Posted by:
Brother Of Jerry
(
)
Date: August 13, 2019 01:22PM
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/08/12/ron-lafferty-could-face/For those not familiar with this case, Under the Banner of Heaven goes into it in some detail, and the linked article above gives a short version. Here is a really short version: Ron and Dan Lafferty, Utah County, were in a polygamous group and their SIL was giving them grief about it, so they strangled her and slit her throat, and slit her infant daughter's throat on Pioneer Day, 1984.
Their reasoning was that she had promised to obey the True and Everlasting Covenant in the temple, and when she came out in opposition to their polygamy group, they carried out the temple-mandated penalty, and slit her throat.
Interestingly, the LDS Church dropped the penalties from the temple endowment a few years later. The Laffertys did not use the penalties as their legal defense, but I think LDS Inc was worried that somebody might some day.
Dan was sentenced to life in prison. Ron, now 78, had various trials, mental competency hearings, yada yada, and was finally sentenced to death. He appears to be near the end of the appeals line, and hasn't died of old age yet, so he will probably face a firing squad. BTW, his photo in the Trib looks pretty damn good for 78. Shows what a lifetime of staying out the sun will do for you.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2019 01:22PM by Brother Of Jerry.