Ervil LeBaron
| Ervil LeBaron | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Born |
Ervil Morrell LeBaron February 22, 1925 Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Died | August 15, 1981 (aged 56) Draper, Utah USA |
| Cause of death | Myocardial infarction |
| Criminal penalty | Life |
| Spouse(s) | At least 13 |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 25+ |
|
Span of killings
|
1974–1981 |
| Country | Mexico, United States |
| State(s) | California, Utah |
|
Date apprehended
|
June 1, 1979 |
Ervil Morrell LeBaron (February 22, 1925 – August 15, 1981) was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify the murders. He was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of an opponent, and died there.
He had at least 13 wives in a plural marriage, several of whom he married while they were still underage, and several of whom were involved in the murders.
After The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) officially abandoned the practice of polygamy in 1890, some polygamous Mormons, who were later excommunicated from the LDS Church, moved south to Mexico to continue the practice without the interference of U.S. law enforcement. Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr. was one of these people, and in 1924 moved his family, which included his two wives and eight children, to northern Mexico. There, the family started a farm called "Colonia LeBaron" in Galeana, Chihuahua.
When Alma died in 1951, he passed the leadership of the community on to his son Joel LeBaron. Joel eventually incorporated the community as the Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times in Salt Lake City, Utah. Joel's younger brother, Ervil LeBaron, was his second in command during the early years of the church's existence. The group ultimately numbered around 30 families who lived in both Utah and a community called "Los Molinos" on the Baja California Peninsula.
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