Murder Among the Mormons
Riveting docuseries features archival violence.
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Murder Among the Mormons
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Murder Among the Mormons is a limited docuseries about the 1985 bombing homicides in Salt Lake City, the investigation into the murders, the complicated life of the murderer, and his relationship to the Mormon church. Police and news footage from the time show a dead body and bloody scenes from the explosions that took two lives and injured many others, including the show's central character, rare-documents dealer Mark Hofmann. Re-creations are shown throughout the series to depict events in Hofmann's life, including his alcohol drinking (verboten for practicing Mormons), how the bombs were built, and other period details.
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What's the Story?
The title MURDER AMONG THE MORMONS gives viewers the basics about this three-episode docuseries: On the morning of October 15, 1985, two pipe bombs exploded in and near Salt Lake City, first killing Steve Christensen, an antiquities collector, at his downtown office, and then Kathy Sheets, who was killed at her vacation home by a bomb intended for her husband and Christensen's business associate, Gary Sheets. No one knew how many more bombs might be planted, and the next day another one exploded in the car of documents dealer Mark Hofmann, injuring him and damaging rare Mormon books and papers he was scheduled to sell to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It seemed clear that these attacks were aimed at people associated with the rare documents, but who was behind it? And how was the church involved?
Is It Any Good?
Even though the murderer here isn't much of a mystery, his motivations, methods, and the details of his deception are fascinating and unfold at a quick, addictive pace. Once viewers get to the end of this twisty true crime story, they'll wonder how 35 years passed before it made it to the screen. Co-directors Jared Hess (who grew up Mormon and is best known for Napoleon Dynamite) and Tyler Measom bring a deep understanding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, how the documents that drive the story affected the church leadership, and why a dealer in historical documents would be considered a rock star.
Some of the real-life participants in the story are downright cinematic, particularly bow-tied Shannon Flynn, who had a passion for Uzis in his younger days, and prosecutor Gerry D'Elia, a skier and drinker whose team cracked the case. Equally visual are aspects of the Mormon origin story, much of which is likely unknown to many viewers, and the documents that could have undermined the faith.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the LDS church and how it's portrayed in Murder Among the Mormons. What are its guiding principles? How do you think the series' creators feel about the church?
Documentaries are designed to present factual stories and details from a specific point of view. Why do you think the directors chose to tell this story? How do you think it could have been told differently? Who do you think is celebrated in the series?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 3, 2021
- Cast: Shannon Flynn, Dori Hofmann Olds, Brent Metcalfe
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
Our Editors Recommend
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Compelling crime doc has violent themes, strong language.
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