Mormon Document Forger Started Bombing When Exposed

[00:00:00]In 1985, a document dealer was making millions selling fake Mormon history until his lies caught up with him. Mark Hofmann had the perfect con. He forged historical letters and documents, then sold them to the Mormon Church and private collectors for huge sums. His masterpiece? A letter supposedly proving that Joseph Smith founded Mormonism based on magic and treasure hunting, not divine revelation. The church bought it for $40,000 to keep it secret. For years, Hofmann fooled handwriting experts, historians, and church leaders.

[00:00:31]He was getting rich rewriting Mormon history, but by 1985, people started asking questions. Collectors wanted documents he couldn't deliver. Church officials grew suspicious. Instead of confessing, Hofmann chose murder. He built sophisticated pipe bombs and mailed them to people who could expose him. On October 15th, Steven Christensen opened a package at his office. The explosion killed him instantly. Hours later, Kathy Sheets died the same way.

[00:00:57]The next day, Hofmann accidentally triggered his own bomb. It nearly killed him. Police found bomb-making materials in his car. The forger had become a killer.