Steven Garasai Tari (1971 – 29 August 2013), also known as Black Jesus, was a Papua New Guinean religious figure, leader of a Christian-influenced cargo cult, who claimed to be the Messiah or the Christ, and is notorious for alleged rape and murder.
He escaped in March 2013, and remained at large for several months, until he was hacked to death by villagers on 29 August 2013.
He retreated into the mountain village of Gal, where he formed a personality cult around himself as the Messiah, adopting the moniker "Black Jesus".
[2] Tari was pursued by Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary police in 2005 as a result of his teachings.
[citation needed] The first rape/murder accusation against Tari involves the fate of Rita Herman, who joined the cult at age 13 as a personal "flower girl" of the self-styled messiah.
Barmarhal instructed her daughter to submit, as she and her family would be blessed by Tari and would receive great gifts of material goods and wealth as reward for the ritual.
Back in the jungle, Tari cultivated an honour guard and recruited a new crop of flower girls from the remote villages, promising them blessings of wealth in exchange.
[1] An investigation is pending, although national newspapers have reported that Tari was "chopped to death" by the angry villagers.