The 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack was the intentional contamination of salad bars at ten restaurants in The Dalles, Oregon, with Salmonella typhimurium. The attack was orchestrated by Ma Anand Sheela and other leaders of the commune in a bid to influence a local election.
Over 750 people contracted salmonellosis, with 45 requiring hospitalization. At the time, it was the largest biological terrorist attack in United States history .
The Plot
Tensions between the residents of Rajneeshpuram and the local population of Wasco County had reached a breaking point by 1984. Seeking to gain political control of the county by suppressing voter turnout on election day, Sheela's inner circle devised a plan to sicken voters .
The group first acquired Salmonella bacteria from a medical supplier and cultured it in a laboratory within the commune. As a "trial run," they began contaminating local restaurant salad bars and water supplies in The Dalles starting in September 1984 .
Discovery and Investigation
The outbreak was initially investigated by the CDC, which did not immediately suspect foul play. However, after Sheela fled the commune in September 1985, Osho broke his silence and publicly accused her of orchestrating the attacks .
Subsequent raids by the FBI and Oregon State Police discovered a clandestine biological warfare laboratory and a glass vial containing a Salmonella culture that genetically matched the strain from the outbreak .
Was Osho Complicit?
Found insufficient direct evidence to indict Osho for the bioterror plot, though he created the environment that enabled it.
Despite an extensive investigation, authorities lacked the evidence to charge Osho with direct involvement in the biological attack. He was eventually charged only with immigration fraud .
Convictions
In 1986, Ma Anand Sheela and Dr. Diane Yvonne Onang (Ma Anand Puja) pleaded guilty to charges related to the attack, among other crimes. They were sentenced to concurrent prison terms, though both served only a fraction of their sentences before being released and deported.
Primary References & Archival Records (5)
- [1]Rajneeshee Movement Investigation ReportsprimaryOregon Attorney General. (1986). State of Oregon.
Official investigation reports covering 1984–1986, including bioterror attack findings.
- [2]Charisma and Control in Rajneesh CommunitiesacademicLewis Carter. (2011). Cambridge University Press.
Sociological analysis of commune dynamics, leadership structures, and group psychology.
- [3]United States v. Rajneesh et al., Case CR 85-0150primaryU.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division. (1985). U.S. District Court, District of Oregon.
Criminal case including immigration fraud charges against Rajneesh. Alford plea entered Nov 14, 1985.
- [4]Rajneeshees: Investigative SeriesjournalismThe Oregonian (Les Zaitz et al.). (1985). The Oregonian.
Multi-part investigative series on Rajneeshpuram, 1985–1986. Pulitzer Prize finalist.
- [5]Socrates Poisoned Again After 25 CenturiesprimaryOsho (Rajneesh). (1986). St. Martin's Press.
Osho's reflections on deportation from the United States.