Around 8:15 a.m. on October 15th, 1985, an explosion went off on the east side of the Judge Building located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The victim of the explosion, Steve Christensen, died immediately at the door of his office. Shortly after at around 9:28, another explosion goes off at a home in Naniloa Drive in Holladay. The second victim, Kathy Sheets, died at the hands of an explosion intended for her husband, J. Gary Sheets. 

With Christensen and Sheets being business associates, it was initially concluded that angry investors were to blame for the murders. But only a day after, the investigation took a quick turnaround when a third bomb exploded in the car of Mark Hofmann, a popular document-dealer belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or more commonly referred to as the Mormon Church. A riveting investigation soon kicks off and questions surrounding the motives and transparency of the LDS Church, as well as its suspicious circle of historical document dealers, are raised by investigators and prosecutors alike. 

Netflix’s new three-part series “Murder Among the Mormons” illustrates this mystery through the lenses of old footage, 911 operating calls, and of course, intimate interviews with the men closely involved in the case. This includes Shannon Flynn, Brent Metcalfe, and Al Rust, as well as Salt Lake City homicide prosecutor Gerry D’Elia and forensic document examiner George Throckmorton. Produced by BBC Studios, this short docu-series explores the months leading up to these fairly well-known bombings and details the long, frustrating investigation that takes place after. 

While “Murder Among the Mormons” is centered around the LDS Church, Mormonism, and the document dealers within it, the short series does not fail to keep its audience engaged. The secrecy following the LDS Church and the Mormon leadership’s reaction to suppress certain pieces of outside information that contradict traditional Mormon beliefs, such as the infamous “Salamander Letter,” keeps the audience curious and wanting to know more. 

Since March 3rd, “Murder Among the Mormons” has been easily accessible on Netflix. I highly recommend this docu-series to anyone who finds interest in true-crime stories that include a satisfying reveal tied into a fair amount of closure and justice in the end.