Forger Who Killed 2 in Bombings Denied a Pardon in Utah

A man who killed two people with bombs to cover up his forgeries of historical documents must spend the rest of his life in prison, the Utah Board of Pardons decided Friday.

The unusual decision came after Mark Hofmann said he felt remorse for the families of his victims in the two 1985 bombings that shook the predominantly Mormon state.

Defense attorney Brad Rich said the board historically had set another parole hearing date for 10 years later in homicide cases.

The church had been one of the most avid customers for Hofmann’s business as a dealer in historical documents.

“We are impressed that there were a large number of victims and that there was callous disregard for life and that the crimes were an attempt to cover up other crimes,” Victoria Palacios, chairman of the board, said in announcing the 2-1 decision.

Hofmann, 33, pleaded guilty a year ago to two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of forgery in the Oct. 15, 1985, bombing deaths of Steve Christensen and Kathleen Sheets. Hofmann said the two were killed to cover up his dealings in fraudulent Mormon and other historical documents.