Where is Papa Pilgrim's daughter Elishaba Doerksen now? Details explored ahead of Evil Lives Here on ID

ID's Evil Lives Here is set to shock its viewers with the story of Elishaba Doerksen, the eldest daughter and victim of Robert Allen Hale, or Papa Pilgrim, as he called himself. The show is known for bringing the most gut-wrenching tales from America and the upcoming episode will showcase a vicious story of domestic abuse. Shown from the point of view of Elishaba, the episode will focus on the abuse inflicted on 16 members of the Pilgrim family, which was how they came to be known.

The synopsis for the upcoming episode of Evil Lives Here, premiering on February 25, 2024, at 9 pm EST on ID reads:

"Elishaba always believed her father wielded the power of God and that the only way to salvation was through suffering. Her father tormented and abused her for decades until she'd had enough and embarked on a daring escape."

The decades-long abuse came to an end when Elishaba Doerksen attempted a late-winter escape on a snow machine at the age of 29. Papa Pilgrim was ultimately arrested and incarcerated in September 2007 after his family came out with the details in 2005.

Since then, Elishaba has managed to rebuild her life and even wrote a memoir Out of the Wilderness about the trauma she suffered at the hands of her father. She currently lives in Lazy Mountain in Alaska with her two kids and her husband.

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What happened to Elishaba Doerksen and where is she now?

Elishaba Doerksen was born to Robert Hale and Kurina Bresler, who went by the names Firefly and Sunlight Sunstar at the time. She was born in a commune outside of the high desert community of Victorville, California. Though Robert hailed from a prominent American family, his lifestyle always remained that of a hippie.

According to Elishaba Doerksen on her official website, her father “got religion” and became a fervent believer during a road trip to Texas. Following this, he moved the family to the Pecos Mountains of central New Mexico and started calling himself Papa Pilgrim. They lived on the 9,000-foot level in a rundown cabin that he built and lived without any access to electricity, water, or heat. After they were born, Papa Pilgrim didn't allow his children any access to education.

Her mother, who now calls herself Country Rose delivered 14 more babies. However, things took a darker turn when Elishaba, the eldest of the 15 children, turned 19. Her father, Papa Pilgrim, reportedly began assaulting her by twisting Christian texts.

He moved the family to a remote valley in Alaska where he made Elishaba sleep in the same bed as him, a bed that her mother and siblings also shared. Allegedly, Elishaba's father also began making her do unspeakable s*xual acts during this time.

Papa Pilgrim was also reportedly very abusive towards his wife and sons, as the entire family faced the wrath of Papa Pilgrim. A trained boxer, he often reportedly beat up his wife and children.

However, it was Elishaba Doerksen who faced the majority of abuses for over a decade until she made an escape and decided to tell her story to the world. After Papa Pilgrim's arrest in 2005, the family finally became free.

Elishaba Doerksen told her story in her memoir and soon began mentoring victims of s*xual abuse. In her late 40s now, Doerksen is a mother of two residing in her Lazy Mountain home with her husband Matthew.

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The upcoming episode of Evil Lives Here on ID, set to be released on Sunday, February 25, 2024, at 9 pm ET will cover the case of the Pilgrim family in more detail.