"But I never felt she had much interest in what Mark was doing and not aware of a lot of his work.". They also found the engraving plant where the forged plate for Oath of a Freeman was made. [23]:13234, Despite the considerable amounts of money Hofmann had made from document sales, he was deeply in debt, in part because of his increasingly lavish lifestyle and his purchases of genuine first-edition books. Under the microscope they noticed that the ink was cracked. https://t.co/uxD6Jp1O6U, Benjamin Park (@BenjaminEPark) February 26, 2021. Money, he wrote, then became the object.. Now, 30 years of tortuous living later, Olds is finally at peace with herself and all that happened. Some former friends in her Mormon congregation shunned her, she says, believing she had been an accomplice to his crimes an accusation she adamantly denies. READ NEXT: Dorie Olds Now: Where Is Mark Hofmanns Ex-Wife Today in 2021? "[17], In 1984, longtime critics of Mormonism Jerald and Sandra Tanner became the first to declare the Salamander letter a forgery, despite the fact that it, as well as others of Hofmann's purported discoveries, would have strengthened the Tanners' arguments against the veracity of official Mormon history. Hofmann excitedly identified it as a copy of the so-called "Anthon Transcript," with hieroglyphic markings that LDS Church founder Joseph Smith said he copied from gold plates in the 1820s. Mark Hofmann was the mastermind behind deadly bombings that served as the focal point of the new Netflix docuseries, "Murder Among the Mormons." Hofmann also traded in many legitimate historical documents acquired from rare book sellers and collectors. I exuded in impressing other collectors and dealers with my rare coins, he wrote. I felt like I would rather take human life or even my own life rather than to be exposed, Hofmann wrote. "Why you of all people?" "I felt something was off, but I didn't know what it was.". A trip to Manchester, England, first got Mark interested in Mormon documents. Mark Hofmann was the mastermind behind deadly bombings that served as the focal point of the new Netflix docuseries, Murder Among the Mormons. Mark Hoffman Chief Research Information Officer, Children's Mercy Research Professor - Pediatrics, Biomedical and Health Informatics UMKC (volunteer) Research Professor - Pediatrics - KU Medical . Mark Hofmanns 1988 letter to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. [h][5]:8081 Nevertheless, he also ensured that the document would be made public. RR, Watch theForensic Filesepisode onYouTubeorAmazon Prime. The change was part a routine housing evaluation . She had four children to rear and needed to re-establish her life. It MUST be defined in order to begin a discussion about whether it applies in X situation. Find Dr. Hoffman's address, insurance information, hospital affiliations and more. [18][j] Document expert Kenneth W. Rendell later said that while there was "the absence of any indication of forgery in the letter itself, there was also no evidence that it was genuine. Two Mormon wives sat on opposite sides of the Salt Lake City courtroom, staring intently at images on a screen as a witness described Steve Christensen's body after a pipe bomb shredded it. Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 12. Mark Hofmann, a reputed trader of documents and artifacts within the church, turned out to be the one whod planted the bombs in an attempt to hide his forgeries. Frannie, thanks for your message. [9]:7778 A former girlfriend believed Hofmann performed his mission only because of social pressure and the desire not to disappoint his parents. He was born and raised by two incredibly faithful and conservative Mormons, William and Lucille Hofmann. I don't believe in God. $17.09. The body of Kathleen Webb Sheets is taken from her home. ", 'Mark Hofmann was unquestionably the most skilled forger this country has ever seen,' said Charles Hamilton, a New York document dealer who is widely regarded as the nation's pre-eminent detector of forged documents. Done with this blog. Martin Luther King: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. He was right. By then he had already appeared in Time magazine as the young document dealer who had discovered a long-lost document of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Anthon Transcript, on which LDS Church founder Joseph Smith had copied Egyptian characters from the gold plates that were later translated into the Book of Mormon. In 1981, Hofmann presented the LDS Church with a document which supposedly provided evidence that Smith had designated his son Joseph Smith III, rather than Brigham Young, as his successor. Money was not the object.. Today, Hofmann is serving a life sentence in. Why a racist British guy would troll this site is beyond me. [p] Later the same day, a second bomb killed Kathy Sheets, the wife of Christensen's former employer. After Mark Hofmann married Doralee Dorie Olds on September 14, 1979, whom he first met while attending the Utah State University, they began a life together. you want to argue everything you dont agree with Like a lawyer in court? He doesnt have any behaviors that would indicate hed be a problem. "She seemed to fill traditional if not stereotypical familial roles: primary caregiver to the children, made most meals [cleaned up afterward] overall errand runner," says Mormon researcher and Hofmann friend Brent Metcalfe. "[5]:378, After Hofmann was imprisoned, he was excommunicated by the LDS Church and his wife filed for divorce. Because the letters had been authenticated by different experts, the inconsistencies had earlier escaped detection. I am currently working as a children's book author/illustrator, editorial illustrator, and fine artist. As far back as I can remember I have liked to impress people through my deceptions, he wrote. That was how she could testify that he was home that day and pass several lie-detector tests. Document examiner George Throckmorton analyzed several Hofmann documents that had previously been deemed authentic and determined they were forgeries. The body of Steven Christensen is removed from the Judge Building in Salt Lake City in October 1986. [b], Like many young men in the LDS Church, Hofmann volunteered to spend two years as an LDS missionary, and in 1973 the church sent him to its mission in Bristol, England. The suicide of Mark Madoff made news because he is the son of convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff. All she knows is that she wants a new soccer ball that costs $24.95. Netflix Solemnly Dishes on the Con Man and Bomber(Murder Among the Mormons, Netflix). According to Lindsey, the Hofmann affair emboldened many scholars to penetrate deeper into Mormon history that its most conservative leaders wanted left unexplored, and that church leaders were unlikely to be able to fully contain the fires of intellectual curiosity that Hofmann helped fan. Mark Hofmann Today: Where Is the Murder Among the Mormons Subject Now in 2021? Read our. The church acquired several documents from Hofmann. In January1987, Hofmann pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, one count of theft by deception for forging the Salamander Letter, and one count of fraud for the bogus sale of the McLellin collection. Chief investigator Jim Bell said, "They're hiding something; the church is doing everything it can to make this as difficult as possible. The second bomb exploded about 90 minutes later, killing Holladay housewife Kathy Sheets when she picked up a package in front of her home. Some of his forgeries were accepted by scholars for years, and an unknown number of them may still be in circulation. Mark and Doralee Hofmann attend board of pardons hearing in this undated photo. [14]:253[10]:104, During the early 1980s, a significant number of new Mormon documents came into the marketplace. You dont need to justify why you didnt cancel me (for thats what you mean, and she wants, by censoring); on the contrary, she needs to argue her case, which she hasnt. I say its racist = its racist doesnt wash (yet) however much some of the more deranged in society might prefer it. Flimflam nonfiction. The youngest was born after Mark had been charged and arrested with fraud, theft, and murder. You need to dial this back right now. Hofmann constructed his version to fit Anthon's description of the document, and its discovery made Hofmann's reputation. Thanks again for writing I appreciate anything that heightens my awareness. But in the letter, he traces his interest in deception back to his childhood. [5]:17982, The following day, Hofmann himself was severely injured when a bomb exploded in his Toyota MR2. And just like other young men in the church, Hofmann even volunteered as a missionary. The next day, Olds planned to clean her house, she says, when she got a call from Hofmann, telling her that she and the kids were in danger and that she should take them to her mom's house. They could have died just as easily in a car accident. Thanks, Rebecca: An interesting story, this. Three letters purportedly written from an Illinois prison by Smith used different ink, paper, and writing instruments. Pediatricians treat children, infants, and . Dr. Hoffman's role is to accelerate and improve all types of research at the Children's Mercy Research Institute through resources such as data, applications and technology. In October 1985, three bomb blasts in Salt Lake City, Utah, shook the local authorities and the residents to their very core, primarily because of its connection to the Latter-day Saints Church. The forgery was a letter complete with an 1828, For instance, Hofmann paid US$22,500 for a first edition of, There actually were two surviving collections of McLellin papers, neither of which Hofmann knew of. Whether it be within the obituaries of their grandparents or the various interviews their mother gives to news outlets, their identities have always remained protected. Investigators also began constructing a timeline, posting pieces of information on the blank walls of a war room. At first they couldnt figure out how the stuff on one wall related to stuff on another wall, remembers prosecutor Bob Stott. She is working on a book, "The Forger's Wife," and hopes to help women who look and act like her former self. On one side was Terri Christensen, widow of the businessman, who was murdered Oct. 15, 1985. He delighted in traveling around the world to collect rare copies of children's books, but he made a living as a seller of historical documents. During the investigations, many of the prosecution team became convinced that they were being stonewalled by leaders of the LDS Church. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune She felt she received a divine message: "It will be all right.". The fact that Hofmann got off with a plea bargain instead of going to trial, where he would likely have faced the death penalty if found guilty, was quite puzzling to a reporter from the Los Angeles Times, who wrote, "In any other state, you'd see this thing go on trial, because that's how prosecutors reputations are made. Having spent years feeling unloved and suicidal, when Dorie went to study nutrition at Utah State University and met Mark Hofmann, her whole world turned upside down. She divorced Hofmann in 1988 and took back her maiden name. Tribune file photo Pramedics rush a injured Mark Hofmann to an ambulance after a bomb shredded his car in downtown Salt Lake City. That my victims might die that day in a car accident or from a heart attack anyway. Disagreement without tantrum and cancellation is what intelligent society does. [29][9]:491,52123 Utah has an indeterminate sentencing scheme. Although police quickly focused on Hofmann as the suspect in the bombings, some of his business associates went into hiding, fearing they might also become victims. What if Olds had questioned her husband about his suspicious dealings? He was sentenced to five years to life, but the judge recommended that Hofmann never be released. I am also a professor at Montserrat College of Art in the illustration department. You also called a woman who has called herself a black woman a dual race which isnt a thing., Dual heritage: the fact of having parents from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. It was more than 30 years ago that he sent Salt Lake City into a state of chaos, setting off three bombs over a two-day period with no clear motive. A young entrepreneur sets out to earn some money and discovers the value of a dollar (and of dirt)! A visibly shaken Hofmann paid the Tanners a personal visit. On the following day, a third bomb exploded in Hofmann's car. All rights reserved. Until next time, cheers. Undercurrents On the surface, Dorie Olds' childhood in Salt Lake City's Sugar House neighborhood seemed fairly typical for Utah Mormons. But in the letter, Hofmann wrote that he intended to kill himself. Detective Lieutenant Mark Hoffman is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist of the Saw franchise.He is portrayed by Australian actor Costas Mandylor.While the character was first shown as a police officer in Saw III, later films in the series have expanded his role and revealed him to be an apprentice, and subsequently the successor of the Jigsaw Killer. According to the Mormon scripture Joseph SmithHistory, the transcript and its unusual reformed Egyptian characters were copied by Smith from the golden plates from which he translated the Book of Mormon. Now, Netflix is getting in on the act. He started collecting coins when he was 12 and soon figured out ways to fool other collectors by altering coins to make them appear more desirable. One of Utahs most infamous criminals kissed his children while they slept in their bedrooms the night before he donned a lettermans jacket and carried a package into the Judge Building in downtown Salt Lake City and took the elevator to the sixth floor. He wrote that he chose to commit murder and die in favor of being exposed, The Salt Lake City Tribune reported after obtaining his letter in 2011. Devout grandparents. Like Steve Christensen and Kathleen Sheets. [5]:95,98, In addition to documents from Mormon history, Hofmann also forged and sold signatures of many famous non-Mormons, including George Washington, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Daniel Boone, John Brown, Andrew Jackson, Mark Twain, Nathan Hale, John Hancock, Francis Scott Key, Abraham Lincoln, John Milton, Paul Revere, Myles Standish, and Button Gwinnett, whose signature was the rarest, and therefore the most valuable, of any signer of the Declaration of Independence. A police officer searches Mark Hofmanns car after a bomb exploded, injuring Hofmann on Oct. 16, 1985. In the end, of course, Hofmann did get caught because of the murders, but also because of his mistakes. A life sentence After Hofmann pleaded guilty to the crimes in January 1987, Olds was left with four children ages 5 and under a third daughter was born between the bombings and sentencing and a million dollars of debt. If youre here curious about the same, weve got you covered. He obtained loans from local businessmen using real, rare books from his personal collection as collateral. On its website, the church recently added an entry titled Hofmann Forgeries in its section on church history topics. Tales of Hofmann: Forgeries, deceit continue to intrigue 20 years later, Murder Among the Mormons: Jared Hess explains his turn to true crime for Netflix series, Looking back at the Mark Hofmann bombings and his life of deceit, in the letter, he traces his interest in deception, the prison moved Hofmann out of maximum security in Draper. The most important thing in my mind was to keep from being exposed as a fraud in front of my friends and family, Hofmann wrote. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 7, 1954, Mark William Hofmann was the second of three children and the only son in a strict and religious household. [c] [5] : 58 Dorie Olds Hofmann filed for divorce in 1987, two years after Hofmann's crimes came to light, and became co-founder of a holistic medicine company. Now, Olds says, her fellow Latter-day Saints treat her like a "rock star.". Dorie Olds is the ex-wife of Mormon bomber Mark Hofmann, who killed two people on Oct. 15, 1985. Well yes! Hofmann drove to Logan early the next morning to buy parts for a third bomb. Many of Hofmanns forgeries focused on the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which he was a member but had stopped believing as a teenager. Far more important than those is the outrageous relative poverty in the US of black people the astonishing gap between rich and poor and its vastly deleterious effect on them and in the administration of justice affecting them (a matter the poster in question might care to note Ive raised several times in my many posts over the last couple of years), https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism, a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race, also : behavior or attitudes that reflect and foster this belief: racial discrimination or prejudice. The ascription of (nauseating) foolishness is not racist: anyone and everyone could be a fool. He was revived, but not before spending twelve hours lying on his right arm and blocking its circulation, thus causing muscle atrophy. False assumptions inspired by Hofmann documents or citations that eventually lead back to his fabricated evidence still distort some depictions of Latter-day Saint history, according to the church. I am sorry to say that sometimes it happens. [5]:28891, Hofmann was arrested in January1986 and charged on four indictments totaling 27counts, including first-degree murder, delivering a bomb, constructing or possessing a bomb, theft by deception, and communication fraud. All we know of Marks son and three daughters is that they have grown up without their biological father in their lives. But when Mark confessed, and the reality of his actions dawned on her, Dorie filed for divorce. 5. Olds' life, too, had exploded with her husband's bombs, shattered like shards of glass. [c][5]:58 Dorie Olds Hofmann filed for divorce in 1987, two years after Hofmann's crimes came to light, and became co-founder of a holistic medicine company.[11]. The five-years-to-life sentence was the minimum possible under Utah sentencing guidelines of the time; changes to sentencing guidelines have since increased the minimum sentence for murder to 15 years to life. A few months later, he came home with a 17th-century Bible and urged her to look through it something he had never done before. She found the going rocky as a single mother. However, in 2016, he was transferred to Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison. He had recently broken his engagement, and the two became friends. She feels accepted and welcomed into an LDS congregation in Holladay, where she recently was asked to give a short talk. He also used the names Bill Edwards and Mike Hansen, his prison record shows. I believe that I was trying to convince myself of the worthlessness of life and of lifes unfairness, Hofmann wrote. After completing two years at Dixie in St. George, in fall 1978, Olds went to study nutrition at Utah State University, where Mark Hofmann lived in an apartment above hers. [11] All four of Mark Hofmanns children prefer to stay away from the media and the spotlight. The one-page Oath had been printed in 1639, the first document to be printed in Britain's American colonies, but only about fifty copies had been made, and none of them were extant. Since then, Olds has had to rebuild her identity brick by brick. His current research focuses on the use of a large, de-identified, data set of electronic health record information for digital phenotyping. She felt largely alone, rejected by many, including her in-laws and some of her own family members. A genuine example was probably worth over US$1 million in 1985, and Hofmann's agents began to negotiate a sale to the Library of Congress. Police officers search Mark Hofmanns car after a bomb exploded at 200 North and Main Street in Salt Lake City, injuring Hofmann on Oct. 16, 1985. The two murders Mark Hofmann committed that bright October day were cold-blooded, clumsy attempts to divert attention from his lifes work hundreds of forgeries and lies that tampered with Latter-day Saint and American history. [8][28] Hofmann initially maintained his innocence. The four-page, handwritten letter titled, A Summary of My Crimes, provides a chilling glimpse into what led Hofmann to fake hundreds of historical documents and kill two people with homemade bombs. Eventually, though, as she couldnt handle everything by herself, Dorie had to farm the youngest ones to relatives. Supposedly written by Martin Harris to W. W. Phelps, the letter presented a version of the recovery of the gold plates that contrasted markedly with the church-sanctioned version of events. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. She believes that her mother didn't really want her. In a forged cover letter, purportedly written by Thomas Bullock and dated January 27, 1865, Bullock chastises Young for having all copies of the blessing destroyed. [42], The murders were also covered by a 1997 episode of Forensic Files, "Postal Mortem",[43] and a 2010 episode of Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?, An Explosive Love.[44]. You are racist. American murderer who forged Mormon documents, For other people with this name or with similar spellings, see, That his grandmother "was the product of a, Hofmann decided that if experts said the coin was genuine, then it, Hofmann was a "hands-on father who pushed strollers, changed diapers, and attended local, "At seventy-two, Hinckley had begun filling the role that would increasingly dominate his life: His role as, Some LDS apologists dispute the fact that the church was deceived by Hofmann's forgeries. [5]:56 He later told prosecutors that he had lost his faith in the LDS Church and become an atheist around age 14. Hofmann, for a while, shared a cell with another infamous Utah killer, Dan Lafferty, a religious zealot convicted of murdering his sister-in-law and her infant daughter in 1984. Mark Hofmann was wheeled to court and couldnt hear the judge because of eardrum damage on Nov. 1, 1985. A fifth indictment, containing an additional five counts of theft by deception, was added later in January. ), Thats all for this week. Dorie Olds is the ex-wife of Mormon bomber Mark Hofmann, who killed two people on Oct. 15. In February 1981, Hofmann tried to sell the letter to the chief archivist of the LDS Church. Perfect for fans of Lemonade in Winter, The Most Magnificent Thing, and Rosie Revere, Engineer. These deceived not only members of the First Presidency notably Gordon B. Hinckley, then the de facto president of the church due to the poor health of more senior leaders[d] but also document experts and distinguished historians. 4 Doralee Olds Hofmann Credit: Youtube/Gospel Tangents Who is Mark Hofmann's ex-wife Doralee Olds Hofmann? While in England, Hofmann enjoyed investigating bookshops and buying early Mormon material, as well as books critiquing Mormonism. Birdie doesn't know much about money. Youve chased off other people from this blog cause you want to argue everything you dont agree with (to death) and I a black woman am saying you a white man are racist. When he turned on the transformer it would create ozone. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a mythical being thought to be able to live in fire, "Dealer in Mormon fraud called a master forger", "Early years: Mark Hofmann, the Salamander Letter, and the bombings", "30 Years After Mormon Bombings, Mark Hofmann's Ex-Wife Finds Peace and Herself", "Mark Hofmann tape-recorded RLDS scam while it was in progress", "Mormon document raises doubts on succession of church's leaders", "1985 CES Doctrine and Covenants Symposium", "Recent events involving church history and forged documents", "The Truth is the Most Important Thing: A look at Mark W. Hofmann, the Mormon salamander man", "Introduction to the Signature Books edition of the McLellin Papers", "Mormon leaders suppress 'key' item in murder case", "Mac Christensen, founder of Utah-based Mr. Mac men's clothing chain, dead at 85", "Notorious bomber Mark Hofmann moved to Gunnison prison", Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, "Recent Events Involving Church History and Forged Documents", "Netflix Sets 'Murder Among the Mormons' Docuseries on 1985 Utah Bombings (Exclusive)", "Fraudulent documents from Forger Mark Hofmann noted", "Mark Hofmann letter to the Board of Pardons", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mark_Hofmann&oldid=1147137236, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Improvised explosive device bombings in the United States, People excommunicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Utah, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Articles with incomplete citations from May 2020, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 02:14.
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