The Finders were an intentional community and a cult founded in Washington, D.C. in the early 1970s by former United States Air Force Master Sergeant Marion Pettie (1920–2003).
The younger children were observed to display behavior indicating they were not used to being in a house or using indoor plumbing, requesting to go outside to use the bathroom, or urinating in their pants (noted to lack underwear).
[4] According to U.S. District Court records in Washington, a confidential police source had previously told authorities that the Finders were "a cult" that conducted "brainwashing" techniques at a warehouse and a Glover Park duplex raided by law enforcement.
Officials of the U.S. Customs Service said that the material seized included photos showing children involved in bloodletting ceremonies of animals and one photograph of a child in chains.
[4] Federal authorities concluded that there was no evidence of criminal activity, with it being noted that, although more could have been done for the children, it was difficult to compile accurate information with what knowledge they did have of their lifestyle only being able to be judged subjectively.
[3] Despite this resolution, the issue was brought to wider attention in 1993 when Henry T. “Skip” Clements, an officer in private-sector consulting and a resident of Stuart, Florida, obtained a copy of the 1987 report which stated that the DC Police Department investigation into the Finders had been dropped as a "CIA internal matter."
[3][7] CIA spokesman David Christian asserted that the charges were a misunderstanding stemming from a company by the name of Future Enterprises Inc. being used to train agents, with one member of the Finders working as a part-time accountant there.