Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View

Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View is a gripping true crime drama based on a disturbing and tragic event in Utah's history. On September 10, 1986, a deeply troubled man, Rick Worthington, took four women, a man, and two babies hostage at Alta Vista Intermediate School, which is now known as Alta View Applied Technology College, in Sandy, Utah. What unfolded within those walls would be a harrowing ordeal that would captivate investigators and the public alike, testing the limits of human psychology and the courage of those involved. Rick Worthington's descent into madness was a gradual and tragic one. He felt as though his life had been irreparably damaged by Dr. Edward A. Garrick, an Idaho obstetrician who had performed a sterilization procedure on Worthington's wife without properly explaining the risks or obtaining their consent. The consequences of this procedure were felt deeply by Rick Worthington, and it fueled a festering anger and resentment towards Dr. Garrick that would ultimately consume him. On the day of the hostage-taking, Worthington, determined to exact revenge, stormed into Alta Vista Hospital (not a school as the synopsis previously stated), taking six individuals hostage. He demanded that the police bring him Dr. Garrick, who had long since retired and was out of the country at the time. The situation quickly escalated, with Worthington threatening to detonate a bomb that he claimed had been rigged to kill everyone involved. As the crisis unfolded, Worthington revealed details of his tortured psyche, his grievances against Dr. Garrick, and the desperation that drove him to this extreme act. With his demands unmet, Worthington's actions became increasingly erratic and violent. He started shooting his gun randomly around the hospital and set the building ablaze. He also killed one of the hostages, an employee, and wounded a second. Fearing for their lives, the remaining hostages were forced to escape through a window as Worthington raged on, intent on exacting a bloodthirsty revenge. A 40-minute standoff ensued, as SWAT team members and hostage negotiators tried to reason with the crazed Worthington, whose behavior was becoming increasingly unpredictable. Eventually, Worthington allowed some of the hostages to escape, and in a bizarre act of self-justification, he claimed that God was guiding his actions, that he was on a divine mission to eliminate Dr. Garrick and the hospital staff. This statement, delivered in an eerie calm tone, sends shivers down the spine and raises disturbing questions about the intersection of madness and faith. Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View raises fundamental questions about human behavior and the complexities of psychological trauma. What happens when a person's sense of justice is warped by personal circumstances, making them see themselves as victims of circumstance, while demonizing others who have inadvertently played a part in their downfall? How do we account for the tragic fall of individuals like Rick Worthington, who, rather than turning to support systems or counseling, chooses a path of revenge and violence? Can their actions be attributed to a mental condition or was it simply an act of pure malice? These questions remain unanswered, leaving the audience to ponder the nature of their own capacity for empathy and outrage. As the film explores the aftermath of Alta View, it also grapples with the psychological toll that events like this take on those directly involved, including first responders, negotiators, and the hostages themselves. The true horror of this story lies in the lasting impacts on those whose lives were forever changed by Worthington's actions, leaving scars that may never fully heal. Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View, a heart-wrenching and unflinching portrayal of human desperation, serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive power of unchecked emotions and the devastating consequences of trauma. This gripping drama raises essential questions about the very fabric of our society and the resilience of those affected by tragedy.