Towns like Idunn, CT have a long history in the United States.
America's vaunted freedoms and bountiful land have attracted many in search
of an earthbound Utopia. From Amana and Oneida to our own Old Salem, the
so-called "intentional communities" have a long and storied history.
Although the idea of utopian communities is most associated with the 19th century, the movement has not died out in recent years. In fact, Intentional Communities lists 540 such towns in their 1995 directory.
Knowing this, Idunn seems unremarkable. Yet police say the town's "cult-like" nature makes it impossible to investigate reported crimes. This fact was brought home by the disappearance of Jill Smith.
Earlier this year, police received a worried message from a woman in the neighboring town of Kudram, who claimed that the 18-year-old girl had vanished. Upon investigation, the police found many inhabitants accustomed to seeing young Jill visiting their town every week. She seemed to buy and trade supplies for the town of Idunn, but she had not been seen for almost a month.
The county police then moved their search to Idunn, but here met a dead end. None of the Idunians reported anyone as being missing; none even acknowledged the existence of Jill Smith. One woman seemed to know who the police were referring to, but quickly changed her story.
"Hard as police work is, Idunn makes it harder," confided Sergeant Jack Florey. Florey spent several days meeting with denizens of Idunn, but found no evidence of the missing girl.
Enigmatic and insular, Idunn was founded several decades ago by a religious sect called the Way of the Millennium. They claim to possess a sacred Chinese text entitled Essential Arts of the Millennium, bestowed by their fonder, Zhang Bao, the "Master of Earth".
Baffled police were further dismayed upon receiving a wave of emails exhorting them to find the missing girl. Jill Smith was apparently known to people all over the world through her activities in cyberspace. Friends of Jill mounted an online campaign to show their support.
"Actually, this just makes our job harder," said Florey. "Investigation is easiest when the general public doesn't even know it's going on. This media attention can only complicate matters.
Idunn's beliefs are still mostly unknown to the general public. Vague reports say that the Idunians seek to discover the secrets of earthly immortality.
The Idun Council of Aldermen was unavailable for comment.
