MINNESOTA
Fox 9

[with video]

by Tom Lyden

He’s the focus of a nationwide manhunt, but there are still many questions about Victor Barnard. One stands out more than any other: What makes a man like that, and why would so many people follow him?

To begin to understand Victor Barnard, it’s important to know who he followed. When he was just 19, Barnard met a charismatic religious leader who had tens of thousands of followers in 35 countries — but even those who knew him back then tell Fox 9 News that something happened before Barnard went rogue with the Bible.

According to friends from that time, Barnard was a party animal back in 1979, which is when he graduated from the prestigious Breck School. In fact, they were surprised to hear he’d found God the following year in Ohio after he met the man who would become…