Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry (2010–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - An Explosive Love - full transcript

AS A GOOD MORMON,
DORIE OLDS ALWAYS BELIEVED

THAT ONE OF THE SECRETS
TO A GOOD MARRIAGE

WAS A SHARED FAITH.

IT IS IMPORTANT
TO MARRY WITHIN THE CHURCH.

IT'S NOT JUST
TILL DEATH DO YOU PART.

IT'S FOR TIME AND ALL ETERNITY.

DORIE'S MARRIAGE
TO MORMON SCHOLAR MARK HOFMANN

WAS BUILT TO LAST FOREVER...

OR SO SHE THOUGHT.

BUT WHEN TWO MEMBERS
OF THE LDS CHURCH WERE MURDERED,

THE GOLDEN BOY OF MORMON HISTORY



BECAME PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE.

IMMEDIATELY,

THE POLICE BEGAN TO BELIEVE
THAT HE WAS THE BOMBER.

I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT.

IT'S LIKE, "NO, THAT ISN'T
THE PERSON THAT I KNOW."

WHEN IT COMES
TO LOVE AND MARRIAGE,

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS
AS THEY SEEM.

AS A MORMON GROWING UP
IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,

DORIE OLDS WAS TAUGHT
THAT FAMILY IS EVERYTHING.

IT IS VERY FAMILY-ORIENTED.

WE HAD FAMILY PRAYER
IN THE MORNINGS.

WE HAD SCRIPTURE TIME,
THAT WE WOULD READ.

WE WENT TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY.

WE'RE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED
TO MARRY MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH



WHO HAVE OUR SAME VALUES
AND THE SAME GOALS.

IT'S NOT JUST
TILL DEATH DO YOU PART.

IT'S FOR TIME AND ALL ETERNITY.

IN THE FALL OF 1978,

DORIE HEADED OFF TO COLLEGE

AND SOON FOUND HERSELF
FALLING FOR

BRILLIANT PREMED STUDENT
AND FELLOW MORMON MARK HOFMANN.

I JUST FOUND MYSELF
KIND OF FASCINATED

WITH SOME OF HIS IDEAS
AND SOME OF HIS EXPERIENCES.

HE WAS VERY SMART.

SHE CALLED ME ONE TIME

AND JUST MENTIONED THAT SHE HAD
MET A PREMED STUDENT UP THERE

AND THEY WERE GETTING
KIND OF SERIOUS.

AND THEN I THINK THE NEXT PHONE
CALL WAS THEY WERE ENGAGED.

A YEAR AFTER THEY MET,
IN SEPTEMBER OF 1979,

THE COUPLE WAS MARRIED IN
A TRADITIONAL MORMON CEREMONY.

THEY WERE A CUTE COUPLE.

THEY SEEMED WELL-SUITED
TO EACH OTHER.

I JUST WAS STANDING
IN THE GAZEBO

AND HE CAME UP AND HE JUST
GAVE ME THIS BIG HUG.

AND I REMEMBER JUST THINKING,

"WOW, I'M GONNA HAVE
A GOOD LIFE.

YOU KNOW,
THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD."

AFTER THE WEDDING,

MARK CONTINUED
WITH HIS PREMED STUDIES.

BUT SOON HE DECIDED

THAT HE WOULD RATHER PURSUE
ANOTHER LINE OF WORK...

HIS LIFELONG PASSION FOR
COLLECTING HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS.

I BELIEVE YOU NEED
TO ENJOY YOUR WORK

AND DO SOMETHING
THAT YOU'RE GOOD AT.

SO I WAS HAPPY FOR HIM

'CAUSE THERE WAS A PASSION THERE
FOR HIM THAT I COULD SEE.

JUST A FEW MONTHS
LATER, DORIE AND MARK KNEW

THAT CHANGING CAREERS
HAD BEEN THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

HE SAID, "HEY, I WANT YOU
TO LOOK AT THIS BOOK."

AND SO I SAT DOWN ON OUR COUCH,

AND I STARTED
LOOKING THROUGH THE BOOK.

AND IT WASN'T BUT A FEW MINUTES

AND I SAID, "HEY, THERE'S
SOMETHING IN THIS BOOK."

AND HE TOOK THE BOOK FROM THERE.

GUMMED WITHIN THE PAGES

WAS WHAT APPEARED
TO BE A VERY OLD DOCUMENT

SIGNED BY NONE OTHER
THAN JOSEPH SMITH,

THE MAN WHO FOUNDED MORMONISM.

THE DOCUMENT
WAS CALLED AN ANTHON LETTER.

WHEN JOSEPH SMITH WAS
TRANSLATING THE BOOK OF MORMON,

HE WROTE DOWN
SOME OF THE SYMBOLS

THAT WERE IN THE BOOK OF MORMON
THAT HE WAS TRANSLATING FROM

AND GAVE IT TO
A PROFESSOR ANTHON.

THE STORY WITH THE ANTHON LETTER

IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE TAUGHT
AND KNOW GROWING UP.

AND SO DISCOVERING THE LETTER
WAS A BIG DEAL.

IT WAS, LIKE, FRONT-PAGE STORY,
FIRST PAGE.

FIRST THING ON THE NEWS...
IT WAS A BIG STORY.

EXPERTS VERIFIED
MARK'S SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENT.

AND SOON THE MORMON COMMUNITY

WAS ABUZZ WITH NEWS
OF HIS REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.

THERE WAS A BIG SENSE
OF EXCITEMENT,

AND HE SORT OF GOT VAULTED
INTO FAME ALL OF A SUDDEN.

EVERYBODY KNEW HIS NAME.

IT APPEARS TO BE

THE EARLIEST MORMON DOCUMENT,

SO I THINK IT'S EXCITING.

SO DID THE MORMON CHURCH.

THEY PURCHASED THE ANTHON LETTER
FROM MARK HOFMANN FOR $20,000.

AND BEFORE LONG,

MORE DOCUMENTS AND MORE MONEY
STARTED ROLLING IN.

THE YOUNG MARK HOFMANN
WAS A ROCK STAR.

HE INGRATIATED HIMSELF

IN WITH THE VERY POWERS THAT BE
OF THE LDS CHURCH

AND SOME OF
THE WEALTHIEST ADHERENTS

AND COLLECTORS AND DEALERS

IN ALL OF THE MORMON CULTURE
AND WORLD.

THE NEXT FOUR YEARS
WERE GOOD TO MARK AND DORIE.

DORIE TOOK CARE
OF THEIR FOUR YOUNG CHILDREN

WHILE MARK'S CAREER
CONTINUED TO SOAR.

BUT IN THE FALL OF 1985,

THEIR MARRIAGE
WOULD TAKE A SHOCKING TURN.

IT ALL STARTED ON OCTOBER 15th

WHEN TRAGEDY STRUCK
SALT LAKE CITY.

TWO WELL-KNOWN MEMBERS
OF THE MORMON CHURCH

WERE MURDERED
IN A MOST UNUSUAL MANNER.

I WAS IN MY OFFICE
WITH ANOTHER ATTORNEY,

AND WE HEARD SOME COMMOTION
IN THE HALLWAY,

AND SOME OF ATTORNEYS WALKING BY
SAID, "DID YOU HEAR?"

THERE HAD BEEN A BOMBING
AT THE JUDGE BUILDING.

TWO BOMBS HAD BEEN
DISGUISED AS ORDINARY PACKAGES.

ONE HAD BEEN DELIVERED
TO THE JUDGE BUILDING DOWNTOWN,

THE OTHER TO A LOCAL RESIDENCE.

A BOMBER WAS ON THE LOOSE
IN SALT LAKE CITY.

AND POLICE HAD NO IDEA
WHO WAS BEHIND THE ATTACKS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF FEAR,

AND THERE WERE A LOT OF THEORIES
THROWN OUT THERE

OF WHO IT COULD BE.

AND MARK CALLED ME, AND HE WAS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE BOMBS

AND CONCERNED
ABOUT WHO MAY BE TARGETED.

AND HE ASKED ME
TO LEAVE THE HOUSE.

THAT'S WHEN I STARTED
BEING MORE AFRAID.

THEN A THIRD BOMB EXPLODED.

AND DORIE'S LIFE
WOULD CHANGE FOREVER.

NO ONE SUSPECTED THAT
THERE WAS A PERSON AMONG US

THAT WOULD CONCEIVE OF JUST
COLD-BLOODEDLY MURDERING PEOPLE.

IN THE FALL OF 1982,

THREE YEARS
BEFORE A MYSTERIOUS BOMBER

BEGAN TO ATTACK
THE MORMON COMMUNITY,

DORIE AND MARK WERE BASKING

IN THE GLOW
OF HIS BLOSSOMING CAREER

RESEARCHING
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

WHEN MARK
MADE THE FIRST DISCOVERY,

IT PUT HIM ON THE FAST TRACK.

I FEEL THAT MARK WAS VERY
WELL-RESPECTED IN THE COMMUNITY.

PEOPLE SEEMED
TO REALLY ADMIRE HIS ABILITY

TO FIND THESE DOCUMENTS
AND THIS INFORMATION

THAT PEOPLE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR
FOR A LONG TIME.

OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS,

MARK MADE A SERIES
OF STARTLING DISCOVERIES

IN RARE BOOKSTORES AND
THRIFT SHOPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

HE UNCOVERED DOCUMENTS PENNED BY
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, DANIEL BOONE,

BETSY ROSS,

AND EVEN A LOST POEM
BY EMILY DICKINSON.

WELL, THIS YOUNG MARK HOFMANN
COMES FROM NOWHERE

INTO THE ANTIQUARIAN
BOOK-AND-MANUSCRIPT FIELD,

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,

THIS KID IS MAKING
ASTONISHING DISCOVERIES.

KEN SANDERS, A
SALT LAKE CITY BOOKSTORE OWNER,

MET MARK HOFMANN
IN THE LATE 1970s.

ALMOST ANY ONE OF HIS FINDS

WAS SO EXTRAORDINARY,
UNIQUE, AND UNUSUAL

THAT, TO THOSE OF US
IN THE TRADE,

IT WOULD BE LITERALLY THE FIND
OF A LIFETIME OR A CAREER.

HE WAS A WIZARD AMONG MEN.

IN JANUARY OF 1984,

MARK MADE
HIS BIGGEST FIND YET...

A RARE MORMON DOCUMENT
CALLED THE SALAMANDER LETTER.

THE SALAMANDER LETTER,
IF AUTHENTIC,

WOULD TEND TO DISCREDIT

THE DIVINE ORIGINS
OF THE LDS CHURCH...

AND LEAD
TO SUSPECT CIRCUMSTANCES

AND, YOU KNOW, TREASURE-HUNTING
SCAMS AND FRAUDS

AS THE SOURCE OF THE CHURCH,
RATHER THAN DIVINE INSPIRATION.

THE POTENTIALLY
DAMAGING LETTER

WAS QUICKLY SCOOPED UP

BY SUCCESSFUL MORMON BUSINESSMAN
STEVE CHRISTENSEN.

HE PURCHASED IT FOR $40,000

AND KEPT IT
OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE.

FOR MARK AND HIS FAMILY,

THE LETTER MEANT
YET ANOTHER PAY DAY.

THEY WERE ALL EXCITED ABOUT

HOPING TO GET A NEW HOME AND A
REALLY NICE HOME AND EVERYTHING,

AND I WAS JUST SO EXCITED
FOR HER.

BUT MARK'S DEDICATION
MEANT LESS TIME FOR HIS FAMILY.

HE PREFERRED TO WORK ALONE.

HE WOULD TELL ME THINGS LIKE,
"I NEED TO GO DO SOME READING,"

OR "I NEED TO BE IN THE BASEMENT
FOR A WHILE

"AND TAKE PHONE CALLS.

I DON'T WANT TO BE DISTURBED."

AND I WOULD DO IT, OF COURSE.

A GOOD WIFE, YOU KNOW, WOULD
ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF THAT, RIGHT?

DEEP DOWN, DORIE KNEW
MARK NEEDED TO WORK HARD.

HE WAS SPENDING MORE MONEY
THAN HE WAS BRINGING IN.

THE PROCESS
OF BEING SELF-EMPLOYED

IS CALLED FEAST OR FAMINE.

AND MY JOB
WAS TRYING TO KEEP THINGS

SO THAT THINGS WERE GETTING PAID
ON A TIMELY BASIS.

AND HE HAD HIS FOCUS
ON BUYING AND SELLING

AND NOT ON, LIKE,

THE "DAY-TO-DAY LIVING"
KINDS OF THINGS.

IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING.

IN THE SPRING OF 1985,

DORIE'S HUSBAND, MARK,

SEEMED MORE DISTANT AND STRESSED
THAN EVER BEFORE.

BUT DORIE KNEW
THERE WAS A GOOD REASON.

MARK WAS PREPARING FOR THE SALE

OF A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE
NEW FIND...

THE INFAMOUS
McLELLIN COLLECTION.

WILLIAM McLELLIN
WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST CONVERTS

TO THE CHURCH
IN THE VERY EARLY DAYS,

AND THEN HE FELL AWAY
FROM THE CHURCH.

AND THEN,
BECAUSE HE'D LEFT THE CHURCH,

ONE SUPPOSITION WAS HE'D TAKEN

A LOT OF DAMAGING
CRITICAL DOCUMENTS WITH HIM.

SO, ANY OF THOSE JOURNALS,
LETTERS, DOCUMENTS,

AND WHATEVER ELSE HE MIGHT HAVE

COULD BE INCREDIBLY
FAITH-DAMAGING

TO THE LDS CHURCH.

ONCE AGAIN, MORMON
BUSINESSMAN STEVE CHRISTENSEN,

THE MAN WHO HAD PURCHASED
THE SALAMANDER LETTER,

WAS PREPARED TO STEP IN
AND BUY THE DOCUMENTS.

THIS TIME, HOWEVER,

CHRISTENSEN WANTED
THE COLLECTION AUTHENTICATED

BEFORE FINALIZING THE DEAL.

ON THE 15th OF OCTOBER,

MARK HOFMANN WAS SUPPOSED TO
DELIVER THE McLELLIN COLLECTION

TO STEVE CHRISTENSEN,
WHO WOULD HAVE A LAWYER THERE

TO MAKE SURE IT WAS AN AUTHENTIC
COLLECTION OF DOCUMENTS.

BUT STEVE CHRISTENSEN
NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT.

HE RECEIVED A MYSTERIOUS
AND DEADLY PACKAGE INSTEAD.

ON THE MORNING OF THE 15th,

A BOMB HAD GONE OFF
OVER AT THE JUDGE BUILDING.

IT WAS A HOMEMADE BOMB,
AND IT KILLED STEVE CHRISTENSEN.

AND THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING.

LATER ON, OUT IN THE COUNTY,

ANOTHER SIMILAR BOMB WENT OFF
AT THE RESIDENCE OF GARY SHEETS.

AND, APPARENTLY,
HIS WIFE, KATHLEEN SHEETS,

HAD PICKED UP THAT BOMB,
AND IT WENT OFF AND KILLED HER.

TWO HOMEMADE BOMBS
DISGUISED AS HARMLESS PACKAGES

HAD MURDERED TWO PROMINENT
MEMBERS OF THE MORMON COMMUNITY.

SALT LAKE CITY
WENT INTO A PANIC.

MARK CALLED ME, AND HE WAS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE BOMBS

AND CONCERNED
ABOUT WHO MAY BE TARGETED.

AND HE ASKED ME
TO LEAVE THE HOUSE,

AND SO I FLED.

BUT DORIE'S WORLD WAS
ABOUT TO COLLIDE WITH THE BOMBER

IN THE MOST SHOCKING WAY.

I COULDN'T STOP SHAKING. I WAS JUST
SHAKING ALL OVER FROM HEAD TO TOE.

ON THE MORNING
OF OCTOBER 16, 1985,

DORIE OLDS
AWOKE TO A DIFFERENT CITY.

A PAIR OF BOMBINGS
HAD ROCKED SALT LAKE CITY

AND LEFT TWO PEOPLE DEAD.

STEVE CHRISTENSEN
AND THEN KATHY SHEETS...

THEY WERE ASSOCIATES
IN MARK'S CIRCLE.

I REMEMBER JUST WONDERING
WHAT WAS GOING ON,

WONDERING WHAT WAS HAPPENING,
AND WHO COULD BE DOING THIS.

NO ONE HAD THE FOGGIEST
IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON.

THIS IS SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

WE'RE MORE KNOWN FOR, YOU KNOW,

GREEN JELL-O
WITH MINIATURE MARSHMALLOWS

AND OUR PER CAPITA
ICE-CREAM CONSUMPTION,

NOT FOR BOMBS.

DORIE'S WORLD BEGAN
TO CRUMBLE WHEN THE PHONE RANG.

MARK CALLED ME IN THE AFTERNOON,

AND HE TOLD ME
THAT HE WAS CONCERNED

BECAUSE OF WHO WAS INVOLVED.

HE SAID, "I THINK
YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE.

I THINK YOU NEED TO GO."

THAT'S WHEN I STARTED
BEING MORE AFRAID.

JUST HOURS LATER,
DORIE LEARNED

THAT MARK'S INSTINCTS
WERE TRAGICALLY ON TARGET.

MY PARENTS GOT A PHONE CALL
SAYING THAT MARK HAD BEEN HURT,

THAT THERE HAD BEEN
ANOTHER BOMBING...

THAT HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL,
AND THAT I NEEDED TO GO DOWN.

AND SO I STARTED IMMEDIATELY
SHAKING, LIKE, "NO, NO, NO."

A THIRD BOMB HAD EXPLODED,

THIS ONE IN MARK'S CAR,
LEAVING HIM CLINGING TO LIFE.

HOFMANN WAS TAKEN
TO THE HOSPITAL.

AND HE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED
AT THAT TIME.

AND THE POLICE, OF COURSE,
CAME TO INVESTIGATE THE CASE

BECAUSE IT'S ANOTHER BOMBING.

OF COURSE IT LOOKED LIKE
THEY WOULD BE CONNECTED.

DORIE'S ONLY CONCERN
WAS THE WELFARE OF HER HUSBAND.

WHEN I GOT THERE, I JUST
HELD HIS HAND FOR A MINUTE.

AND THEN THEY TOOK HIM
INTO THE SURGERY.

MEANWHILE,
OUT IN THE WAITING ROOM,

SPECULATION WAS FLYING.

I JUST THOUGHT,
"THIS IS GETTING TOO WEIRD.

"SOMEONE'S GOING AFTER HIM, TOO.

YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS HE DONE?"

MARK PULLED THROUGH SURGERY

AND WAS COHERENT ENOUGH
TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS

ASKED BY INVESTIGATORS.

AT THAT POINT, I THOUGHT, "OKAY,
THIS IS ALL GONNA GO AWAY.

"THEY'RE GONNA FIND OUT
THE RIGHT PERSON.

EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE FINE."

BUT MARK'S ACCOUNT OF
THE INCIDENT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE

WITH THE INFORMATION
GATHERED FROM THE SCENE.

MARK CLAIMED HE WAS
STANDING OUTSIDE OF HIS CAR

WHEN THE BOMB WENT OFF.

THE POLICE HAD CALLED IN
A BOMBING EXPERT.

HE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION

THAT THE BOMB WOULD'VE EXPLODED
WHEN HOFMANN WAS INSIDE THE CAR,

AND NOT OUTSIDE THE CAR
AS HE TOLD THE POLICE.

FOR INVESTIGATORS,

IT WAS A DISCREPANCY THAT CAST
SUSPICION ON MARK HOFMANN.

SO, IMMEDIATELY,
THE POLICE BEGAN TO BELIEVE

THAT HE WAS THE SUSPECT,
THAT HE WAS LYING,

THAT HE WAS THE BOMBER.

IF POLICE WERE CORRECT,

THEN MARK HOFMANN
WAS THE BOMBER,

INJURED BY HIS OWN HANDIWORK.

BUT FOR DORIE,
THE ACCUSATION WAS ABSURD.

I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT.

IT'S LIKE, "NO, THAT ISN'T
THE PERSON THAT I KNOW."

HE WASN'T A VIOLENT GUY.
HE WASN'T AT ALL.

MAKING MATTERS EVEN MORE COMPLEX

WAS THE GROWING SUSPICION

SURROUNDING
MARK'S MANY FINDINGS.

THE DISCOVERIES
GOT MORE ASTONISHING AND LURID

BY THE DAY OR THE WEEK,
AND IT'S SO OBVIOUS THAT...

NO ONE HUMAN BEING CAN CONTINUE
TO FIND MATERIAL LIKE THIS,

THAT THERE HAD TO
BE SOMETHING WRONG.

AFTER THAT THIRD BOMB,

HE POINTED THE FINGER
AT HIMSELF.

COULD IT BE TRUE?

WAS MARK HOFMANN
REALLY A CON MAN

WHO TURNED TO MURDER
TO COVER HIS CRIMES?

HIS PRIDE AND GREED GOT TO HIM.

AND HE FELT THAT HE COULD
GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY
UNDERESTIMATED HOW SMART HE IS.

ON DECEMBER 1, 1985,

MARK HOFMANN WAS RELEASED
FROM THE HOSPITAL,

STILL RECOVERING
FROM SEVERE WOUNDS RECEIVED

WHEN A BOMB WENT OFF IN HIS CAR.

BUT WAS HE HIMSELF
THE MAD BOMBER

WHO HAD KILLED TWO MEMBERS
OF THE MORMON COMMUNITY?

DORIE OLDS WAS CONVINCED
HER HUSBAND WAS INNOCENT.

THERE WAS NEVER A MOMENT
THAT I THOUGHT HE HAD DONE THIS.

I DIDN'T THINK
HE WAS CAPABLE OF IT.

THAT WASN'T THE PERSON
I MARRIED,

AND I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT.

WE HAD HEARD
THAT HE WAS A SUSPECT,

AND IT JUST TOTALLY...

TOTALLY TOOK ME BY SURPRISE.

I WENT, "WHAT? NO WAY!"

INVESTIGATORS HAD BEGUN
TO HONE IN ON THEIR PRIMARY SUSPECT.

WE HAD THIS ROOM
UPSTAIRS, AND ON THE WALLS,

WE HAD ALL OF THESE LITTLE
THINGS, LITTLE SHEETS OF PAPER

WITH SOME SORT OF INFORMATION
ABOUT HOFMANN.

ONE BY ONE,

INVESTIGATORS BEGAN
TO CONNECT THE DOTS.

WELL, WE KNEW
THERE WAS A CONNECTION

BETWEEN STEVE CHRISTENSEN
AND MARK HOFMANN,

WHICH INVOLVED
A MORMON HISTORICAL DOCUMENT

CALLED THE SALAMANDER LETTER.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAD
A FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINER

WHO CONTACTED US AND SAID,
"YOU KNOW,

I'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE
HOFMANN DOCUMENTS,

"AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN
A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS.

WHY DON'T WE LOOK INTO THEM?"

WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE
THESE DOCUMENT EXAMINERS

COMPARE THE HOFMANN DOCUMENTS

TO DOCUMENTS OF HISTORICAL VALUE
THAT HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH.

AND AT THAT POINT,
WE STARTED TO REALIZE

THAT THERE WAS FORGERIES.

EVERYTHING
FROM THE ANTHON TRANSCRIPT

TO THE SALAMANDER LETTER...

AND EVEN
THE EMILY DICKINSON POEM...

ANALYSIS SOON REVEALED
THAT ALL OF THEM WERE FORGED

BY NONE OTHER THAN MARK HOFMANN.

ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW PEOPLE
THAT HE WAS A FORGER,

IT WAS EASY
FOR PEOPLE TO START TO SAY

"IF HE'S A FORGER,
IF HE'S A FRAUD,

I CAN UNDERSTAND
HE'S A MURDERER."

BUT MARK CONTINUED
TO PROCLAIM HIS INNOCENCE

ON ALL CHARGES,

AND DORIE STOOD BY HIM.

THEN, ON JANUARY 23, 1987,

LESS THAN SIX WEEKS
BEFORE HE WENT TO TRIAL,

MARK HOFMANN
DID AN ABRUPT ABOUT-FACE.

HE SAID, "I'M PLEADING GUILTY,
I'M DOING THE PLEA BARGAIN

BECAUSE I AM PROTECTING
YOU AND THE KIDS."

FOR INVESTIGATORS,

THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
HAD FINALLY COME TOGETHER.

FACING FINANCIAL RUIN,
MARK HAD CONCOCTED A SCHEME

TO MAKE A QUICK SALE OF THE
LONG-LOST McLELLIN COLLECTION.

HE KNEW IT WOULD BE IRRESISTIBLE
TO ANY WEALTHY MORMON COLLECTOR.

THERE CAME A POINT IN TIME

WHEN HE REALIZED
THAT STEVE CHRISTENSEN

WAS ABOUT TO FIND OUT
THAT HE WAS A FORGER.

AND SO HE KILLED STEVE SO
THAT HE WOULDN'T BE FOUND OUT,

AND HE PUT A BOMB
OVER AT THE SHEETS HOUSE

TO DEFLECT THE POLICE.

BUT IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

BEFORE MARK'S LUCK RAN OUT.

WHAT HAPPENED,

WITH SO MANY CON ARTISTS,

IS THAT HIS PRIDE AND GREED
GOT TO HIM.

HE MADE PROMISES
GREATER THAN WHAT HE HAD,

AND SO HE WAS IN DEBT,
AND HE HAD TO PRODUCE.

AND HE OVEREXTENDED HIMSELF,

AND THAT'S WHAT
GOT HIM IN TROUBLE.

PRESENTED WITH THE EVIDENCE,

DORIE WAS FORCED TO FACE THE
UGLY TRUTH ABOUT HER HUSBAND.

I WAS SHOCKED
THAT HE HAD KILLED TWO PEOPLE.

THERE'S A PART OF ME

THAT STILL WANTS TO SAY,
"NO, THAT ISN'T TRUE,"

BECAUSE THAT WASN'T
THE PERSON THAT I KNEW.

BUT IT IS SO.

AND PERHAPS
WORST OF ALL FOR DORIE

WAS ONE OF THE MOTIVES
BEHIND HIS FORGERIES.

HE WANTED
TO EMBARRASS THE CHURCH,

AND HE WANTED TO BE KNOWN
OF WHAT HE DID.

MARK HOFMANN
PLAYED IT BOTH WAYS.

HE WAS FORGING DOCUMENTS
THAT KIND OF CONFIRMED

THE VALIDITY
OF JOSEPH SMITH'S VISIONS

AND THE BEGINNINGS
OF THE CHURCH...

WHILE, AT THE SAME TIME,

HE WAS CREATING DOCUMENTS
LIKE THE SALAMANDER LETTER

THAT WOULD'VE DISPROVED
THE ORIGINS OF THE CHURCH.

AND HE WAS PLAYING
THE LDS COLLECTING MARKET

OFF ONE ANOTHER.

AND IN THEIR HASTE AND EAGERNESS
TO ACQUIRE THESE DOCUMENTS,

FOLKS WEREN'T DOING
DUE DILIGENCE.

AFTER PLEADING GUILTY

TO A REDUCED CHARGE
OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER,

MARK HOFMANN WAS SENTENCED
TO FIVE YEARS TO LIFE

IN PRISON.

DORIE FILED FOR DIVORCE
18 MONTHS LATER.

IT'S MY BELIEF THAT DORIE OLDS

IS PERHAPS MARK HOFMANN'S
GREATEST VICTIM.

DORIE HAS SPENT
THE PAST 22 YEARS

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
THE MAN SHE MARRIED.

AS I LOOK BACK AT THE PAST,

I THINK HE DID CAREFULLY
CHOOSE ME...

SOMEONE WHO HE COULD MANIPULATE.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

DESPITE ALL SHE'S BEEN THROUGH,

DORIE'S FAITH REMAINS INTACT.

I WAS REALLY ANGRY
FOR A WHILE AT GOD.

AND NOW I'M GRATEFUL, SAYING,

"THANK YOU FOR WALKING WITH ME
THROUGH THIS PROCESS

"BECAUSE IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE

AND IT'S CHANGED ME
FOR THE BETTER."

I LIKE WHO I AM NOW BETTER THAN
THAT PERSON WHO I WAS BEFORE.