A self-proclaimed vampire.
His harem of "witches."
And the small-town murder that shocked America.
The Vampire's Cult
Now available · Paperback · eBook · Audiobook
Sydney Loofe · Wilber, Nebraska · 2017
Chet Hardin & Claire St. Amant — Virtual Event
Virtual Event (hosted by BiblioBar)
Darkness disguised as devotion
When twenty-four-year-old Sydney Loofe disappeared after a Tinder date, the quiet town of Wilber, Nebraska was stunned. Days later, her dismembered body was found scattered across nearby fields-and the horrifying truth began to emerge. Sydney had not just met the wrong man. She had crossed paths with a deeply disturbed psychopath and his dangerous accomplice.
In The Vampire's Cult, investigative journalist Chet Hardin exposes the twisted world of Aubrey Trail, an aging con man who presented himself as an all-powerful being, and Bailey Boswell, the woman who called herself his "queen." Together, they lured vulnerable young women into a spiral of sex, theft, and psychological manipulation — with deadly consequences.
Through exclusive interviews, firsthand reporting, and chilling detail, Hardin unravels the making of a modern cult — and the social desperation that feeds it. In an era defined by false realities and toxic charisma, The Vampire's Cult reveals just how easily darkness can disguise itself as devotion.
Scenes from the case
Praise for The Vampire's Cult
"Beware: The Vampire's Cult is neither horror nor true crime. It so marvelously combines the two genres it may require a new genre: horror crime. Hardin tells a terrible tale of an evil cult who committed murder in a small town in Nebraska and the consequences to all involved. His telling of the tale will leave you captivated, if not mesmerized."
"An engrossing story about human depravity that will attract true crime enthusiasts."
"An unbelievable story told in riveting detail."
"Chet Hardin is a fearless journalist who helped to expose the notorious 'sex cult' known as NXIVM. Now he applies that same skill to exploring the manipulation of deadly Nebraska cult leader Aubrey Trail. Like NXIVM leader Keith Raniere, Trail used his powers of persuasion for sex and sadism. It takes someone like Chet to dig deep into such behavior, which gives readers a better understanding of its chilling context."
"In the terrifying true crime thriller The Vampire's Cult, author Chet Hardin sharpens his investigative knives to penetrate a graphic and disturbing crime in America's heartland, while also unmasking a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde hellbent on ritualistic murder. The writing is crisp and the narrative moves at the speed of a locomotive. This powerful book also begs the question: when I open an app, am I allowing the devil inside?"
"If you thought the 2017 murder of Sydney Loofe was bizarre, you do not know the half of it until you have read Chet Hardin's amazing account of the disappearance and murder that captivated Nebraska. Deeply reported and well-written, it offers amazing jailhouse insight into how the minds of Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell became so strangely and tragically twisted. A great addition to the legacy of true crime on the Great Plains."
"Chet Hardin was the first journalist to give me a voice. He did not just listen to me; he understood what it means to survive something people did not want to believe. In The Vampire's Cult, he brings that same persistence and clarity to a case that reveals just how far manipulation and control can go. I watched him put in the work-years of it-going in and out of prisons, talking to investigators, families, and anyone who held a piece of the truth. He does not sensationalize it. He confronts it head-on. The result reads like a Stephen King novel, except it is all true; this is true crime. Dark, unsettling, and at times so absurd it almost disarms you-until it does not. I have seen firsthand how these dynamics take hold-and this book exposes not just what happened, but how the right vulnerabilities, in the wrong hands, can be shaped into something unthinkable."
"With rich descriptions, a highly readable narrative, insider information, and exclusive interviews, The Vampire's Cult is perfect for followers of the case as well as crime buffs first encountering Loofe's story."
Everything will be wonderful someday
Wilber was the last place on earth you would expect to find a sex cult of murderous witches. And yet the shocking news would break: an unsuspecting young woman named Sydney Loofe had been lured to this idyllic little town, where she was murdered in an alleged cult-like ritual, dismembered, and then scattered throughout the fields of southeastern Nebraska. Police would identify her remains by the tattoo on her arm, which read, “Everything will be wonderful someday.”
The Vampire’s Cult goes far deeper than the salacious headlines and gory details, using the thorough research of a police procedural to craft an unflinching portrait of evil. In it, you will witness the rapid development and catastrophic result of a small-town cult bent on sex, theft, and torture. You will meet its leader, the bumbling and oafish, over-the-hill conman and felon named Aubrey Trail, his “first follower,” the beguiling sex worker Bailey Boswell, and the trio of young women who were seduced into his dark world. And you will meet Sydney Loofe, the sweet young woman who lost her life as a result of all this madness.
Living in an age shaped by false realities and the ambitions of charismatic narcissists, the questions raised by this book are urgent and long-lasting.
Questions people ask about the case
Who was Sydney Loofe
Sydney Loofe was the daughter of George and Susie Loofe. She had an older brother and a younger sister, and she grew up in Neligh, Nebraska. In 2017, she was 24-years-old, living in Lincoln, and working as a cashier at Menards. She liked fishing and crystals and was considering a career working with animals when she met Bailey Boswell.
What happened to Sydney Loofe?
Sydney met a woman on a dating app who said that her name was "Audrey." After talking for a few days, they decided to meet up in person. It was on their second date that Sydney disappeared. Her body was found weeks later, dismembered and discarded in ditch rows and corn fields in rural Clay County. Her death led to the prosecution and conviction of Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell.
Who are Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell?
Aubrey Trail was an aging conman and life-long criminal who had spent the majority of his life behind bars. In 2016, he met Bailey Boswell in a hotel room in St. Joseph, Missouri. Bailey was a small-town girl who had dropped out of college and began selling sexual favors to random men online. Aubrey was one of these men, and when he offered to take care of her, she accepted. The two launched a nearly two-year crime spree, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the country, before settling down in Wilber, Nebraska, to start a twisted and short-lived cult.
Where are Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell now?
Aubrey Trail was sentenced to death and now resides in the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in Tecumesh, Nebraska. Bailey Boswell narrowly escaped the death penalty and was instead sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She is being held at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York.
Is there a book about the Sydney Loofe case?
Yes, this one. The Vampire's Cult by Chet Hardin is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook (narrated by Charles Linshaw).
