4 O'Clock Murders
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The 4 O'Clock murders were the coordinated shootings of four people at the same time on June 6, 1988, at three locations in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
led by
Mormon fundamentalist Mormon fundamentalism (also called fundamentalist Mormonism) is a belief in the validity of selected fundamental aspects of Mormonism as taught and practiced in the nineteenth century, particularly during the administrations of Joseph Smith, Br ...
leader
Heber LeBaron William Heber LeBaron is a convicted murderer who once led the cult Church of the Lamb of God. Early years William Heber LeBaron was one of 54 children sired by Ervil LeBaron, a member of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group. The LeBarons wer ...
of the Church of the Firstborn. Heber was the successor as church leader to
Ervil LeBaron Ervil Morrell LeBaron (February 22, 1925 – August 15, 1981) was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, both within his own sect and in rival polygamous groups, using the religio ...
(nicknamed the "Mormon Manson" after
Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal, cult leader, and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some cult members committed a Manson ...
) of the similarly named Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God. Ervil had previously orchestrated the murder of several others he perceived as apostates. Authorities say the religious organizations were responsible for over 20 deaths over several decades.


Depictions

The murders were depicted in the 2024
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
documentary '' Daughters of the Cult'', and the 1992 book ''The 4 O'Clock Murders: The True Story of a Mormon Family's Vengeance''.


See also

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Blood atonement Blood atonement was a practice in the history of Mormonism still adhered to by some fundamentalist splinter groups, under which the atonement of Jesus does not redeem an eternal sin. To atone for an eternal sin, the sinner should be killed i ...
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Christian terrorism Christian terrorism, a form of religious terrorism, refers to terrorist acts which are committed by groups or individuals who profess Christian motivations or goals. Christian terrorists justify their violent tactics through their interpretat ...
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Cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...
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Honor killing An honor killing (American English), ''honour killing'' (Commonwealth English), or ''shame killing'' is a type of murder in which a person, usually a woman or girl, is killed by or at the behest of male members of their family or their male ...
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Mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...
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Mormonism and polygamy Polygamy (called plural marriage by Latter-day Saints in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more ...
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Mormonism and violence The history of the Latter Day Saint movement includes numerous instances of violence committed both by and against adherents. Mormons faced significant persecution in the early 19th century, including instances of forced displacement and mob vio ...


References

{{Reflist Mormonism and violence 1988 in Houston Mass murder in Texas Incidents of violence against girls June 1988 crimes in the United States Violence against women in Texas Crimes in Houston Deaths by firearm in Texas Events in Irving, Texas Religiously motivated violence in the United States Mass murder in the United States in the 1980s Spree shootings in the United States Mass shootings in Texas Extrajudicial killings in the United States 1988 murders in the United States 1980s crimes in Texas Mass murder in 1988