Ervil LeBaron

Case summary

Ervil Morrell LeBaron (1925 to August 16, 1981) was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents. He was considered by many to have been a serial killer, justifying his actions with the doctrine of blood atonement. He had 13 wives in a plural marriage, several of whom he married while they were still underage.

Background

After the mainstream Mormon church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, officially abandoned the practice of polygamy in 1890, some polygamous Mormons moved south to Mexico. Alma Dayer LeBaron 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 Fullness of Times in Salt Lake City, Utah. His younger brother, Ervil LeBaron, was Joel’s 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.

The offence

Killings and leadership

In 1972, the brothers split over leadership of the church. Ervil started a new church in San Diego, California, the Church of the Lamb of God. That same year, he ordered the killing of his brother in Mexico.

Leadership of the Baja California church passed to the youngest LeBaron brother, Verlan. Ervil unsuccessfully tried to have Verlan killed over the next decade. Ervil raided Los Molinos in an attempt to kill Verlan, who was not at home. The town was destroyed, and two men were killed in the process.

Ervil’s attention was also focused on rival polygamous leaders. In April 1975, he ordered the killing of Bob Simons, a polygamous Mormon who ministered to Native Americans.

Ervil’s 10th wife, Vonda White, carried out several murders on his orders. She was believed to have killed Noemi Zarate, the wife of one of Ervil’s close associates who became critical of Ervil’s practices. White also killed Dean Grover Vest, one of Ervil’s henchmen who attempted to leave the church that year. White was later sentenced to life in prison for the Vest murder.

Ervil was also linked to the death of his daughter Rebecca, who spoke out against the group.

In 1977, Ervil ordered the killing of Rulon C. Allred, leader of another group of Polygamous Mormon Fundamentalists called the Apostolic United Brethren. Ervil’s 13th wife, Rena Chynoweth, and another woman, Ramona Marston, carried out the murder. Rena Chynoweth was later tried and then acquitted for Allred’s murder.

Doctrine and threats

LeBaron justified the killings by using the doctrine of blood atonement.

A concept attributed to blood atonement was described as follows:

There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come, and if they had their eyes open to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their sins... "I know, when you hear my brethren telling about cutting people off from the earth, that you consider it is strong doctrine; but it is to save them, not to destroy them..."

Rulon Allred’s murder was treated as being carried out in connection with Ervil’s demands that dissenters be punished.

At the Rulon Allred murder trial, the jury decided there was insufficient evidence to convict.

“Hour of Crisis - Day of Vengeance” and the “hit list”

While in prison, LeBaron wrote a 400-page "bible" known as The Book of the New Covenants, which included a commandment to kill disobedient church members who were included in a hit list written by LeBaron. Some 20 copies were printed and distributed.

Three of these "hits" were carried out simultaneously on June 27, 1988, at 4 O’clock in the afternoon. Duane Chynoweth, a grandson of LeBaron, and his 8 year old daughter were shot and killed while running errands. Eddie Marston, one of LeBaron’s former thugs, was killed in the same manner, and Mark Chynoweth, a father of 6 and grandson of LeBaron, was shot multiple times in his office in Houston, Texas.

Investigation

Letters and law enforcement trace

In the fall of 1976, before Ervil’s release, an organization called the Society of American Patriots was formed. Letters from the group were sent to Evangelist Billy Graham and Presidential Candidate Jimmy Carter, among others, threatening them with death if they did not intercede to free Ervil.

The Secret Service traced the letters back to two of Ervil’s wives, who had rented a post office box in Pasadena in the society’s name.

Authorities said they had little solid evidence directly linking LeBaron to the murder conspiracies, and that many potential witnesses were polygamists and did not want to testify publicly. It was also said that terror hindered witnesses coming forward.

A quote attributed to a suburban Salt Lake City investigator was:

So many people are afraid of Ervil.

Arrest and extradition

On June 1, 1979, LeBaron was apprehended by police in Mexico. He was extradited to the United States where he was convicted of having ordered Allred's death.

He was held at the Salt Lake County jail until May 12, 1980, when he went on trial for masterminding Rulon Allred's murder.

The account also stated that Mexican police captured Ervil in the mountains south of Mexico City, and that he was bruised and limping when Mexican cops shoved him across the international bridge at Laredo into the grip of waiting FBI agents; it was said the police had used him as a punching bag during the six-day trip to the U.S. border.

Trial

Rulon C. Allred murder

Ervil was tried in Mexico for the murder of Joel in 1974, but the ruling was overturned on a technicality.

Ervil was convicted in the United States for having ordered Allred’s death. At his trial, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison at the Point of the Mountains State Prison in Draper, Utah.

Rena Chynoweth later testified at the Rulon Allred murder trial, and the jury decided there was insufficient evidence to convict her and her cohorts, and they walked free.

Sentencing

Ervil was sentenced to life in prison in 1980 for masterminding Rulon Allred’s murder.

Vonda White was sentenced to life imprisonment on May 13, 1979 for the murder of Dean Vest.

In addition, later legal outcomes were described for participants in the June 27, 1988 killings: in May 1993, Heber LeBaron, Patricia LeBaron, and Douglas Lee Barlow were sentenced to life in prison without parole for their part in the slayings. Richard LeBaron, who was 17 when he shot Duane and Jennifer Chynoweth to death, was sentenced to five years in prison. Cynthia LeBaron was granted immunity and testified against her half-siblings at that trial. In June 1997, Aaron LeBaron was sentenced to 45 years in prison for racketeering, racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to violate the civil rights of the victims. Jacqueline LeBaron remained at large and was presumed to be living in Mexico or Belgium.

Appeals

Ervil’s conviction in Mexico for the murder of Joel was overturned on a technicality.

Outcome

Ervil died in prison on August 6, 1981.

Aftermath

Prison writing and continued violence

After sentencing, Ervil wrote The Book of the New Covenants in prison. The manuscript was described as containing a hit list of more than 50 people whom Ervil decided needed to be blood-atoned, including cult defectors, police investigators, and prison officials.

It was reported that upwards of 25 people were killed as a result of LeBaron’s prison-cell orders. Many family members and other ex-members still remained in hiding for fear of retribution from LeBaron’s remaining followers.

Additional deaths and legal cases

On June 21, 1983, his son Isaac, 20, died in a suspicious "suicide" while staying with cult-member relatives in Houston.

In the fall of 1983, the plans of LeBaron’s wife Lorna to defect from the cult were said to have been cut short when the mother of eight was strangled and buried in a shallow grave in Mexico, and her body has never been found.

On December 28, 1983, LeBaron’s oldest son, Arturo, 33, was gunned down in Mexico by Leo Evoniuk, a rival who disputed his claim to the prophet’s mantle.

After Arturo died, the cult leadership fell to Heber LeBaron, and it was described that Heber shot Gamaliel Rios in the face with a .45 automatic in early 1984; his body was buried in the desert and never recovered. Neither was Yolanda Rios’s body; it was described that Yolanda Rios was strangled to death in May 1984 and buried outside of Dallas.

On May 21, 1987, Leo Evoniuk was murdered near Santa Cruz, California, and it was said only his dentures were found in a puddle of blood.

On October 16, 1987, Dan Jordan was shot in the head while on a hunting trip in the Manti-La Sal National Forest in Utah with his family and some LeBaron kids, and the murder was described as never solved.

June 27, 1988 “4 O’clock murders”

The killings on June 27, 1988 at 4 o’clock involved Duane Chynoweth and his 8 year old daughter being shot and killed while running errands, Eddie Marston being killed in the same manner, and Mark Chynoweth being shot multiple times in his office in Houston, Texas.

It was described that of the 7 killers involved, 5 were found guilty of murder. One, Cynthia LeBaron, testified against her siblings at trial and was therefore granted immunity and sent home. The final suspect, Jacqueline LeBaron, was still at large and could be living in Mexico or Belgium according to the F.B.I.

Rena Chynoweth’s testimony and memoir

Rena Chynoweth wrote a book, The Blood Covenant, about her experiences in LeBaron’s group, and she characterized the group as using mind control and fear to control its followers.

Rena Chynoweth described Ervil LeBaron’s courtship and marriage in her memoir, including these quoted statements:

...had to close my eyes and pretend I was somewhere else or he was someone else," she writes. "I would often turn my head away or hold my breath so I wouldn't have to smell his breath. It always reeked of something awful, usually coffee. He kissed like a fish, very stiff-lipped, in a way that really disgusted me."

Rena Chynoweth also stated:

He was exactly as he had been described to me," Rena would later write in her memoir. "Tall, slender, gray-haired - a nice, pleasant-looking man... He was no more than three to five feet from me. I knew the moment had come to do what I was sent there to do."

After describing the killing, Rena Chynoweth’s quoted reflections included:

During our five-year marriage and for many years afterward, I had to live with some ghastly memories," writes Chynoweth. "I killed a man in cold blood, acting on my husband's orders which he claimed were 'commands from God.' I spent a year and a half running from the law, five months in jail awaiting trial for murder, and many years afterward trying to block out my past.

Her plea included:

These last remnants of Ervil LeBaron's flock are still a risk to the rest of society. They are the last ones who may still feel bound by his blood covenant that has claimed so many innocent lives. They have grown up around violence and violent teachings, and there is grave danger that they will pass these values on to their own children. I want the killing to stop. Only by finding those still out there and getting them the help they need can we stop the bloodshed.

She also asked:

In her final paragraph, she asks readers who come into contact with the LeBaron children to please turn them in to the police.

Timeline

• 1924 — Alma Dayer LeBaron moved his family, including his two wives and eight children, to northern Mexico.
• 1951 — Alma Dayer LeBaron died and passed leadership of the community to Joel LeBaron.
• 1972 — The brothers split over leadership; Ervil started the Church of the Lamb of God in San Diego and ordered the killing of his brother in Mexico.
• 1974 — Ervil was tried in Mexico for the murder of Joel; the ruling was overturned on a technicality.
• April 1975 — Ervil ordered the killing of Bob Simons.
• 1975 — Vonda White murdered Dean Grover Vest.
• January 1975 — Vonda White murdered Noemi Zarate.
• May 10, 1977 — Rena Chynoweth and Ramona Marston carried out the killing of Rulon C. Allred.
• June 1, 1979 — LeBaron was apprehended by police in Mexico and extradited to the United States.
• May 13, 1979 — Vonda White was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Dean Vest.
• May 12, 1980 — LeBaron went on trial for masterminding Rulon Allred’s murder.
• 1980 — LeBaron was sentenced to life in prison.
• August 6, 1981 — LeBaron died in prison.
• June 21, 1983 — Isaac LeBaron, 20, died in a suspicious “suicide.”
• May 1993 — Heber LeBaron, Patricia LeBaron, and Douglas Lee Barlow were sentenced to life in prison without parole; Richard LeBaron was sentenced to five years in prison; Cynthia LeBaron was granted immunity.
• June 1997 — Aaron LeBaron was sentenced to 45 years in prison for racketeering and related offenses.

People

• Ervil Morrell LeBaron — leader of the polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group; convicted in the United States of having ordered Rulon C. Allred’s death; sentenced to life in prison in 1980; died in prison on August 6, 1981.
• Alma Dayer LeBaron — moved his family to northern Mexico in 1924 and died in 1951; passed leadership to Joel LeBaron.
• Joel LeBaron — leader after Alma’s death; led the community that was incorporated as the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times; brother of Ervil; was killed in 1972.
• Verlan (LeBaron) — youngest LeBaron brother; leadership passed to him after Ervil’s split; Ervil tried unsuccessfully to have him killed.
• Rulon C. Allred — leader of the Apostolic United Brethren; was killed in 1977.
• Rena Chynoweth — Ervil’s 13th wife; carried out the murder of Rulon C. Allred; later tried and acquitted for Allred’s murder; wrote The Blood Covenant.
• Ramona Marston — carried out the murder of Rulon C. Allred.
• Vonda White — Ervil’s 10th wife; carried out several murders on Ervil’s orders; sentenced to life imprisonment on May 13, 1979 for the murder of Dean Grover Vest.
• Noemi Zarate — wife of one of Ervil’s close associates; was killed on Vonda White’s orders; body was said to have never been found.
• Dean Grover Vest — henchman and military general in the group; was killed; Vonda White was sentenced for his murder.
• Cheryl — Dean Grover Vest’s wife; left him and moved to Washington State with their two children.
• Bob Simons (Robert Hunt Simons) — polygamous Mormon ministering to Native Americans; was ordered killed by Ervil in April 1975.
• Rebecca — Ervil’s daughter who spoke out against the group; was linked to killing; later described as 17-year-old and pregnant in connection with later events.
• Victor Chynoweth — Rebecca’s husband.
• Victor Jr. — Rebecca’s child.
• Duane Chynoweth — grandson of LeBaron; shot and killed on June 27, 1988.
• Jennifer Chynoweth — Duane Chynoweth’s 8-year-old daughter; shot and killed on June 27, 1988.
• Eddie Marston — killed on June 27, 1988.
• Mark Chynoweth — father of 6 and grandson of LeBaron; shot multiple times in his office.
• Heber LeBaron — Ervil’s son; became cult leadership after Arturo’s death; sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 1993 for the slayings.
• Patricia LeBaron — sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 1993.
• Douglas Lee Barlow — sentenced to life in prison without parole in May 1993.
• Richard LeBaron — sentenced to five years in prison.
• Cynthia LeBaron — testified against her siblings and was granted immunity.
• Jacqueline LeBaron — final suspect; remained at large; presumed living in Mexico or Belgium according to the F.B.I.
• Aaron LeBaron — sentenced to 45 years in prison in June 1997.
• Arturo LeBaron — Ervil’s oldest son; gunned down in Mexico on December 28, 1983.
• Leo Evoniuk — rival who disputed Arturo’s claim; gunned down / murdered described outcomes: killed May 21, 1987 near Santa Cruz, California.
• Gamaliel Rios — shot in the face with a .45 automatic by Heber LeBaron.
• Yolanda Rios — described as Ervil’s twelfth wife; strangled to death in May 1984; body was said to have never been found.
• Dan Jordan — shot in the head on October 16, 1987; murder was never solved.
• Isaac LeBaron — 20-year-old son; died in a suspicious “suicide” on June 21, 1983.
• Lorna — Ervil’s wife; described as planning to defect and then being strangled and buried in a shallow grave in Mexico.

Other details

Family and marriages

Ervil was described as taking 13 wives and having over 50 children, with several wives described as underage.

Publishing

It was stated that Ervil wrote a 400-page "bible" called The Book of the New Covenants, including a commandment to kill disobedient church members in a hit list. It was also described as a 500-page screed containing a hit list of more than 50 people.

Prior conviction in Mexico for Joel’s murder

In the narrative describing Joel’s murder, Ervil was described as being found guilty in Ensenada of being the "intellectual author" of Joel’s murder and sentenced to twelve years in prison. It was further stated that Ervil spent twelve months in jail before a Mexican appeals court overturned the conviction.

Acquittal

Further legal outcomes involving cult members

In May 1993, multiple convictions and sentences were described for participants in the June 27, 1988 killings, including life imprisonment without parole for Heber LeBaron, Patricia LeBaron, and Douglas Lee Barlow, and five years in prison for Richard LeBaron. It was also described that Cynthia LeBaron was granted immunity and sent home, and that Jacqueline LeBaron remained at large.

References

• Scheeres, Julia. “Ervil LeBaron.” Renegade Mormon fundamentalist wooed child brides and used them as the instruments of his murderous designs. Retrieved on October 1, 2005.
• Bradlee, Ben Prophet of Blood: The Untold Story of Ervil Lebaron and the Lambs of God (Putnam, 1981).
• Wikipedia.org A Deadly "Messenger of God" Cult Leader Ervil LeBaron leaves a trail of death in the West Time.com Monday, Aug. 29, 1977.
• Killing for God By Julia Scheeres - Trutv.com.
• Ervil LeBaron Story - Introduction.
• Anderson, Scott. The 4 O'Clock Murders. New York: Doubleday, 1993.
• Associated Press. “3 Members of Sect Acquitted of Conspiracy, Murder for Hire.” January 22, 1993.
• Associated Press. “Ex-member of Cult Gets 5 Years for Slaying Man and Daughter.” November 27, 1993.
• Bradlee, Ben Jr. and Dale Van Atta. Prophet of Blood. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1981.
• Chynoweth, Rena and Dean M. Shapiro. The Blood Covenant. Austin, Texas: Diamond Books, 1990.
• Funk, Marianne. “Trial Topples Murderous Sect as LeBarons Come Out of Hiding,” The Deseret News. January 22, 1993.
• Makeig, John. “Woman says brother ordered deaths of four sect defectors,” The Houston Chronicle. February 26, 1997.
• Tedford, Deborah. “LeBaron gets 45-year sentence,” The Houston Chronicle. June 13, 1997.
• Young, Brigham. Sermon, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pages 53-54; also published in The Deseret News, 1856, page 235.