06 May 2022

COLONIA LEBARON: Struggle for Community Control That Unleashed A Multi-Generational Crimewave

Here's the series storyline for a documentary series: In the 1940s, a group of Mormon dreamers started a town in the Mexican desert.

But what began as a utopian vision quickly turned sour when the founding family’s son, Ervil LeBaron, struggled for control of the community and unleashed a multi-generational crimewave – the ripples of which are still being felt today.

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INSERT The LeBaron family (left to right) Ervil, Joel, Verlan, Alma, and Floren

--- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify the murders. He was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of an opponent, and died there in 1981. He had at least 13 wives in a plural marriage, several of whom he married while they were still underage, and several of whom were involved in the murders

History

After The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) officially abandoned the practice of polygamy in 1890, some polygamous Mormons, who were later excommunicated from the LDS Church, moved south to Mexico to continue the practice without the interference of U.S. law enforcement. Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr. was one of these people, and in 1924 moved his family, which included his two wives and eight children, to northern Mexico. There, the family started a farm called "Colonia LeBaron" in Galeana, Chihuahua.

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From bank robbery to drug smuggling, auto theft rings to multiple murders, a deadly cult evolved into a sophisticated organized crime family. In Deliver Us From Ervil, journalist Jesse Hyde tells the story of Ervil LeBaron and the unlikely ensemble of reporters, cops, survivors and family insiders trying to halt his bloody legacy.

Deliver Us From Ervil Novel (Society & Culture)

1: The One Mighty and Strong Deliver Us From Ervil

Documentary

It’s 2022, and journalist Jesse Hyde arrives in Colonia LeBaron. It’s a strange but thriving Mormon town, deep in the Mexican desert. While investigating a cartel massacre, Jesse uncovers the story of the LeBarons – a family whose dreams of founding a utopian community swiftly turned into a dystopian nightmare, as a faction of their town transformed into a murderous cult. Jesse traces the origins of this place, from the 1940s to the present day, its founding family and the feud between Joel LeBaron and his fanatic brother Ervil that started it all.

2: The Massacre in Los Molinos Deliver Us From Ervil

Documentary

Ostracised from his family and his home, Ervil continues to build his cult from across the border in the US. When he starts threatening Colonia LeBaron with an attack, the townsfolk prepare their defences and brace themselves for the worst. But when Ervil LeBaron’s followers eventually do act, they manage to catch their victims unaware. Jesse returns to the scene of a 1974 massacre, only to find some survivors with surprising loyalties, despite the devastation.

Deliver Us From Ervil is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio.