Meet Brenda Lafferty, the victim of the heinous crime that transpired in 1984 in Utah. Learn about her job, height, maiden name, and family. Plus, we also unfold details about what happened to her below.
So, keep scrolling to learn more about Brenda.
Brenda Lafferty Story
Brenda Lafferty was the wife of Allen Lafferty. She was born and raised in a Mormon family who followed The Church of Latter-Day Saints. But, her family were liberals and she had the freedom to pursue her so she was a well-educated individual. But, she married Allen on 22 April 1982, according to the inscription on her headstone.
They welcomed their daughter Erica Jane Lafferty on 28 April 1983 in Murray, Salt Lake County, Utah.
Allen came from a fundamentalist Mormon family who held orthodox views about the system of the world. He was raised by his father Watson Lafferty who was a “strict disciplinarian” and he and his siblings were accustomed to abuse every now and then. However, Allen’s two brothers Dan and Ron saw no mistakes in how their father raised them.
As his two brothers got older, they became troubled individuals who were extreme fundamentalists who believed the church shouldn’t have let go of the Polygamy practice. Learn in detail about Allen’s two brothers here: Dan Lafferty and Ron Lafferty.
When Dan tried to marry his own step-daughter, he was excommunicated by LDS Church in 1982. So, Dan and Ron eventually decided to join a polygamist cult known as the ‘School of Prophets’.
This is where Brenda and Allen’s two brothers opposed each other. The tension grew further when Ron’s wife Dianna left him after he tried to adopt the polygamist approach to life. Brenda had encouraged Dianna to walk away from their marriage when he announced that he wanted to take a second wife.
After the wife’s divorce, Ron had gone mad and started writing scriptures and thought of himself as the “voice of God” whereas Dan considered himself as “the hand of God”.
The unthinkable happened when Dan and Ron weren’t able to enroll Allen in their polygamist cult because of Brenda. Thus happened the brutal transgression caused Brenda to lose her life and also her infant child. The incident haunts the Utah community decades later.
Dan, as a hand of God, killed his sister-in-law Brenda and her infant daughter Erica by slitting their throats after beating Brenda unconscious, wrapping a vacuum cord around her neck until she went limp.
Who Plays Brenda Lafferty On Hulu’s Under The Banner Of Heaven?
Actress Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Brenda Lafferty on Hulu’s Under the Banner of Heaven. Daisy Edgar Jones’ CV includes Normal People, Fresh, and War of the Worlds.
Brenda Lafferty Maiden Name
The maiden name of Brenda Lafferty is “Wright”.
Brenda Lafferty Family
Brenda Lafferty was born as one of the seven children of James Louis Wright and LaRae Wright. Her parents met at a church dance in Great Falls, MT who had just returned from a church mission. They married on 6 June 1958.
LaRae was born on 12 February 1934 in Pocatello, Idaho. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University in 1958 with a degree in Business Education. She taught high school in Browning, MT. LaRae was an excellent fast typist, played the piano and organ, and had a beautiful singing voice.
LaRae had shared after her daughter’s death that she regretted her daughter marrying Allen two months later. Allen didn’t want Brenda to work, and he told her to turn down an offer of a teaching position at BYU.
Sadly, LaRae died on 15 February 2016 at the age of 82.
Coming to her LDS bishop father, James talked to KUTV about the death of her daughter and granddaughter in November 2019.
“She was quite a scrapbooker,” Jim remembers his daughter as he starts flipping through pages. One of his fondest memories is giving his granddaughter Erica ice cream for the first time. “I had to stir it up for her so it was soft like Dairy Queen,” he says with an affectionate smile.
Jim visits her daughter on her grave every week since her death in 1984. Jim told, “They laid Erica on Brenda’s chest like she’s holding her. I do find comfort here”.
He’s lived through the worst nightmare possible but Jim’s faith is unshakable, saying: “It’s just a matter of going on in daily life, and looking forward to seeing them again”.
Brenda has five sisters: Betty and Bruce McEntire (Bradley, Blake, and Brent) of St. George, UT; Bonnie Wright and Howard Minster (Jessica and Nathan Wewers) of Folsom, CA; Janette and Darrell Jack (Abigail, Samuel, Elliott, and Lohmen) of Jackpot NV and Hollister, ID; Sharon and Dave Weeks (Victoria, Alexis, Delaney, and Madeline) of St. George, UT; Joanna Lea and Jeff Henry (Sadie) of Marysville, WA.
Betty talked to the author of Jon Krakauer about Allen and told, “We all liked him. He was like a wonderful big brother to us. At the time, we had no idea that there was all this other stuff going on in his family. Then we started to notice how fanatical they all were”.
She also has a brother named Dr. Steven James Wright of Davis, CA.
Where Was Brenda Lafferty Born?
Brenda Lafferty was born in Logan, Cache County, Utah, USA. She grew up in Kimberly, Idaho.
Brenda Lafferty Job
Brenda was a talented singer, who excelled in theatre. She was working as a news anchor at BYU.
Brenda Lafferty Height
Brenda Lafferty was a beauty queen who also competed in pageantry. She became first runner-up in the Miss Twin Falls Pageant in 1980. She stood tall to the height above 5 feet 7 inches.
Related FAQs
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When Was Brenda Lafferty Born?
Brenda Lafferty was born on 19 July 1960.
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Where Did Brenda Lafferty Recieve Her Education?
At the time of her death was a student at BYU majoring in broadcast journalism.
