John Gilbride's Journals Reflecting on Alberta's Abuse - January of 1997

This document was referenced in the most recent episode of Murder at Ryan's Run, Episode 6: The Meetings. This is an entry that was found on John's computer after he was murdered. It's one of a few entries he makes reflecting on specific periods of abuse within MOVE. In this document, John talks about how Alberta frequently acted like everything was fine, and once he let his guard down her mood shifted abruptly as she put him in the hot seat. This is something I've witnessed firsthand on many occasions between Alberta and her current husband, Gary Wonderlin. Alberta often catches people off guard, when they are relaxed, and then uses their defensiveness as evidence that they must have been doing something wrong. The control methods that John documents Alberta using on him are also used by Alberta to control and intimidate children in MOVE. These documents from John are supported by the testimonies of June, Whit, Josh, Maria, Salina, Sara, Rain, and others who are coming forward. 

As Alberta begins the meeting on John she tells him that he's not appreciative enough of the work that other MOVE people are doing to help raise his son. Meanwhile, John had just worked a 16 hour day and was frequently working 80 hours a week to pay medical bills and to sustain Alberta's excessive lifestyle. He points out that he resented that she needed so much help caring for Zack as he was working round the clock at her demand while also waking at 3 am to feed Zack. This is a consistent pattern for Alberta. She constantly talks about how lazy other people are, and how they should work harder while doing very little herself. Over the years I spent a good deal of time at Alberta's Cherry Hill home and she spent the majority of her time sitting on her couch watching television. Ria and Bert always talked about how Bert was always tired from doing all of the "mental work" of the organization, but most of the time it just seemed like she was lazy. 

John mentions that he was told during the meeting that "my attitude towards Alberta was going to cause a situation that would involve my death." As is typical from a threat within MOVE, it was followed by the claim that it wasn't a threat and that his death would not happen at the hands of a MOVE member, but from a plane crash or illness as a result of karmic blowback (the MOVE term for this is that it would be the result of his violation). John fell asleep after the meeting ended at 3 am and was awakened two hours later, at 5 am when Alphonso Africa called him and told him he was on his way over to have a meeting on him with the other MOVE men. At this meeting, he was told that if he continued disrespecting Alberta that he was "done" and "finished." John was writing this reflection sometime in the year 2000. He would continue to receive thinly veiled death threats from MOVE members up until he was murdered in September of 2002.