The case, known as the Kirtland Cult Killings, was the worst mass murder in the history of Lake County.
KIRTLAND, Ohio — January 2025 marks 35 years since the gruesome discovery of the bodies of a family of five from under a local barn.
The case, known as the Kirtland Cult Killings, was the worst mass murder in the history of Lake County.
Law enforcement officers from various agencies including the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Kirtland Police Department, and the Lake County Crime Lab, collaborated with the FBI and ATF after receiving information about possible buried bodies at 8671 Chardon Road.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that the remains of five individuals were buried under the barn. The victims were later identified as members of the Avery family: Dennis Avery, his wife Cheryl, and their three daughters, Trina (15), Rebecca (13), and Karen (7). These five individuals were killed by gunshots in April 1989, but their bodies were not found until January 4, 1990.
Jeffrey Lundgren, who declared himself a prophet, resided at the barn where the bodies were found. Originally from Missouri, Lundgren established a cult in Kirtland after being ousted as a lay minister from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ Kirtland Temple, a sect that branched off from Mormonism.
Lundgren said on trial that God commanded him to kill the Avery family through interpretation of scriptures. The Avery family relocated to Ohio from Missouri to follow his teachings.
A total of 13 cult members were charged in the case including Lundgren’s wife, Alice Lundgren, their son, Damon Lundgren, and several others for their involvement in the Avery family’s deaths.
A jury found Lundgren guilty of kidnapping and murder, and he was sentenced to death. He died in 2006 by lethal injection. but at least four others remain behind bars, including Daniel Kraft, Ronald Luff, and Alice Lundgren, who is eligible for parole in 2092, and Damon Lundgren who is eligible for parole in 2098.
