Episode 166: The Kirtland Cult Killings

Episode 166: The Kirtland Cult Killings

Author: True Crime Couple November 20, 2023 Duration: 1:40:44
Cult leaders, with their charisma and allure, always wield a captivating influence over the individuals who become their devoted followers. These figures not only have the ability to deliver their ideologies in a way that unfolds gradually and increases with intensity over time but also their ability to fulfill the needs of those who seek purpose, belonging, or a sense of identity. In today’s episode we will take on such a case when discussing the crimes of Jeffrey Lundgren and the event that will become known as the Kirtland cult killings. 

Patreon.com/truecrimecouple

Sponsors:

Skylight Frames:
Get $15 off a Skylight Frame at Skylight Frame.com/COUPLE

Blissy:
Get better sleep now with Blissy and use TCC to get an additional 30% off at blissy.com/TCC


Sources:
https://archive.org/details/prophetofdeathmo00earl
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-13-me-188-story.html
https://www.news-herald.com/2014/12/30/kirtland-cult-killings-timeline-of-events/
https://www.news-herald.com/2014/12/30/kirtland-cult-killings-looking-back-at-lake-countys-worst-mass-murder-25-years-later/
https://www.blockparole.com/remembrance/dennis-becky-trina-karen-and-cheryl-avery/
Prophet of Death: The Mormon Blood Atonement Killings by Pete Earley (accessed through Kindle)



There's a unique dynamic that happens when two people who share a life also share a deep fascination with the darker corners of human nature. True Crime Couple is exactly that: a raw, unfiltered conversation between partners navigating the complex and often unsettling world of true crime together. This isn't a scripted lecture or a detached narration; it's the sound of two people trying to make sense of the senseless, often disagreeing, and always bringing their personal relationship into the analysis. You'll hear genuine reactions, personal debates, and the kind of tangential discussions that only happen when you're deeply comfortable with your co-host. The podcast delves into cases both infamous and obscure, but the real focus is on the human impact-the ripple effects on families, communities, and our own perceptions of safety and justice. It’s a documentary of sorts on how these stories affect us, recorded in real time from our living room. Listening feels like being part of a very specific, ongoing conversation where the case details are just the starting point for a deeper exploration of fear, morality, and the bonds that hold us together even when discussing the darkest subjects. We’re the True Crime Couple, and this is how we process the unthinkable, together.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

True Crime Couple
Podcast Episodes
Episode 229: Lee Ann Smith Mangrum | Where the Water Lies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:38
The stillness of a warm September morning in the South was broken by something that didn’t belong: a bright red Jeep, abandoned and half-submerged in the murky edge of a quiet creek. Not far from it, drifting in the same…
Episode 228: Kaci Woody | Trapped in the Web [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:59:48
The danger of a predator that stalks their victims online, the one that moves silently through glowing screens, is that they use cunning to trap those they prey upon. They study the patterns of their victims, learn their…
Episode 227: Joel Kirkpatrick | Screams in the Night [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:11
Two screams pierced the silent, unseasonably warm and windy night of October 13, 1997 in Lawrenceville, Illinois. The first, was that of 10 year old Joel Kirkpatrick as he desperately sought help against the person who h…
Episode 226: The Shakespearean Tragedy of the Robards Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:47
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, guilt does not stay buried. It festers beneath crowns and costumes, slipping through rehearsed smiles and whispered prayers. A kingdom rots from the inside, not because of the murder alone, but b…
Episode 225: The Murder of Seath Jackson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:18
In today’s case a similar situation to the one we covered in Episode 224 arose in central Florida in the Spring of 2011, but this time with a 21st century twist. The teens exhibited the same type of behavior we saw in 19…
Episode 223: Nancy DePriest | Austin's Pizza Hut Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:38
The city of Austin found itself in a predicament in late 1988. A horrific crime was committed against a young mother in broad daylight, in a well known establishment on a busy street. The unsolved crime would largely imp…
Episode 222: The Candice Fonagy Story | The Courage of Conviction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:28
On Halloween night of 1992 something happened that divided the small farming town of Kipling, Saskatchewan. A young single mother accused the town’s well respected doctor of sexual assault while under his care. Wanting t…
Episode 221: The Grossman/Jenkins Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:50
In today's case we have an entire family at the center of our story and theirs is one of love, good times, and wealth but when the good times stop rolling tragedy strikes. Join me as I tell John the case of the Grossman/…
Episode 220: The Ewell Family | One by one [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:46
The Ewell family celebrated Easter weekend together at their beach house in Pajaro Dunes, CA. They spent those days together playing tennis and walking on the beach, their vacation home echoing with warmth and familiarit…