The Genius Bomber: The Mormon Forgery Murders

Checking into Hofmanns background, the detectives recalled that he had been a business associate of Steve Christensen.� �He was never involved in CFS, so the link with Gary Sheets was not clear, but whoever was going after these three men appeared to have specifically targeted them.� It was difficult at that point to know whether there would be a fourth bombing, or even more, since the motive was still not clear.�

Hofmann proved to be a dealer in rare documents, and had built a thriving business.� �People the police questioned spoke about him as an awkward, amiable guy who was a bit of a wheeler-dealer.� He had a family, had just purchased a nice home, appeared to have a good marriage, and was in good standing with the Mormon church.� In fact, his associates said, he'd been collecting controversial documents for the church to keep them out of the hands of anti-Mormon dissidents.� He had no criminal record.� All in all, he appeared to be an upstanding businessman with an expensive new house and a nice family.

Mark Hofmann (l) meeting with church representatives to examine rare documents

But Hofmann was supposed to have met with Steve Christensen the day before to close a deal on some rare Mormon documents known as the McLellin collection.� �Mutual acquaintances that knew about the collection were now quite worried.� The salamander letter as an inspiration for the bombs had been mere speculation.� This third bombing indicated a real connection with the documents.� Given some of the rabid factions in the church, from purists to doubters, there was reason to be concerned.� It would not be the first time that internal strife among the chosen would end in bloodshed.� Mormon history offered several such incidents.

In fact, it turned out that the meeting on the morning Hofmann was injured had involved the same collection.� �It was the same arranged meeting to turn over the documents, but with a replacement for Christensen.

Now things were getting interesting.� �A meeting had been scheduled, a bomb had been planted.� Another meeting had been scheduled, another bomb had been planted.� Hofmann had been evasive.� Something was up, and it involved this third victim.