The Lafferty Brothers: 5 Shocking New Truths About Ron And Dan, The Infamous Killers From 'Under The Banner Of Heaven'

The notorious case of Ron and Dan Lafferty, two brothers who committed a brutal double murder driven by extreme religious fundamentalism, remains a chilling touchstone in American true crime history. While the events of 1984 were immortalized by Jon Krakauer’s 2003 book, Under the Banner of Heaven, the story did not end there. As of today, December 12, 2025, the legal and personal legacies of the Lafferty brothers continue to unfold, offering fresh and often harrowing perspectives on the tragedy.

The most significant recent update is the death of Ronald Lafferty in 2019, which closed the door on decades of death row appeals. Simultaneously, the public emergence of Dan Lafferty’s daughter, Rebecca Lafferty, in 2024, provides a unique, agonizingly intimate look at the aftermath of the religiously-motivated crime, proving that the pain of the Lafferty family’s descent into radicalism is still a very current reality.

The Complete Biography and Status of Ron and Dan Lafferty

The Lafferty brothers were part of a large, devout Latter-day Saint (LDS) family in Payson, Utah, before their radicalization. Their story is a complex tapestry of religious fervor, mental instability, and a violent schism from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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• Ronald Watson Lafferty (Ron Lafferty)
  • Born: November 3, 1941, in Payson, Utah.
  • Parents: Warren and LaRue Lafferty.
  • Family: One of eight children (six brothers, two sisters).
  • Pre-Crime Life: Former chiropractor, excommunicated from the LDS Church for his extreme fundamentalist views and adoption of plural marriage.
  • Crime: Convicted of the 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and Erica Lafferty.
  • Sentence: Death by firing squad.
  • Current Status: Died of natural causes on death row at the Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah, on November 11, 2019, at the age of 78.
• Daniel "Dan" Lafferty
  • Born: 1949 (approximate).
  • Parents: Warren and LaRue Lafferty.
  • Family: Brother of Ron, Allan, Watson, Mark, and Tim Lafferty. Father to Rebecca Lafferty.
  • Pre-Crime Life: Former handyman, excommunicated from the LDS Church, and a follower of Ron’s increasingly radical beliefs.
  • Crime: Convicted of the 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and Erica Lafferty.
  • Sentence: Two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. A lone holdout juror spared him the death penalty.
  • Current Status: Serving his sentence at the Utah State Prison. He remains incarcerated and has expressed no remorse for the murders, maintaining that he acted on divine command.

The "Removal Revelation": The Radical Ideology Behind the 1984 Murders

The horrific double murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty, the 24-year-old wife of their younger brother Allan Lafferty, and her 15-month-old daughter, Erica Lafferty, was not a crime of passion but of calculated religious extremism. The motive centers entirely on the brothers’ deep immersion into fundamentalist Mormon splinter groups and Ron Lafferty’s self-proclaimed status as a prophet.

The School of the Prophets and the Excommunication

The Lafferty brothers’ descent began after they were excommunicated from the mainstream LDS Church. They subsequently joined a small, radical group known as the "School of the Prophets," which advocated for the restoration of early Mormon practices, most notably polygamy. Ron quickly became the group’s most fervent and charismatic leader, pushing its boundaries further into extreme ideology.

Brenda Lafferty became a target because she was a vocal opponent of the brothers’ radical views. A bright, independent woman who had studied broadcasting, Brenda was a strong advocate for her husband, Allan, and actively encouraged him to resist the fundamentalist teachings that were tearing his family apart. She specifically opposed Ron’s desire to take one of his brother’s wives as a plural wife.

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The Divine Command to "Remove"

Ron Lafferty claimed to have received a "removal revelation" from God. This document, which he wrote down and showed to his brothers, listed four people who were to be "removed" from the earth: Brenda Lafferty, Erica Lafferty, Chloe Low (a woman who resisted Ron’s advances), and Richard Stowe (the LDS Stake President who oversaw Ron’s excommunication).

On July 24, 1984—Pioneer Day in Utah—Ron and Dan drove to Brenda and Allan’s apartment in American Fork, Utah. They bypassed the two other victims on the list and proceeded directly to Brenda’s home. The brothers brutally murdered Brenda and Erica, slitting their throats in an act Dan Lafferty later described as a necessary act of obedience to God.

The Finality of Ron Lafferty's Death and Dan's Enduring Imprisonment

The legal battles that followed the murders were as sensational as the crime itself, spanning decades and involving numerous appeals that frequently brought the Utah death penalty system into the spotlight. The case became a central argument for both proponents and opponents of capital punishment due to its complexity and the question of Ron’s mental competency.

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Ron Lafferty’s Decades-Long Death Row Fight

Ron Lafferty was sentenced to death in 1985. His conviction was initially overturned on appeal due to questions about his competency to stand trial, but he was later re-convicted and re-sentenced to death. For over 30 years, Ron’s legal team filed multiple appeals, arguing that his severe mental illness—including his belief that he was a prophet—made him ineligible for execution. The appeals process was lengthy and costly for the state of Utah.

The entire legal struggle came to an abrupt end on November 11, 2019, when Ron Lafferty died of natural causes in prison. His death spared the state the controversial task of executing him, likely by firing squad, which he had chosen as his preferred method of execution.

Dan Lafferty’s Unwavering Conviction

Dan Lafferty was tried separately and convicted of the murders. He was sentenced to two life terms without parole. Unlike Ron, Dan has consistently refused to express remorse, maintaining the same radical religious justification for the murders he held in 1984. He remains a figure of chilling conviction, serving his time in the Utah State Prison system. His continued imprisonment is a daily reminder of the violence that can stem from religious extremism.

The Latest Perspective: Rebecca Lafferty’s Book

In a powerful and current twist to the narrative, the Lafferty case received a new, deeply personal layer of scrutiny with the 2024 release of a memoir by Dan Lafferty’s oldest daughter, Rebecca Lafferty. Her book, titled The Lafferty Girl: Surviving Trauma, Abuse, and My Father's Crimes, offers an unprecedented look at the human cost of her father’s actions.

The memoir details Rebecca’s life growing up in the shadow of the murders, her own experiences with trauma and abuse within the fundamentalist environment, and her difficult journey toward healing and forgiveness. The book has been hailed as a crucial addition to the public understanding of the case, shifting the focus from the sensational details of the crime to the long-term emotional devastation inflicted upon the surviving family members.

Rebecca Lafferty’s decision to share her story provides a critical, modern-day context for the Lafferty tragedy. It serves as a testament to the resilience of survivors and a warning about the destructive power of radical, unchecked religious belief. While Ron Lafferty’s death closed one chapter, Rebecca’s book ensures that the complex, disturbing legacy of Ron and Dan Lafferty—and the victims, Brenda and Erica—will continue to be examined for years to come.