Mystery of deadly bomber Hofmann endures after 25 years

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | Oct. 15, 2010 | Christopher Smart

[Colofornian]

Mark Hofmann’s name looms large in Utah history and Mormon lore, castigated as an evil genius and a fraud who deceived his church, his friends and even his wife. But 25 years after the master forger murdered two people with nail bombs and sent Salt Lake City into a panic, he remains an enigma.

Despite a trove of books and scores of newspaper stories probing the Hofmann saga, no one is sure what forces shaped him into a liar and a killer and how he could do both so proficiently.

Today, Hofmann lives quietly at Utah State Prison in Draper, where he is serving a life sentence. He hasn’t given interviews since Oct. 15, 1985, when a pair of explosions pierced the tranquil autumn day with bombs that reverberate still.

Outwardly, Hofmann was a mild-mannered family man and devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But, as he later confessed, by the time he departed on a religious mission to Great Britain in 1974, he was a nonbeliever who saw LDS Church founder Joseph Smith as a fake who dabbled in magic. Hofmann’s infamous Salamander Letter, among other documents, sought to undermine the Mormon prophet’s credibility, while making its real author a big chunk of money. The letter, purportedly written to an early Mormon convert, described Smith conversing with a spirit that first appeared as an amphibian.

During the first half of the 1980s, Hofmann gained notoriety for discovering, one after another, documents purported to reflect early Mormon history. The forger later conceded he created material that could be embarrassing to the LDS Church in hope that Mormon leaders would spend large sums of money to keep them private. He also produced items attributed to Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone and Emily Dickinson, among many others.

Hofmann had a dual personality — a friend compared him with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But he never confided in anyone. That helps explain why his wife, family and friends defended him so vehemently when police began to suspect he was a forger and the cold-blooded bomber who killed businessman and documents collector Steven Christensen, as well as Kathleen Sheets, the wife of Christensen’s business associate, Gary Sheets.

“It was like they were talking about someone else entirely. It was total disbelief,” said former friend and book dealer Curt Bench of the aftermath of Oct. 16, 1985 ­— the day a bomb exploded in Hofmann’s car, sending him to a hospital.

Hofmann said he was trying to commit suicide, but not everyone buys that.

“Who the real Mark Hofmann is is still a mystery,” Bench said. “I’ve been trying to figure it out for 25 years.”

—

A glimpse inside • But there are hints as to Hofmann’s real identity and how — at least for a time — he fooled everyone.

He didn’t testify in court. But in interviews with prosecutors at Utah State Prison — a condition of a plea bargain that allowed him to avoid the death penalty — he said he kept his real self hidden.

“It’s hard for a lot of people to accept, I’m sure, that my closest friends and even my wife did not know the extent of my fraudulent dealings,” he said. “But those people do not know my personality.”

The 10 interviews conducted in 1987 by Salt Lake County prosecutors Robert Stott and David Biggs provide a rare glimpse into Hofmann’s psyche. The 587-page transcript of those discussions deals mostly with the intricacies of his forgery techniques and his knowledge of Mormon history. But, occasionally, the pages provide chilling clues about the man who thought nothing of killing to keep his forgeries from coming to light.

In an April 22, 1987, recorded interview, Hofmann admitted that he liked manipulating people by challenging their deeply held beliefs.

“It’s not so much what is genuine and what isn’t, as what people believe is genuine,” he told Stott and Biggs. “I don’t believe in the religion as far as Joseph Smith had the first vision or received the plates from the Angel Moroni, or whatever. … To me, it is unimportant if Joseph Smith had that vision or not, as long as people believe it.”

He rationalized that his forgeries weren’t intended to defraud anyone.

“My view is, when I forged a document and sold it, that I was not cheating that person that I was selling it to because the document would never be detected as being a fraud.”

Although he contradicted himself on a number of occasions as to his motives, in a Feb. 27, 1987, interview with prosecutors, Hofmann admitted that he sought to alter Mormon history. But he also conceded he wanted to make money.

“I believe the documents I created could have been part of Mormon history. … In effect, I guess the question I asked myself in deciding on a forgery, one of the questions was, ‘What could have been?’ ”

—

No remorse for victims • A Jan. 29, 1988, hearing before the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole allows further insight into Hofmann’s persona. A tape of the proceeding is filed at the Utah State Archives.

Then-Chairwoman Victoria Palacios probed his motivations for creating documents that seemed to question the origin of the LDS Church: “You seem to toy with the religious beliefs of others.”

Hofmann replied: “Toying with them was an experimentation on my part, to see why they believe what they do.”

Later, Palacios asked the soft-spoken inmate if he had any remorse for the murders.

“Part of my philosophy of life is that the victims are not suffering, at this point,” he said without emotion. “I believe their families are. I feel remorse for their families.”

Palacios pressed Hofmann about the second bomb he set as a diversion to make investigators believe Christensen’s murder was related to his business association with Gary Sheets, rather than Christensen’s dealings with the forger.

“When I made that bomb, my thinking was it didn’t matter who died from the bomb,” Hofmann said. “Mr. Sheets, a child, whatever.”

After deliberating less than an hour, the board ordered that Hofmann remain in prison for the rest of his life.

If his friends and family were surprised by the forgeries, they were dumfounded by his admission to the murders.

“As a practical matter, he isn’t knowable,” said longtime friend Shannon Flynn.

Something was missing from Hofmann’s personality, Flynn said.

“Most humans have bad thoughts from time to time and a control system that stops us from following through with them,” he said. “Hofmann didn’t have that. He wasn’t a bloodthirsty individual, but if he got in a jam, there is nothing to stop him.”

That hearing was the first and only time that Hofmann’s ex-wife, Doralee Olds, heard him admit to the killings. She filed for divorce later that year.

All these years later, she said she doesn’t know the real Mark Hofmann.

“I don’t know if I can answer that question. There was some kind of disconnect,” she said. “He was pretending to be someone else. Our life together was a fraud.”

—

Attraction to explosives • Hofmann’s past yields some clues to his pathological behavior, said Allen Roberts, who, with the late Linda Sillitoe, wrote Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders.

Hofmann had an early interest in explosives and felt empowered by fooling people with falsehoods, Roberts said. He also felt stifled by his authoritarian and religious father, who refused to allow his son to question the Mormon faith.

And Roberts noted that Hofmann read books such as The Word, by Irving Wallace Jr., and The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco, both of which feature plots with forgeries surrounding religious texts leading to murder.

Roberts believes Hofmann’s background and his hubris allowed him to go beyond duplicity to murder.

“He fooled so many people at high levels for so long, he felt invincible,” Roberts said.

Hofmann’s run of famous document discoveries was glorious, if short — a little more than five years.

His first big “find” was the Anthon Transcript in April 1980. He traded the forgery to the LDS Church for a 5-dollar Mormon gold coin, several historic Mormon notes and a first edition of The Book of Mormon.

Salt Lake County investigators believe that, by the time of the bombings, he had made $800,000 in cash and $200,000 in trade from his forgeries.

But Hofmann weaved a web of deception that began to close in on him by mid-1985. Although he made a lot of money, he spent even more. By the late summer of 1985, Hofmann’s debts mounted to a half-million dollars, and several anxious investors, including Christensen, were seeking the McLellin Collection — an assemblage of documents that would take months and months to forge.

The Oath of a Freeman, which Hofmann claimed to have found in New York City’s Argosy Book Store and purportedly dated to 1638, was to be his ace in the hole. He figured it would bring $1 million. But his potential buyers, the Library of Congress and the American Antiquarian Society, eventually passed on the document.

During a March 17, 1987, prison interview, Biggs asked Hofmann what would have happened if he had collected the $1 million.

“It would have relieved me from [the financial hole],” Hofmann said. “Hence, I guess, you want me to say the bombings would not have taken place. … I’ll say it’s true.”

But as October 1985 rolled around, the pressure finally pushed the baby-faced forger over the edge, according to one of his attorneys, Brad Rich.

Hofmann stared into the “amoral abyss and was cast adrift,” Rich told the parole board.

“The decision [to murder] was the product of the moment,” Rich said. “I think he doesn’t know why he did what he did. He is astounded that he did what he did.”

Hofmann hasn’t said whether that’s true. He recently declined an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune.

But his one-time friends don’t let him off that easily.

“He knew exactly what he was doing. He killed to get himself out of a jam,” Bench said. “I don’t know how you could do that without remorse. It’s about as cold as it gets.”

csmart@sltrib.com

—

Timeline: Mark W. Hofmann

May 1973 • Graduates from Olympus High School in Salt Lake County.

January 1974 • Goes on LDS mission to England.

September 1976 ­• Enrolls as pre-med student at Utah State University.

September 1979 ­• Marries Doralee Olds in the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City.

April 1980 ­• Forges the Anthon Transcript, which Joseph Smith purportedly copied from the golden plates.

February 1981 • Creates the 1844 Joseph Smith III blessing, where Joseph Smith says his son will succeed him.

July 1982 • Introduces the 1831 Lucy Mack Smith letter that says God told her son to dig up the golden plates.

October 1983 ­• Finds the Josiah Stowell letter in which Joseph Smith talks about seeking treasure with a divining stick.

February 1984 • Sells the Salamander Letter, which describes Joseph Smith seeing spirits with great kettles of money.

March 1985 • Forges The Oath of a Freeman and attempts to sell it the Library of Congress for $1 million.

September 1985 ­• Investors become upset with Hofmann over his inability to produce the McLellin Collection.

Oct. 15, 1985 ­• Kills Steven Christensen and Kathleen Sheets in separate bombings.

Oct. 16, 1985 • Hofmann seriously injured when a bomb explodes in his car.

Feb. 4, 1986 ­• Prosecutors charge Hofmann with murders and 25 other felonies.

Jan. 7, 1987 • Hofmann pleads guilty to two counts of second-degree murder.

Jan. 29, 1988 ­• Utah Board of Pardons and Parole sentences Hofmann to life in prison.

[Colofornian]

From the article: Mark Hofmann’s name looms large in Utah history and Mormon lore, castigated as an evil genius and a fraud who deceived his church, his friends and even his wife. But 25 years after the master forger murdered two people with nail bombs and sent Salt Lake City into a panic, he remains an enigma.

Well, the SL Trib only adds to the enigma without clarifying a whole lot. It presents Hofmann in this article as an outward Mormon but inward unbeliever. But if that completely so, (yeah Hofmann didn't believe Smith's "first vision" account) why did they also cite him as saying (see bold face below):

From the article: In an April 22, 1987, recorded interview, Hofmann admitted that he liked manipulating people by challenging their deeply held beliefs. “It’s not so much what is genuine and what isn’t, as what people believe is genuine,” he told Stott and Biggs. “I don’t believe in the religion as far as Joseph Smith had the first vision or received the plates from the Angel Moroni, or whatever. … To me, it is unimportant if Joseph Smith had that vision or not, as long as people believe it.”

Hofmann simply took a more-common-than-you-think liberal Mormon view: That faith is fine, even if it's not all based upon historical reality.

From the article: During the first half of the 1980s, Hofmann gained notoriety for discovering, one after another, documents purported to reflect early Mormon history. The forger later conceded he created material that could be embarrassing to the LDS Church in hope that Mormon leaders would spend large sums of money to keep them private.

To this end, Hofmann was temporarily successful. Indeed that was the Mormon leaders did. (I guess their "prophetic" guidance from the Mormon god was removed)

[muir_redwoods]

This is a story about the intersection of a venal psychopath and a church hierarchy intent on sanitizing any embarrassing bits about its origin. Hofmann took advantage of a group of people who wanted to remove the stranger bits of their history from public view and control the story. They were at a disadvantage not knowing what might still be out there despite a century of looking.

He should rot in jail and be remembered, if at all, as the footnote he is.

[knarf]

I found nothing about Hofman except a Wiki article that seems to indicate Hofman's prime motivation was to attack the God given belief system men have.

That's my summation based on what appears to be an extensive collection of forgeries about many famous (and key to American thought) people.

I know, Wiki is not trustworthy ... still ....

[Utah Binger]

But, as he later confessed, by the time he departed on a religious mission to Great Britain in 1974, he was a nonbeliever who saw LDS Church founder Joseph Smith as a fake who dabbled in magic.

I figured it all out in 1960. For that reason my mission was a glorious time. A 30 month vacation in a foreign country away from the constraints of rural Utah. I guess I'm not enough of a sociopath to take on the bigshots although I did tell a few "I know it is true lies" when interviewed by Hinckley. It was refreshing to learn that Hinckley got sucked in big time. What a relief to find out that he really wasn't talking to any higher authority for guidance about Hofmann. LOL

[Elsie]

You bash that prisoner one more time, I’ll put those shackles on *you*.

[Elsie]

The letter, purportedly written to an early Mormon convert, described Smith conversing with a spirit that first appeared as an amphibian.

And then he croaked!

[Utah Binger]

Yea, I heard that Hofmann gets tied down on a regular basis with his new “friends” at point of the mountain.

I wonder what Hinckley is thinking now from the great beyond.
At least he now knows the truth.

[Vendome]

Interesting.

[Saundra Duffy]

“. . .he was a nonbeliever who saw LDS Church founder Joseph Smith as a fake who dabbled in magic.”

Sounds much like some of the anti Mormons who post slurs on this very site i.e., Gadianton Robbers with their secret combinations.

[T Minus Four]

Sounds much like some of the anti Mormons who post slurs on this very site

Name ONE Saundra. Just ONE TIME, just once, BACK IT UP! And haven't you very recently been invited to leave if you didn't like it?

[Elsie]

Sounds much like some of the anti Mormons who post slurs on this very site i.e., Gadianton Robbers with their secret combinations.

AMEN! Sister

[Elsie]

Sounds much like some of the anti Mormons who post slurs FACTS on this very site i.e., Gadianton Robbers with their secret combinations.

[greyfoxx39]

Sounds much like some of the anti Mormons who post slurs on this very site i.e., Gadianton Robbers with their secret combinations.

"A Gadianton Robber is someone who uses force, secrecy, and deceit to obtain power over other men. Gadianton Robbers lie, bribe, cheat, steal, make secret pacts and agreements, hold secret meetings to plan unethical and sometimes illegal actions, and worse"

"If that’s the way you idiots think of our fellow FReepers..."

[SZonian]

Once is a mistake, twice is a pattern, three times, well, I would call that a habit.

I would ask for proof or evidence of such an outrageous claim, but, history is on my side in proving that will never happen.

Oh, btw, first us anti's can be maligned and slandered as suspects in a murder, then we can be maligned and slandered as arsonists with a "bump to post #6" and now compared to "Gadianton robbers" and yet, we're the ones that are supposedly "posting slurs".

Uh huh, sure. You see, that's the wonderful thing about the internet. Once you post something out there, it never really goes away. It's out there for someone to find.

You should remember that Sandy.

[Elsie]

 

You should remember that Sandy.

 

 

MORMON

ATTITUDES OF SUPERIORITY

 

  1. I’m Superior; I have a special gift of the holy Ghost -- you don’t!
  2. I’m Superior; I have God’s true priesthood power -- you don’t!
  3. I’m Superior; I can go in God’s secret Temple -- you can’t!
  4. I’m Superior; I’ve been Endowed with special Gifts and Knowledge -- you’re just normal!
  5. I’m Superior; I’ll have my family with me in heaven -- you’ll be with strangers!
  6. I’m Superior; I’m becoming a God -- you aren’t!
  7. I’m Superior; My women know their place as servants of man and yours don’t.
  8. I’m Superior; YOUR creeds are wrong because they come from man - mine comes from God (you can find each one printed in our Scriptures).
  9. I’m Superior; I don’t HAVE a creed - I’ve got 13 Articles of Faith.
10. I'm Superior; I have 4 "Bibles"-- the standard works (5 if you count the JST) -- you've only got one: in as far as it is translated correctly.
11. I’m Superior; I can lie with impunity about such things as church membership, church growth, church doctrine, church history, church influence, etc. —                           -- You can’t.
12. I’m Superior; I am right (everybody knows) when I say 'evangelical' Christians are lunatics -- 

                           -- You’re a hideous narrow-minded bigot, who is persecuting me by practicing discrimination by saying I'm not a Christian.
13. I'm Superior; I have a testimony about a prophet -- you don't.
14. I'm Superior; I have a Scripture-producing Amos 3:7 prophet -- you don't
15. I’m Superior; I have a Living Prophet who talks to god every day -- you have a dim-witted hireling of Satan who only talks to himself.
16. I'm Superior; I have my calling & election made sure -- you don't.
17. I’m Superior; I have magic underwear to protect me from the bogey man -- you don’t.
18. I’m Superior; I have secret clasps and grips to give the angel so I get admitted to the celestial kingdom -- you don’t ;so you can’t.
19. I'm Superior; I know secret handshake codes for afterlife entrances-- you don't.
20. I’m Superior; I will see Joseph Smith setting on the right hand of GOD, when I get to Mormon heaven, and he will recognize me and judge me favorably                              -- You’re on your own; when you get to wherever you’re going!
21. I’m Superior; I’m going to hie to Kolob -- you’re going to who knows where.
22. I’m Superior; I get to have a harem and act like a celestial stud for time and all eternity -- you don’t.
23. I’m Superior; I have sun stones, moon stones, sky stones, cloud stones, Saturn stones, and the evil eye of Osirus guarding my temple

                            -- You have nothing but a stupid cross.
24. I’m Superior; My church has billions in assets stashed away -- yours has taken a stupid vow of poverty.
25. I'm Superior; Last - we have the power to keep a whole race out of our priesthood if we wanted to reinsert our 148-year legacy  (we ARE still keeping an entire GENDER at bay!)

26.  I'm superior; I have the "higher law" -- everyone else "lives under the "lesser law' because I say so...(over and over).

 

 

Revision 46.2

Semi-Official creed of the EXclusive club of Freeper Flying Inmans.

All rights liable to be abused.

 

[Tennessee Nana]

You better get up on that roof kid before it snows...

[ejonesie22]

Well let us see there SD, Joe Smith was a fake who practiced divination, used seer stones and pulled an entire mythic religion out of his hat.

I, or any of the others exposing Mormon falsehoods were around 2000 years ago to even qualify as Gadination Robbers, if they did exist which of course they didn't (see above RE: Joe Smith)

I nor any of the others exposing Mormon falsehoods have robbed anyone i know of.

And if there is a secret combination I do not know what it is, where the lock is or what it protects...

So you are 0 for 3 this round.

[MHGinTN]

Sandy, do the Temple rituals included secret hand grasps/hand shakes? Dear, those are ‘secret combinations’. [ see 3Nephi7:6-9, and Smith wrote that into Genesis at Gen5:37 when he rewrote the King Jmaes Bible]

[svcw]

"A Gadianton Robber is someone who uses force, secrecy, and deceit to obtain power over other men. Gadianton Robbers lie, bribe, cheat, steal, make secret pacts and agreements, hold secret meetings to plan unethical and sometimes illegal actions, and worse"

Huh, thought I was reading Joseph Smith's bio.

[greyfoxx39]

Hofmann crimes discussed for learning and prevention

Love that title, LOL.

Hofmann produced a series of spectacular rare documents related to the LDS Church and its early founders, as well as other historical documents. Mayfield said Hofmann, who was LDS, may have had a crisis of faith while serving his church mission. He possibly wanted to damage the LDS Church or even destroy it.

-SNIP-

For example, the LDS Church did not force a plea deal to keep Hofmann from revealing secrets. He said the church didn't buy Hofmann's supposedly revealing documents to hide them.

"The church and other organizations acquire documents all the time," Mayfield said. "Just because they don't have a press conference doesn't mean they're trying to hide them."