Another Courtroom Delay in Texas Mason's Slaying

Photo: KRGV-TV5

by Christopher Hodapp

Julio Diaz (allegedly) shot and killed Freemason Robert Wise outside a Masonic lodge in McAllen, Texas almost three years ago. But the murder case against him has been delayed multiple times, most recently on Monday.

McAllen is a small town right on the Mexican border in the southernmost tip of Texas, just west of South Padre Island.

On the night of July 10, 2023, Brother Wise was leaving an officers’ installation ceremony at McAllen Lodge 1110 (he had just been installed as Junior Deacon) when Diaz reportedly drove into the lodge parking lot, approached him, and opened fire at close range. Witnesses inside the lodge heard gunshots and rushed outside to find Wise gravely wounded; he later died at a hospital. Authorities quickly identified Diaz as a suspect, aided in part by the video he allegedly filmed and posted online, bragging to an acquaintance about it in a text message. 

After his arrest, sources familiar with the investigation said that Diaz believed Masons are "devil worshiping Illuminatists." A Facebook commenter said Diaz had previously posted anti-Masonic comments on social media, claiming the lodge "had put a curse on him."

The lodge was previously vandalized in March of 2022, when an unknown person tagged the location with graffiti reading, “Sorcery against the Holy spirit and the human race must all be stoned to death.” It's not known if Diaz was responsible for that incident, but he also faces a separate arson charge from an incident in September 2022, when he had attempted to set the McAllen Masonic hall on fire. Interior surveillance footage recorded him at that time breaking in by smashing the glass front door, pouring gasoline on the floor, and lighting a piece of cardboard on fire. Diaz admitted setting that fire to investigators after his arrest in connection with Wise’s death. Investigators obtained and examined Diaz’s camera and found evidence that also linked him to a separate February 2023 fire at Llano Grande Masonic Lodge, located about 20 miles west of McAllen in Weslaco, Texas.

The shocking nature of the crime has made the case particularly unsettling within the fraternity. Despite the seriousness of the charges, the case has been repeatedly delayed, prompting visible frustration from the court. During a hearing Monday, presiding judge J.B. "Bobby" Flores sharply questioned why a case now more than two years old has yet to go to trial, demanding, “When do we try this thing?” The latest postponement came after the defense requested more time to review a large volume of newly disclosed evidence and to pursue medical and psychological evaluations, including questions about Diaz’s competency and a reported brain condition. Diaz has also faced scrutiny over prior incidents, including alleged arson attempts involving Masonic properties, which prosecutors may use to establish motive or pattern of behavior. Ongoing disputes over evidence and mental fitness have created a procedural logjam, leaving the court, the victim’s family, the lodge brethren, and other observers still waiting for the case to finally be resolved.

Lodge Facebook page

Robert Wise leaves behind his wife, five children, and eleven grandchildren, along with brothers, sisters, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. 

In a separate civil case, Wise's family filed a lawsuit against the lodge itself for failing to take security precautions that might have protected him, or at least discouraged Diaz. The lodge had purchased outdoor lighting and surveillance equipment months before the shooting occurred but failed to install them. Further, the suit pointed out the rise in recent years of attacks against lodges and individual Masons should have made the local lodge more vigilant and protective of its members' safety. The suit was settled out of court.

The judge in Diaz's case has scheduled his next hearing in August to give the defense more time to examine evidence and medical reports. Maybe then Brother Wise and his family will finally be able to receive the closure that's been so long postponed.

California Opens Starfleet Lodge U.D.

by Christopher Hodapp

The Grand Lodge of California has officially established Freemasonry’s first Star Trek-themed affinity lodge. Starfleet Lodge U.D. was consecrated on Sunday in the Pleasanton Masonic Hall. Grand Master Garrett S. Chan was on hand for the occasion. (Photos from Jonathan Hirshon’s Facebook page) 

Their location makes sense as Pleasanton is a suburban neighborhood of San Francisco, where, according to the canon of the Star Trek universe, is the location of Starfleet headquarters. Or will be in the 23rd century. No word yet on whether they can be numbered 1701 once they satisfy the requirements of being under dispensation.

WB Adam Hanin is the lodge’s founding Worshipful Master, WB Nicholas Hayworth, Senior Warden, WB Dinesh Chhabra, Junior Warden, and WB Gary Sparks, Senior Deacon. Yes, the Tyler is armed with a very sharp Bat'leth to repel boarders.

Dilithium crystal-powered gavel

Festive Board on Deck 5

As they say in Scotland, "The lodge is closed, and the bar is open!"
But where is the Saurian brandy?

Food replicator needs reprogramming: no green beans in sight.
And that spaghetti on a paper plate is "best served cold."

In recent years California has been encouraging the establishment of affinity lodges, made up of members with a special interest in common. As many as twenty years ago, my friend WB Jeffrey Naylor strongly advocated for affinity lodges based on shared outside interests of groups of Masons. He encouraged embracing ideas like a “Lionel Lodge” for train enthusiasts, arguing that common passions could attract quality men to Freemasonry without conflicting with its principles. 

Many jurisdictions have hundreds of lodges, creating opportunities for unique, non-cookie-cutter experiences rather than identical ones. In England, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) has long supported this approach with numerous affinity lodges for hobbies and occupations—such as fishermen, gamers, F1 racing fans, actors, musicians, and rugby players—alongside their Universities Scheme to attract students and faculty. A new science fiction and fantasy-themed lodge in the UK recently drew over 130 attendees at its consecration. One member noted that these lodges simply combine two passions, strengthening both the lodge and the fraternity, while maintaining standard ritual and meetings.

Sadly, affinity lodges have still not became widespread in the United States, which is a missed opportunity. My own jurisdiction of Indiana has seen a few special-purpose lodges over the years, including ones for handicapped candidates, a blood drive (Transylvania Lodge), historic preservation, and medical professionals, plus historic foreign-language lodges in German back in the 19th century. There is, however, increasing interest in contemplative, philosophical, and esoteric-minded lodges. With so many possibilities within our basic framework, there is ample room to experiment while honoring Masonic landmarks and thinking creatively to attract (and retain) new members and revitalize the fraternity.

Fire at Indiana Masonic Home’s Compass Park: Construction Destroyed, But Residents Safe

Photo: City of Franklin Fire Dept.

by Christopher Hodapp

On the morning of Friday, April 10, 2026, just after 5:00 a.m., a large fire broke out at the Indiana Masonic Home at Compass Park in Franklin, Indiana. The blaze rapidly engulfed Young’s Creek II, a 39-unit apartment building under construction as part of the campus expansion. The building was unoccupied at the time and just 100 days from opening.

It's been declared a total loss, with damages estimated to exceed $20 million.

Credit: WTHR-13 Video

In an interview with WTHR-TV13, Franklin Fire Chief Joshua Snyder described it as “the largest fire I’ve seen in my 20-year career in Franklin,” and possibly the biggest in the city in decades. Approximately 60 firefighters from 11 departments across Johnson County (including Franklin, Bargersville, Edinburgh, Greenwood, and Whiteland) responded. It took about two and a half hours to bring the fire under control, with crews coming back over the weekend to battle continuing hot spots. The state fire marshal is assisting with the investigation, which could take two to three months.

Cause has not yet been determined but is not considered suspicious at this time.

Thankfully, there were no injuries to residents, staff, or emergency personnel. While the fire primarily destroyed the new construction, smoke and water damage affected the occupied building, prompting a precautionary evacuation of about 55 residents. But thankfully, the firewall separating the two buildings did its job and stopped the spread - things could have been much, much worse. Mike Spencer, CEO of Compass Park, noted that staff safely evacuated residents from the adjoining Young’s Creek Phase I building in just 17 minutes—thanks to monthly fire drills and emergency training. Three staff members were checked for smoke inhalation and released. 

Kudos to Mike and his staff, who executed a calm, quick and efficient evacuation. 

In the official statement from Compass Park, the Masonic Home expressed deep gratitude for the swift multi-agency response and the overwhelming support from the Franklin community and Brothers across the jurisdiction:

“We have received an outpouring of support from the Franklin community and Brothers from around the jurisdiction. We couldn’t be more grateful for everyone’s willingness to be helpful.”

Most of the destroyed apartments in Young's Creek II had been pre-sold. With move-in day a little more than 3 months away, more than a few of those folks anticipated the movie by selling their existing homes already, or scheduling their closings. Now, 39 families have to make new arrangements pretty quickly.

The destroyed building was adjacent to occupied housing, so the immediate focus has been on caring for the displaced residents. Many are staying with family, while others are being put up in nearby hotels. Compass Park is providing transportation for meals, activities, and services. The statement emphasizes that in moments like this, the greatest challenges are often personal rather than structural. 

The statement continued:

“Our immediate priority must be to care for these Brothers, Sisters, and residents and ensure their basic needs are met… Support given now plays a vital role in restoring stability and peace of mind for residents during a period of sudden turbulence.”

Donations are being requested to help cover temporary housing, food, water, transportation, and other essential needs as circumstances evolve. This weekend coincided with the Annual Assembly of the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of Indiana. During that event, more than $5600 was quickly collected for the relief of the displaced residents of Compass Park.

Updates on the investigation and rebuilding efforts will be shared as they become available.

How You Can Help 

Brethren are encouraged to keep the Compass Park community in their thoughts and prayers as they work through this challenge together. If you’d like to support the residents of Compass Park, donations for temporary housing, meals, and essentials can be directed through the official channels of the Indiana Masonic Home. 

The Indiana Masonic Home Foundation has coordinated with leadership at Compass Park and have agreed that during this challenging period donations for fire-related recovery should be sent directly to:

Compass Park
c/o Mike Spencer
690 State Street
Franklin, IN 46131

This ensures funds go immediately where they are needed most during this time.

They have also set up an official direct donations page via Square. CLICK HERE to donate online.

Speaking in Indiana and Wyoming This Week

by Christopher Hodapp

I will be speaking Wednesday night at Jubilee Lodge 746 in Whiteland, Indiana at the request of WB Michael Steele, Worshipful Master. Dinner begins at 6:00PM, prepared by the indefatigable Heather Steele, and the meeting will open at 7:00. Michael and Heather have been of immeasurable help to the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana this year and I can't thank them enough for all they've done (even if Michael DID use the silliest photo of me he could find - it was a 4th of July fireworks show and I was NOT trying to look like Rex Hutchens).

Jubilee Lodge was so named because it was the first lodge chartered in 1968, the Jubilee Year of the Grand Lodge of Indiana which was celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1818. 

This weekend I'll be flying to the far-flung land of the Cowboy State to speak at the Grand Master's Spring 2026 Reunion of the Grand Lodge of Wyoming in Riverton. Grand Master Greg Shiek and his education committee have assembled a great lineup of presentations. 

The event will be Saturday, April 11th at Riverton Lodge 26. Registration opens at 7:00AM, and Grand Lodge opens at 9:00AM.

• Christopher L. Hodapp, author of Freemasons for Dummies

• "Global Influence of Masonry," Nathan Clark, SGS, Casper Lodge #15 

• "Part 1: Why the Nazis Targeted the Craft," Josh Thompson, Casper Lodge #15 

• "The Morgan Affair," John Voodward, Riverton Lodg 26 and Sheridan Lodge #8 

• "Part 2: Lessons from the Masonic Response & What is Facism?" Josh Thompson,  Casper Lodge #15 

• "The Mysterious #3 for Masons,' Clifford Spoonemore, PM, Secretary, Acacia Lodge #11, Southeast Sextant Lecturer 

• "Security in the Lodge," Juel Leuis, WM Rock Springs Lodge #12 

• "Deciphering Tubal Cain," Christopher Neubauer, WM, Casper Lodge #15, East Sextant Lecturer

In case you're interested, I don't know if tickets are still available this late. Contact the Grand Lodge of Wyoming office directly, as there is no online registration available.

Rogue French Freemasons On Trial for Bizarre Murder Plot

IMAGE: STEFAN GLERUM FOR M LE MAGAZINE DU MONDE

by Christopher Hodapp

There's a bizarre story blowing up across French and European media this week, and it has the potential of being a public relations nightmare for the entire fraternity the likes of which we haven't seen in decades. Newsfeeds everywhere are blaring headlines about Freemasons! Mafia! Murder plots! Not since the old P2 (Propaganda Due) story in Italy in the 1980s has there been a tale so convoluted, bizarre and seriously sinister involving a group of rogue Masons. And the press is having a field day with it.

Back in July of 2020, COVID lockdowns were going on in full force all over the world. Marie-Hélène Dini was a 60-year-old business coach living in the Paris suburbs when police knocked on her door and informed her that she had been the target of an attempted murder plot being hatched by 'The Freemasons.' What unfolded was a story so bizarre, so unbelievable, so downright goofy that she couldn't believe what she was hearing. It seemed like a creepy prank cooked by imbecilic teenagers with vivid imaginations. But as it turned out, this was no ridiculous gag.

Two armed men had just been arrested near Dini's home in possession of a stolen car, guns, knives, body armor, and a tracking device. The men claimed to police that they were on a secret mission for the French intelligence service (the Directorate-General for External Security, or DGSE) to kill the lady because she supposedly worked for the Mossad, Israel's crack secret service agency. 

In reality, Dini had no connection to espionage, crime, or Israel—she ran employee coaching companies and had never even visited Israel. Police quickly ruled out the Spy vs. Spy aspect of the story, but the incident left her deeply traumatized. She installed alarms in her home, hired a bodyguard, and eventually moved away from Paris, describing the event as feeling like stumbling into a “mafia-style” world driven by power and money. 

As the investigation unfolded, police uncovered a much, much larger criminal network. 

Six years later, some twenty-two people between the ages of 30 and 73 are now standing trial at the Paris Court of Assize, between March 30 and July 17th. It is one of the largest criminal trials in French history. Few of the suspects have any sort of prior criminal record, and they come from wildly different backgrounds: four soldiers from the DGSE, three police officers, including a retired financial crime investigator, six business leaders, a building caretaker, an engineer, a medical biologist, a gunsmith, a sports coach, and a couple of gullible security guards. What appeared at first to be isolated incidents turned out to be part of a shockingly wide-ranging crime cell run by a core group of rogue Masonic lodge members who hired others to intimidate or eliminate rivals, debtors, or just annoying inconveniences. 

And here's where this story REALLY goes off the rails. Many of the alleged criminals were discovered to be members of Athanor Lodge 759, located in the Puteaux neighborhood of the Hauts-de-Seine area, a residential suburb about five miles west of Paris. The area snuggles up next to La Défense, one of Europe's' busiest financial districts where you'll find some of the tallest buildings (and wildest architecture) in the Paris metropolitan area. Now the group is accused of organizing or carrying out a wide range of crimes. The most serious charges include aggravated violence, attempted extortion, and attempted murder in an organized gang—which all turned out to have been plotted for wildly trivial reasons. 

At the center of the network are three key figures who belonged to Athanor Lodge: Frédéric Vaglio (53, a former journalist turned private security entrepreneur), Daniel Beaulieu (a 72-year-old retired DGSI intelligence officer working in economic intelligence), and Jean-Luc Bagur (69, a coaching industry executive and union leader). They allegedly used their connections to sub-contract “missions” ranging from beatings and intimidation to contract killings. Beaulieu admitted to investigators that Vaglio had ordered him to arrange the murder of Marie-Hélène Dini, pretending it was a secret intelligence mission against a Mossad agent. Beaulieu then passed the contract to Sébastien Leroy, a private security officer, who recruited the two young DGSE guards (Pierre Bourdin and Carl Esnault). The guards believed they were being recruited to carry out authorized homicide operations for French intelligence.

Investigators eventually connected a link to Bagur, 69, who was a rival business coach to Dini and the Venerable Maitre (Venerable Master, the French equivalent to Worshipful Master) of Athanor Lodge. But the alleged crimes went beyond the Dini case. From an article in the U.S. Sun Monday:

The leader of the hit squad, Leroy, told cops he or his associates carried out most of the assaults, robberies and murders for the Athanor mafia, including the 2018 killing of racing car driver Laurent Pasquali.

His body was found in a forest after he allegedly failed to pay a debt to one of Vaglio’s friends.

Crimes ordered by the organised crime group escalated with time, beginning as petty revenge attacks and escalating to homicide, according to the investigation.

One of the charges relating to industrial espionage alleged that Leroy’s gang assaulted a businesswoman in the street and snatched her computer.

In 2019, the car of one of Bagur’s associates was set on fire after she found evidence of financial fraud within his company.

Leroy, a security guard, told investigators he was under the impression he had been acting on behalf of the French government.

He claimed Beaulieu had “manipulated” him using the idea of him becoming an informant for the DGSI domestic spy agency.

Jean-William Vezinet, lawyer for the targeted business coach Dini, said his client had been “terrified” that “people who are supposed to act for the good of society” were the key figures in the crime.

It remains unclear what evidence the prosecution has gathered from their interviews with Beaulieu, the accused ringleader.

He allegedly made an attempt to commit suicide in police custody.

Participants later claimed they had been manipulated or believed the jobs were legitimate French intelligence operations. The defendants frequently accused one another of lying or exerting toxic influence, with Vaglio described as particularly charismatic and controlling. The case highlights how personal, professional, or financial grudges—sometimes trivial—escalated into extreme violence within a network blending Freemasonry, private security, and former intelligence operatives. Ultimately, they abused the privacy of the lodge and trust between brethren, violating their obligations, and twisting the honorable symbolism of Masonic secrecy into a criminal enterprise.

If convicted, Vaglio, Beaulieu, Bagur and Leroy are all facing life sentences, along with 19 co-defendants. And of course, the European press is stressing the Masonic part of the story.

There's an old joke that, if you lock three French Masons in a lodge room together, they'll start arguing and form six new grand lodges...

The French Masonic landscape is enormous, confusing, and difficult for regular, recognized Masons to keep track of. There are at least 15 or more grand lodge-like governing bodies in France, but only one that is recognized as regular by the greatest number of Masons the world over—the Grande Loge Nationale Française (GLNF)—and it's not even the largest obedience in that country (that would be the Grand Orient de France, or GOdF). Consequently, there's little chance of the press having a firm understanding of its details when it comes to tedious and arcane details of regularity, recognition, and Masonic legitimacy.

Athanor Lodge 759 was legitimately chartered by the Grande Loge de l'Alliance Maçonnique Française (the Grand Lodge of the French Masonic Alliance, or GL-AMF), which was created in its present form in 2012. At the time, that grand lodge was largely formed by some 15,000 disgruntled Masons who had split from the Grand Loge National Français (GLNF) over a massive internal power struggle involving then-GLNF Grand Master Stifani. (see HERE for beginnings of that long tale). The GLNF is the French grand lodge overwhelmingly recognized throughout the world as regular, and the 2012 incident was an enormous upheaval at the time. It took years for the dust to settle, and the GLNF was never able to return to its former size. 

Understand that the GL-AMF today still has about 15,400 members in 684 lodges, and a strong argument can be made that they are perfectly regular in origin. In other words, it's not some small-time, bogus grand lodge masquerading as something it isn't. Like all regular, recognized grand lodge obediences, they admit only men, require a belief in God, and work accepted rituals. So, Athanor Lodge started out as a legit lodge of Freemasons. But like the old P2 lodge scandal with gangster/terrorist Licio Gelli in Italy back in the 1980s, it got twisted into someone's private hideout for criminals.

When these stories began to hit the news six years ago, I'm told that GL-AMF Grand Master Fred Picavet suspended the lodge and all of its members, including two of those currently indicted. Online chatter in France is that the lodge's Venerable Maitre, Jean-Luc Bagur, was suspended back in 2020, even before any of these stories came out, for non-payment of dues, and that he went right on running the lodge meetings, ignoring the order.

By early 2021, the main figures in the case turned against each other while in police custody. Daniel Beaulieu later suffered a serious head injury in prison (possibly from a suicide attempt) and now has memory problems—he may not be able to testify at his own trial. Marie-Hélène Dini survived her ordeal, battled cancer, and wrote a book about her experience titled It Was Not My Time, though she has struggled to find a publisher. 

As can be imagined, the press in the U.K. is eating this story up with a spoon. It plays right into their ongoing paranoia over Freemasons in police departments that has been stoked for the last couple of months. And the Italians are attempting to brand the story as a 'Masonic mafia.'

Meanwhile, the upcoming long trial will attempt to untangle the truth from the many conflicting stories in this sprawling and often absurd criminal enterprise.

There's a certain tragic irony to be found in the name of Athanor Lodge. In medieval alchemy, an athanor was a sealed stove or furnace that gave off slow, constant heat. It was used to slowly transform and refine matter, to improve it beyond its original state. Sadly, the men who joined Athanor Lodge failed to let Freemasonry refine them, improve them as men. 

Oh, they were transformed, all right. But not in the way Masonry tried to teach them.