of reading too much into it but rather a case of reading between the lines to discern what’s really there. Want more evidence?
Where’s the sympathy for the victim in this case? There is none. None at all. No remorse is expressed towards the victim at all, only damage control to protect Nate’s brand; the purple and gold.
THE REST OF THE STORY WITH GADIELL BEN ISRAEL
Police found Lewis the next day on a Monday afternoon, near the hospital and close to where the shooting itself happened. Police found a loaded 9mm handgun with extra ammo in Lewis’ confiscated backpack. Lewis did not have a valid permit. Police also found his ID in the bag, showing Lewis had lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was booked into Vanderburgh County jail.
On the day of his arrest, Gadiell retweeted three different IUIC videos on his Twitter account, with the latest being at 7:14 AM. He would be arrested only hours later.
Gadiell Ben Israel (Gerald Duane Lewis), who was 26 at the time, was charged with attempted murder, a level 1 felony; robbery causing serious bodily injury, a level 2 felony, and a misdemeanor carrying a handgun without a license charge. Michael Cox was appointed the public's defender to represent Lewis after Lewis said he had no money. Judge Carl Heldt set Lewis' bond was at $5 million surety or $500,000 cash. On July 12, 2016, Courier & Press reported the following:
A woman at Lewis' court hearing, Daisy Norman, told reporters that she was his wife.
Norman said the couple has been in Evansville for a few months and that she was still trying to learn details about the allegations against her husband, whom she described as a "good person."
Norman is an Israel United in Christ member as well. She disputed the organization's designation as a hate group.
"We learn about our heritage, we learn about our history," Norman said. "What was done to us in the past and what is being done to us now. But (is it) a hate group? No."
Since she is an innocent in this tragedy, I will not share her social media profiles. However, I can tell you definitively that she has left IUIC and is now critical of the One West camps. She still identifies as a Hebrew Israelite, yes, but her posts make it plain that she denies One West distinct ives, specifically, she disavows the Twelve Tribes of Israel chart. She has also moved on in the romantic realm.
Regarding Gadiell’s case, the reports are as follows: Vanderburgh County Circuit Court Judge David Kiely found that Gadiell "lacks the ability to understand the proceedings and assist in his defense." This means Gadiell was ruled incompetent to stand trial.
Gadiell Ben Israel was sentenced 36 years on May 30, 2018. Indiana Department of Correction records indicate that his earliest release date is March 31, 2043.
VOCAB MALONE
JUNE 21, 2023
PHOENIX AZ
