MO - Six Mohler family members for child sex crimes, Bates City 2009 #3

[Texas Mist]

From one of the tips on the Randy Leach site:

"...and found two notes at different locations at the site described by the young girl"

Why would notes be left? Sounds like a theme in this case. Almost as if someone was trying to leave a trail or to call for help.

I thought the same thing when I saw the tip about the notes....coincidence is chilling.

 

[Texas Mist]

Havent had time to catch up on recent posts but can someone fill me in on recent posts regaring possible abuse in Mohler Srs childhood?

"I recall Eldon as being a mean man who beat his children for no obvious reason. Darrell and Burrell "hated" him for this and showed little or no remorse when he died."

from Wintergreen's linky

 

[cleo612]

Oh heck...I'm worried about Randy. Here's a timeline of his disappearance:

http://www.lawrence.com/news/2006/oct/02/timeline_randy_leachs_disappearance/

I wonder if the victims in this case (the Mohler case) have been shown photos of Randy to see if there is any recollection.

At first thought, it could provide valuable insight/info as to whether or not the man they recall being killed was indeed Randy; however, upon further reflection, I think it would be extremely traumatic for these victims to "come face to face" with a person whose life they supposedly had assisted in taking.

It makes for rather a nasty double edged sword.

 

[mysteriew]

Thank you Texas Mist for your link to the family history. If you follow this link inside the same website and look at the top of the page under "Eldon Henry Mohler" you will see a chilling comment:

http://www.tfl.net/descenden/pafn03.htm#159

I am new here and have learned so much from your patient reasoning and your relentless pursuit of the truth!

Welcome to WS.

There is also another good comment under "Raymond Ringold Browning." A kid who stayed on the farm during summers. (It's getting late. The comment doesn't indicate if it is a boy or girl and I assumed it was a girl.)

 

[Missizzy]

Wintergreen--Great find. I'd looked at that many times and hadn't seen that comment. I think I was focusing on the boys.

Texas Mist--You questioned if there were other murders at the time? The girls stated that they'd observed others. On the Randy Leach site:

"...unknown persons stabbed and mutilated Randy. The body was then laid aside and two other males [who objected to the events] were also killed. The two other males attempted to stop the killing of Randy. One of the others killed was a “Danny,” unknown last name. The bodies were not taken away, but supposedly buried in the area..."

Did anyone come across any other men/boys missing around that time in that area?

 

[PAXIMUS]

"I recall Eldon as being a mean man who beat his children for no obvious reason. Darrell and Burrell "hated" him for this and showed little or no remorse when he died."

from Wintergreen's linky

MUCH appreciate my friend!

 

[Missizzy]

For Mysteriew--

"Jeffrey Don Lundgren was born on May 3, 1950, in Independence, Missouri, the son of Don and Lois Gadberry Lundgren. Jeff's father had a prosperous job in construction and his mother did her best to meet the needs of Jeff and his younger brother, while taking care to see that the household was kept in immaculate order. The Lundgren family were very active participants in the local Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints Church (RLDS), a splinter of the Mormon Church."

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/lundgren/index_1.html

ITA that there's a strong possibility that the Mohlers crossed paths at some point with Jeff Lundgren. I won't write it here but Darrel's son is also named J. There's just too many criss-crossy correlations. The , the sex, the church, the power, the total control over others, the seeming orderliness of life with the undercurrent of evil.

The so-called cover-up in Leavenworth County about Randy Leach's disappearance worries me too. Surely we are not the only one busily researching and scratching our heads. Surely.

 

[Missizzy]

An article about Randy Leach written in April 2008, twenty years after his disappearance:

http://www.lawrence.com/news/2008/apr/21/purgatory/

 

[mysteriew]

For Mysteriew--

"Jeffrey Don Lundgren was born on May 3, 1950, in Independence, Missouri, the son of Don and Lois Gadberry Lundgren. Jeff's father had a prosperous job in construction and his mother did her best to meet the needs of Jeff and his younger brother, while taking care to see that the household was kept in immaculate order. The Lundgren family were very active participants in the local Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints Church (RLDS), a splinter of the Mormon Church."

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/lundgren/index_1.html

ITA that there's a strong possibility that the Mohlers crossed paths at some point with Jeff Lundgren. I won't write it here but Darrel's son is also named J. There's just too many criss-crossy correlations. The , the sex, the church, the power, the total control over others, the seeming orderliness of life with the undercurrent of evil.

The so-called cover-up in Leavenworth County about Randy Leach's disappearance worries me too. Surely we are not the only one busily researching and scratching our heads. Surely.

I think the ancestry site said that BMSr was born in Oct 1932 so he was actually older than JL. But this is a small town isn't it? Would have been much smaller in the 80's, and in a small town they pass a lot of gossip. In the church also there would have been gossip. So he most likely heard about the group prior to JL arrest. If he joined up or became associated then it is possible that his sons could have been associated with them too. When the group scattered, and his boys got older they could have banded together to keep reenacting the JL camp.

Didn't it say that members of JL group were mostly former LDS? LOL, we need to listen to see if there is any gossip about BMSr leaving the church at any time period.

 

[Missizzy]

Here's a link to an article about the play, "Leaves of Words" about the disappearance of Randy Leach. This is referred to in my prior posted link. There are hundreds of comments about Randy and different theories about his disappearance following the article:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/oct/01/ku_play_explores_teens_disappearance/

I'm going to try and keep an eye on this.

 

[mysteriew]

Okay it looks like Lundgren moved to Ohio in Aug of 1984 and his cult and crimes took place in Ohio. That is where he is serving his time too. So it is less likely that BMSr was too closely associated with Lundgren in that time period. However before his move there is this timeline.




In 1981, Jeff was asked to join the RLDS lay priesthood; however, he later stated that it was at this time that he lost all faith in the church and its teachings. Their liberal tendencies (e.g. allowing women to be ordained as priests) particularly upset him.

Jeff felt that Scripture contained the truth and it was now his duty to find the answers. He started a Mormon splinter group and began holding study groups in his home. Members included friends from college like D and TP, D and CA, and Jeff's cousin DO.

Jeff seemed to have a way with people and attracted a number of followers that truly believed he had uncovered the truth in Scripture. According to a friend of Jeff's cousin Debbie, people appeared to worship the ground he walked on, and would often donate money to support the Lundgren family.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/lundgren/index_1.html

So Lundgren was only active with his own group between 1981 and 1984. Wasn't that when the children's abuse was occuring also? I changed the names of the people in the article to their initials even though they have been convicted. But it might be interesting to watch for anyone with those surnames names to show up in the media or as supporters.

 

[Texas Mist]

Lots of reading left to do....thanks y'all for the links & food for thought tonite.

Time for me to turn in...TTYL!

 

[Missizzy]

Jeff was born into the RLDS church and grew up within it. He lived at a RLDS house while in college. He and his wife, Alice, worked as tour guides at the Kirtland Temple (an RLDS historic site). There is some mention about him becoming dismayed over some of the teachings and forming a "splinter group" but I think he stays pretty close to that denomination until two years before the murders when he definitely forged his own sick path. One thing I find odd is that this process actually went on for years. He was involved as a "leader" or "prophet" for as much as nine years. That surprised me.

"Jeff and Alice lived in San Diego, California, with their two children following his discharge from the service. The couple once again became active in the RLDS Church and would often times look for friends to convert to their faith."

"In 1981, Jeff was asked to join the RLDS lay priesthood; however, he later stated that it was at this time that he lost all faith in the church and its teachings."

"Jeff felt that Scripture contained the truth and it was now his duty to find the answers. He started a Mormon splinter group and began holding study groups in his home."

"In 1987, Lundgren was dismissed as a lay minister by the RLDS."

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/lundgren/index_1.html

 

[Missizzy]

You know who's related and closer in age to Jeff Lundgren? MC, the Mohler's cousin from Lenexa, KS who attended the first hearing. He said he didn't have much contact with his cousins but wanted to support them. Has anyone learned anything else about this man?

MC was born in 1946. Jeff Lundgren was born in 1950. Burrell Jr. was born in 1956. I don't know if MC's always been in Lenexa but that's very close to where Randy Leach went missing in DeSoto--only 15 miles. Actually smack dab between DeSoto, KS and Bates City, MO--where the Mohler farmhouse was. We're actually talking about a pretty small area.

 

[Missizzy]

MC lives in Lenexa, KS but traveled to Lafayette, MO to see his cousins at their hearing. It appears that MC is also a lay minister in the Mission Road Community of Christ Church in Prairie Village, KS.

http://communityofchrist-missionroad.blogspot.com/search/label/Merrill Clark

MC presented the "Communion Address" on November 4, 2007 and the Welcome on January 6, 2008. The church is eight miles from his home.

 

[Wintergreen]

Is there any significance to any April dates related to LDS / RLDS / Comm.of Christ ?

Just wondering why BMjr. would've picked April.

This is such an interesting question to ask because April is considered the birth month of Jesus among the RLDS/LDS factions.

 

[Missizzy]

Yet another article on Randy Leach. His parents have certainly not given up!! This is from May 2003.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2003/may/05/missing_person_case/

"In my 25 years of experience, this is the most baffling case I've seen," said Bill Delaney, agent in charge of the KBI's Overland Park office."

Harold Leach thinks his son may have been drugged and killed. He doesn't discount the possibility that he was a victim of satanists.

"There were so many strange things that happened," he said.

Investigators found some indication of a possible drug connection behind Randy's disappearance, Delaney said. But he downplayed satanism. "It happened in a small, rural, tight-knit community," Nance said.

"Some people who might know something might be afraid to say anything."

 

[Missizzy]

Wintergreen--I'm so glad you answered that question. It's really been bugging me. I did not know that that was the belief. In most Christian religions April is often the celebration of Easter and New Life. It is a time of communions and baptisms.

I've also wondered about Easter/Spring break time from school and the number of reports we have about abuse occurring in the summer time. Surely, the seasons are playing into this somehow.

 

[Missizzy]

In the RLDS church or the Community of Christ church is Easter celebrated as it is in other Christian churches. I checked and Easter fell on:

April 3, 1988 (the year the girls remember the murder/Randy Leach went missing April 15th)

March 26, 1989 (the year Jeff Lungren and his followers killed the Avery family on April 17th)

Wintergreen--Is there a specific day set aside to celebrate or honor Christ's birth in April?

 

[Wintergreen]

In the RLDS church or the Community of Christ church is Easter celebrated as it is in other Christian churches. I checked and Easter fell on:
April 3, 1988 (the year the girls remember the murder/Randy Leach went missing April 15th)
March 26, 1989 (the year Jeff Lungren and his followers killed the Avery family on April 17th) Wintergreen--Is there a specific day set aside to celebrate or honor Christ's birth in April?

Yes, they all celebrate Easter at the traditional time but I believe it is April 6th that they consider significant among themselves and I think that is unique to the RLDS/LDS churches. Thank you for your welcome, Missizzy, and for your insight into so many confusing aspects of this case. I'm having to run hard to keep up with you!