'Under the Banner of Heaven': Where is Dan Lafferty now? Utah man killed Brenda Lafferty and 15-month-old daughter
Making a television series on a real-life crime is always difficult, but it always manages to nab all the attention because of how it connects with the people. FX’s upcoming series ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ revolves around one such case that took the entire nation by storm and shocked everyone because of all the gruesome details that came out of it.
The world is filled with different kinds of people and you don’t know what the other person might be going through or what he or she might be thinking to do in the next minute or so. After all, the most dangerous of criminals often hide in plain sight and are seen leading an ordinary life. But they strike when it’s unexpected and that’s what the upcoming series talks about. Based on the infamous killing of Brenda Lafferty, the FX show sheds a light on what happened during the case and how a detective named Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) investigated one of the most twisted cases in America’s history.
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But why was Brenda killed? Who killed her? And where is her killer now? If you want to know all the details of the aforementioned case, then we’ve got you covered.
‘Under the Banner of Heaven’: How did Brenda Lafferty die?
Brenda Lafferty died at the age of 24 and the incident happened at a time when she was leading a happy life with her family. She was studying journalism at Brigham Young University and was about to graduate. Apart from being a student, she was also a happily married mother. She and her husband, Allen Laferty, welcomed a beautiful baby named Erica and everything seemed so wonderful in their lives.
The married couple was in love with each other and was spiritual as well. Various reports suggest that the couple frequently visited The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a lot of faith in that particular church. Not just them, but Allen’s older brothers Dan and Ron were also members of the church and got too much in it.
Brenda was never a fan of the religious fundamentalism that was shown by Allen’s brothers and refused to accept that Ron was a prophet.
On July 24, 1984, Allen returned home from work and his entire world turned upside down when he saw his wife Brenda lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen. To his horror, their 15-month-old child named Erica was also brutally killed inside her crib. As soon as the police arrived, it was found that their throats were slit by a sharp weapon. So, the authorities opened an investigation and it was revealed that Brenda was brutally beaten before she was killed.
‘Under the Banner of Heaven’: Who killed Brenda and Erica Lafferty?
From religious fundamentalism and childhood wrapped in violence, a lot of things were involved in the case. Brenda and Erica Lafferty were killed by none other than Allen’s brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty. The reports suggest that the Lafferty Family was once known for their great family values and was famous in the community. However, no one knew the reality and what was happening behind closed doors.
As soon as the investigation began, it was found that all three brothers were a victim of domestic violence when they were young. They were regularly beaten up by their father and those incidents became an integral part of how they turned out to be in the latter part of their lives.
Dan and Ron got introduced to Polygamy and they started practicing it within their religious values. However, everything turned upside down when they tried to make Allen follow in their footsteps. When Brenda thought that Allen was being misguided, she stepped in and stood up for her family.
According to court documents, it was revealed that Ron was told by God to “remove” Brenda and Erica. He took the help of a few people, including Dan, to arrive at Allen and Brenda’s house. He went inside the house with a lot of knives, a shotgun, and ammunition. He killed Brenda and Erica by slitting their throats. When asked why he killed a 15-month-old kid, he said she “would grow up to be just as despicable as her mother.”
‘Under the Banner of Heaven’: Where is Dan Lafferty now?
Evidence pointed toward Ron being the person who orchestrated the killings. However, it was Dan who took the responsibility for the deaths. So, two separate trials happened and Dan was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to two life sentences to be served concurrently without the possibility of parole.
Meanwhile, Ron was tried in 1985, convicted, and sentenced to death.
Dan will spend his entire life behind bars and is currently imprisoned at the Utah State Prison.