Mormon Papers Dealer Admits 2 Bombing Deaths

Mormon documents dealer Mark Hofmann pleaded guilty today to reduced charges of second-degree murder in the bombing deaths of two people and was sentenced to five years to life in prison.

The plea-bargain agreement closed the bizarre case without a trial and allowed Hofmann, charged with two counts of first-degree murder, to avoid the possibility of the death penalty.

Third District Judge Kenneth A. Rigtrup told Hofmann that given the “indiscriminate” nature of his crimes and his use of pipe bombs as murder weapons, he would recommend that Hofmann “remain incarcerated for life.”

In addition to the five years to life sentence for one murder, Rigtrup sentenced Hofmann to 1 to 15 years in prison on the other second-degree murder plea.

Hofmann, 32, also pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by deception, for which he was sentenced to one to 15 years each.

Today’s plea was entered nearly a year after Hofmann was charged with the pipe-bomb murders of Steven Christensen, 31, and Kathleen Sheets, 50, on Oct. 15, 1985.

Hofmann, a married father of three, was seriously injured the next day when a pipe bomb blew him out of his parked sports car in the downtown area. Investigators maintained the device had been triggered accidentally and named Hofmann as their prime suspect within days.

Prosecutors contended that Hofmann, who had maintained his innocence until today, turned to murder in a desperate attempt to cover up a scheme in which allegedly fraudulent historical documents were sold to the Mormon Church and other collectors for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Christensen was killed about two hours before he was to inspect a purported cache of old documents written by early Mormon leader William McLellin with Hofmann and an attorney representing a potential buyer. Prosecutors contended Hofmann never had the McLellin collection.