By Peter Kranenburg
Members of the Southwestern Association of Forensic Document Examiners met Salt Lake City last weekend as it marked the 20th anniversary of the Mark Hofmann bombings.
?My life changed Oct. 15, ,? said David Biggs, former Salt Lake County deputy attorney. ?I left Utah two months after the case was finished and didn?t come back for another 15 years.?
Two pipe bombs went off in the Salt Lake City area Oct. 15, 1985, killing Katheen Sheets, a 50-year-old mother of four, and Steven Christensen, a 29-year-old father of three and a well respected businessman and religious leader in the community.
The next day another bomb went off nearly killing Mark Hofmann, a renowned discoverer of historical documents.
The investigation into the bombings uncovered one of the largest forgery scams in history.
Ken Farnsworth, a retired Salt Lake City police homicide detective, said Hofmann had several aliases he used in his crimes.
Farnsworth said investigators were able to link Hofmann to the bombs when they found the aliases he used to buy bomb parts at a RadioShack near his home on several documents discovered at his house.
?Circumstantially, this was starting to look pretty nice just in the first few days of the investigation,? Farnsworth said.
Investigators then began to look into the authenticity of historical documents Hofmann had sold.
George Throckmorton, former forensic document examiner for the Utah Attorney General?s office, examined several Hofmann documents confiscated by police.
?I?ve examined 600 Hofmann documents,? Throckmorton said. ?And I haven?t seen one yet that Hofmann did not alter.?
Throckmorton also said this case was difficult because the public felt the police had the wrong guy. Hofmann was well liked and respected by everyone in the community.
Hofmann forged documents in the name of several historical figures such as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, George Washington, Francis Scott Key, Mark Twain, Billy the Kid, Jack London and several others.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or its members purchased many of the documents Hofmann claimed to be written by early leaders of the Church.
Investigators believe the sale of these forged documents netted nearly $5 million. It is believed several of Hofmann?s documents are still being sold within the United States.
Hofmann had business dealings with Steven Christensen and Gary Sheets, Katheen Sheet?s husband. He planted the bombs so he could buy himself some time to forge and sell the ?Oath of a freeman? to pay off his creditors. Investigators believe the bomb that went off in his car was intended for a third victim.
All of the investigators and attorneys involved agree the case should have gone to trial. Hofmann pleaded guilty to second-degree homicide and forgery as part of a deal that included him admitting to the murders and telling police about all the documents he forged. Hofmann has yet to talk to investigators about how many items he forged.
Jerry D?Elia, former Salt Lake County Deputy Attorney, strongly disagreed with the plea agreement given to Hofmann.
?We proved he was the bomber in the preliminary hearing,? D?Elia said. ?We didn?t have to plea. It was dumb to think Hofmann would tell the truth with the plea agreement.?
Hofmann seemed to show no remorse for his crimes after the preliminary hearings.
?The worst thing you ever did was let me see how those forensic people caught me,? Hofmann said.
Hofmann is now serving a life sentence in the Utah state penitentiary.