Evil Among Us: The Texas Mormon Missionary Murders

by Ken Driggs

Introduction About a year after arriving in Texas in 1993 as an attorney, I chanced upon newspaper reports of the 1974 incredibly brutal murders of young Mormon missionaries Gary Darley and Mark Fischer. I recalled hearing about them years earlier in my own LDS congregation when the news first broke, and started investigating the case with an eye toward an article or two. The more I dug, however, the more compelling and heart-rending the story became. Stories, actually, of alleged murderer Bob Kleasen's mental illness and pathetic life, of well-meaning Mormons responding to troubled new converts, of loving families dealing with unimaginable loss, and of a tortuous death penalty case. In the mid-1970s death penalty law in the United States was unsettled. In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court had invalidated all death penalty statutes because of the gross racism in how they were applied. Nearly every state was then attempting to enact new constitutional statutes which the Court was just beginning to rule on. This was the situation when Kleasen was brought to trial for killing Darley and Fischer. Even though there seems to be little doubt Kleasen was the killer, his conviction was reversed on appeal and he was never retried. As a lawyer who specializes in death row cases, I was particularly interested in how the criminal justice system responded to such a situation. All of this clearly added up, I felt, to a story worth reading. What follows isn't intended to support the death penalty. Personally, I'm opposed to all executions. Nor is it an indictment of the American criminal justice system. In some ways, I realize, justice was frustrated in this case. However, it also illustrates how cases can work out in the real world of criminal law. And while I believe Kleasen was a murderer and, like everyone else, would prefer that he be locked up, I found considerable evidence of the forces that shaped him. I believe that understanding these forces--however much we may want to ignore them or tell ourselves they could never affect us--may help to prevent future Kleasens. As with many religious and cultural communities, Mormons sometimes have a language of their own and concepts peculiar to Latter-day Saint life. I have attempted to explain these terms and beliefs for non-Mormon readers. Mormonism is more than a religious denomination; in many ways, it is close to an ethnic community. Much of this book is drawn from Texas, New York, and federal court transcripts. Additional information comes from extensive newspaper coverage of Kleasen over the years. Quotations from those sources didn't always translate neatly into writing, so I've occasionally taken the liberty of slightly rewording some to make them read more smoothly. In every instance, however, the plain meaning of the quotes has been preserved. Whenever the quotation is ambiguous, or its language is critical, it's used exactly as found. This book would have been impossible without the help of many people, some of whom were kind enough to revisit old, often unpleasant memories. I conducted about fifty interviews of varying lengths. For most, recalling events twenty years in the past in great detail was difficult. In many instances recollections didn't always square with the existing documentary record. Whenever such conflicts were present, I chose to rely on the contemporary written record. Periodically, some of the people I spoke with still feared Kleasen or had other reasons for not wanting to be identified. In other instances I felt that some of the parties who couldn't be located wouldn't have wanted to be identified by their real names. For these reasons I've used several fictional names in the book. Each of these instances is identified. Several Austin Mormons who knew Kleasen offered invaluable insights, along with a few former LDS missionaries who served in Texas and N

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Religion

290 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like it's impossible to give this book a fair rating. I don't normally read true crime books, especially when murder is involved. But I wanted to educate myself a little more on what happened since one of the victims was a family member. It was awful reading about what happened- especially awful to get into the details of the life of the killer and the events that lead up to the murder. It was awful reading how the missionaries expressed to others before the dinner appointment how uneasy they felt about going- knowing what was going to happen to them. It was awful reading about the trial and the gruesome evidence that was presented (I had to put the book down a few times- so gruesome were the details). Basically, the subject matter of the entire book was just plain awful. And yet, I couldn't stop thinking about it and was fascinated by how the author (a criminal defense attorney himself) presented the facts of the trial and the legal process that eventually led to the release of the murderer on a technicality. Justice was never served for these innocent young missionaries. The entire situation is so tragic that it's hard to put this book away and feel satisfied. I'm just grateful in my faith that the Darley (and Fischer) family will find peace and be able to be together again in the eternities, and that in the next life Kleasen (the killer) will get his due justice as well.

[Kris Polhamus]

Part of this story took place next to my childhood home…very disturbing!

[Annalisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unless you want to be completely and utterly disturbed do not read this book. My sister who has an unhealthy obsession with serial killers lent it to me. It's the story of two missionaries with a psychotic investigator and when they ignored all promptings to drop by and explain why they would not be coming back. They were never seen again and nothing much was found of them except for their name tags.

I won't go into the gory details of what was presumed to have happened, but what I did find interesting was the juxtaposition of this mentally unstable and unrepentant man with my own experience of Mormons as I read about these families attempting to understand and forgive him. I didn't just feel bad for the missionaries and their families. This man is sick and needs help, but he seems to have fallen through the cracks and missed out on the desperate help he needed.

So sad and so disturbingly wrong. I wasn't sure what to rate this book. Did I like it? Well, no, how could I? Did I think it was well researched and written? Well, yes, all the reason more that it gave me the creeps. You can't help but feel sympathy for all the people hurt by this experience and wish there were a way the volatile mix had been avoided.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book wanting to know the rest of the story. I knew one of the brothers of the missionaries and thought about this tragic event when my son went on his mission. I had always assumed that justice was served, but I was wrong. The legal technicality that allowed Kleason to be released truly makes no sense to me, but I am not a lawyer.

I cannot say I "enjoyed" the book, and I found the intimate, in depth exposure to this particular case to be frustrating and disturbing, but I needed to know.

After the book was written and published Kleason died in London of a heart attack in 2003.

[Cheye-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable ending to this truly sad story. In any other world, this man would have been found guilty and been sent to the electric chair for the murder of two innocent young missionary men....but, somehow, even with all the evidence against him, he was set free after his sentence was overturned and the District Attorney refused to retry him. The book also has some interesting insight into the Mormon Church.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some repetitive lines here that could have been edited out for a leaner and better reading experience, but this was a fascinating and chilling book.

Elder Mark Fischer and his companion, Elder Gary Darley, died while serving a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Austin, Texas. One of the two was relatively new at missionary work; the other would have been released in a few months to go home.

No one ever found their bodies, but the killer sliced their heads up with a band saw.

I don’t normally read true crime books because I can’t change the ending in my mind the way you do if it’s fiction.

Bob Kleasen was an odd duck, as some would say. He came to Texas from upstate New York. He was a gun enthusiast who claimed he had fought in the Korean War, worked for the CIA, taught university-level classes, and test piloted cutting-edge aircraft.

For whatever reason, Kleasen’s fascination with the restored Church of Jesus Christ was a long-time experience for him. In the years prior to computers, Kleasen could pretend to be a baptized member of the faith and even participate in its sacred ordinances. (That would be much more difficult to do today.) He eventually lied with sufficient conviction to pretend to be worthy of baptism into the faith. (He would be excommunicated shortly thereafter.)

On October 28, 1974, Elders Fischer and Darley were slated to meet Kleasen at his rural trailer for a venison meal. The more seasoned of the missionaries privately wrote in his planner that this would be their final encounter with Kleasen. Something about him was clearly disturbing to the missionary. Alas, he was right. That fateful Monday night dinner was indeed the last encounter. When the two elders didn’t show up for Sunday services on November 3, local congregations came together to search for them and help law enforcement people in whatever way possible.

This is a heart-rending story of murder, extreme sadness on the part of two devoutly religious families, forgiveness from both families, and a legal technicality that would change everything.

I found this highly readable and at once frustrating, aggravating, and sad. It’s not that long, and it held my interest.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have struggled to write a review of this book as there are so many aspects it leaves you wondering just how this man was able to commit such a crime. It reveals a tragedy that many think could have been avoided. Having been raised in the LDS church I understand, not necessarily agree, how the young men were so easily deceived and became the victims they are. What I do not understand is how this man was lost by our judicial system so many times. What stands out to me is that had anyone made a different decision anytime along the way it well could never have happened. It puts into question the wisdom of the policies of the LDS church regarding their youth. It puts into question the flaws in our judicial system. I know the rigid teachings of the church regarding righteous living without any education to the evils and dangers in the real outside world. Is the church to blame? I guess not really. The person who took these young lives is to blame but.... these kids were ill prepared to face the world alone for the first time not being taught there is a world outside the perceived safety of the church.

[JC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw this book on the shelf while picking up another book in the same area and decided to pick it up. It retells the story of Bob Kleason and what led to the murder of 2 Mormon missionaries. Kleason was an oddball with a split personality and a wild idea of his background. I found it really fascinating how he did everything to get connected to the LDS church in order to get back with the woman he loved and his friends. Of course, by that time people had already discovered that Kleason wasn't totally there and he was a pathological liar. Definitely interesting and I do wish we knew more about what actually happened. The book leaves a lot of questions and place for imagination as we just don't have the answers - I really like that.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very disturbing but interesting book. Can't say that I really enjoyed this read. Having said that, I had to finish it to see what happened. These murders of two Mormon missionaries took place when I was only 10 years old so I have no memory of the events which were surely on the news. What a horrific time it must have been for the the parents, family, mission president etc. of these two young missionaries. Not to mention parents who had missionaries of their own serving around that time. Although it is disturbing to read about this paranoid schizophrenic man, it is also quite fascinating. He was definitely ill and lived a very sad life. Not typically something I would read but it is a well researched book that I found interesting.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not easy for me to read. The events that it describes are horrific. I usually don't like reading or thinking about mentally ill murderers, but I came in contact with someone closely connected to this case. I wanted to know more about it, and I found this book. I am glad that I read it. I learned a lot about the legal system, and I was amazed at the strength of the families of the missionaries. However, it was also a disturbing booking that left me not being able to sleep at night.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing account of a murderer that everyone knows is guilty that escapes his punishment and gets off from serving the time for murdering two missionaries that strove to help him be a better person. It was scary to see into the life of this man and see how demented he was. I don't reccomend this book to mothers of missionaries or those about to serve.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt very repetitive and wordy to me. I ended up not finishing it, but still feel that I got the main point of the author's message. Bottom line: Two innocent young men were murdered. The killer was manipulative, mentally unstable, and a compulsive liar. (There it is in a nutshell).

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting -- very fascinated with Mormons, and interesting how the defence created a persona for their client, who was clearly guilty.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and written. Very disturbing!