Case overview
In April 1989, Jeffrey Lundgren, a charismatic religious leader who claimed to receive divine revelations, orchestrated the execution-style murders of five members of his own cult in Kirtland, Ohio. Dennis and Cheryl Avery and their three young daughters were killed in a barn and buried beneath its floor after Lundgren declared them unworthy. The case exposed how a splinter religious group had devolved into deadly coercion, where doctrinal control justified violence and members participated in or witnessed murder without intervention.
The formation of a breakaway group
Jeffrey Lundgren arrived in Kirtland in 1984 as a lay minister and tour guide at the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints temple, a historic site for the movement. He began teaching scripture classes that diverged sharply from church doctrine, attracting followers who believed he possessed prophetic insight. Lundgren preached that the Book of Mormon contained hidden patterns only he could decode, and that faithful disciples would witness the Second Coming if they followed his interpretation.
By 1987, the church dismissed Lundgren for financial improprieties and doctrinal conflicts. He formed his own group, moving with approximately 15 followers into a rented farmhouse in Kirtland. The group operated communally, pooling income and following strict rules Lundgren enforced. Members were required to participate in military-style weapons training, which Lundgren justified as preparation for an apocalyptic conflict. Discipline was harsh, and Lundgren used scripture to justify physical punishment and public humiliation.
Control through isolation and doctrine
Lundgren maintained authority through theological manipulation, emotional abuse, and isolation. He controlled access to outside information and required members to sever ties with family who questioned his teachings. He claimed direct communication with God and used this assertion to dictate every aspect of daily life, from finances to sexual conduct. Members who expressed doubt were accused of spiritual weakness or demonic influence.
The group’s belief system centered on the idea that they were a chosen remnant preparing for Christ’s return. Lundgren taught that sacrifice and obedience would be rewarded with spiritual elevation, while disobedience would result in damnation. He introduced the concept of “pruning the vineyard,” a doctrinal justification for removing members deemed unworthy. This language became increasingly violent as Lundgren’s control deepened.
Financial pressure mounted as the group relied on members’ wages and donations. Lundgren lived lavishly compared to his followers, justifying his lifestyle as befitting a prophet. When income declined, he blamed members for lack of faith and intensified demands for loyalty and material sacrifice.
Targeting the Avery family
Dennis and Cheryl Avery joined Lundgren’s group in 1987 with their three daughters: Trina, 15, Rebecca, 13, and Karen, 7. The family had been active in the Reorganized Church and were drawn to Lundgren’s teachings. Dennis Avery worked as a computer analyst and contributed his salary to the group. The family lived apart from the main farmhouse but attended all group functions and followed Lundgren’s directives.
Lundgren began singling out the Averys for criticism in late 1988. He accused Dennis of spiritual arrogance and Cheryl of failing to properly discipline their children. He told other members the Averys were a spiritual drain on the group and that their presence was preventing divine blessings. Lundgren framed the family’s perceived shortcomings in doctrinal terms, describing them as obstacles to the group’s salvation.
In early 1989, Lundgren announced to his inner circle that God had commanded him to kill the Avery family. He described the murders as a necessary sacrifice, using the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac to justify the act. He instructed several male members to prepare a burial site in the barn and assigned roles for the executions. Some members expressed hesitation but did not refuse or report the plan to authorities.
The murders on April 17, 1989
On the evening of April 17, 1989, the Avery family was invited to the farmhouse for dinner. After the meal, Lundgren led Dennis Avery to the barn under the pretense of showing him repairs. Once inside, Lundgren and another member bound Avery with duct tape and shot him multiple times. Cheryl and each of the three children were brought to the barn separately and killed in the same manner. The bodies were placed in a pit that had been dug earlier and covered with concrete and dirt.
Group members participated in or were aware of the murders. Some helped with the burial, while others remained in the farmhouse. Lundgren conducted a religious service after the killings, framing the deaths as a fulfillment of prophecy. He instructed members not to speak of the event and told them the family had been “translated” to a higher spiritual plane.
The group remained in Kirtland for several weeks before relocating. Lundgren told outsiders the Averys had moved to Wyoming. No missing persons report was filed initially, as the family had limited contact with relatives and their disappearance was not immediately suspicious.
Investigation and discovery
In late 1989, former cult member Keith Johnson contacted law enforcement after leaving the group. Johnson provided detailed information about the murders, including the burial location. On January 3, 1990, investigators excavated the barn and recovered the remains of all five victims. Autopsies confirmed each had died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Authorities issued warrants for Lundgren and 12 cult members. Lundgren had fled to California with his wife Alice and their four children, along with a small group of loyalists. He was arrested on January 7, 1990, in a motel near the California-Mexico border. Other members were apprehended in various locations over the following weeks.
Investigators recovered journals, recordings, and documents from the Kirtland property that detailed the group’s activities and Lundgren’s teachings. Several members provided statements describing the murders and the belief system that facilitated them. The evidence revealed a pattern of escalating control and violence justified through religious doctrine.
Trials and convictions
Jeffrey Lundgren was tried in August 1990 in Lake County, Ohio. Prosecutors presented testimony from former cult members who described the planning and execution of the murders. Lundgren’s defense argued he was mentally ill and believed he was following divine commands, but a psychiatric evaluation found him competent to stand trial. The jury convicted him on five counts of aggravated murder, and he was sentenced to death.
Alice Lundgren was convicted as an accomplice and sentenced to five consecutive life terms. She had been present during the murders and participated in covering up the crimes. Three other members, Damon Lundgren, Daniel Kraft, and Richard Brand, received life sentences for their roles in the killings. Additional members received lesser sentences for obstruction and complicity.
Jeffrey Lundgren was executed by lethal injection on October 24, 2006, at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. He declined to make a final statement. Alice Lundgren remains incarcerated and has been denied parole multiple times.
Aftermath and unresolved questions
The case prompted scrutiny of how isolated religious groups operate without oversight and how coercive control can lead members to participate in or tolerate extreme violence. Psychologists and cult experts analyzed the group dynamics, noting Lundgren’s use of theological authority to normalize brutality and suppress dissent.
Some former members have spoken publicly about their experiences, describing the psychological manipulation that prevented them from acting to stop the murders or report them afterward. The case is studied in discussions of undue influence, thought reform, and the mechanisms by which leaders exploit religious belief to commit crimes.
The Avery family’s relatives have described the lasting trauma of the murders and the difficulty of understanding how a religious community could turn lethal. The case remains a reference point in examinations of extremist groups and the conditions under which ordinary individuals participate in violence.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Deadly Devotion” (Investigation Discovery)
- Book: “Prophet of Death: The Mormon Blood-Atonement Killings” by Pete Earley
- Podcast: “The Kirtland Cult Killings” (“Casefile True Crime”, Casefile Presents)
