Alice Lundgren is a convicted accomplice in the 1989 Kirtland, Ohio cult murders of the Avery family, carried out by a religious sect led by her husband, Jeffrey Lundgren. Convicted in 1990 of conspiracy and complicity to commit aggravated murder and of kidnapping, she was sentenced to five consecutive life terms totaling 150 years to life. She remains incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, with a parole eligibility date of May 13, 2091.1Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Offender Details: Alice E. Lundgren
The Cult Her Husband Built in Kirtland
Jeffrey Lundgren was a former lay minister in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In the 1980s he moved to Kirtland, Ohio, and worked as a volunteer guide at the historic Kirtland Temple, using the position to recruit church members unhappy with the denomination’s direction, particularly its decision to ordain women.2launiusr.wordpress.com. Jeffrey Lundgren, Reorganized Church Dissidents, and Modern Blood Atonement Killings
He declared himself a prophet and built a following of roughly 18 members who lived communally on a 15-acre farm, surrendered their paychecks, and trained with firearms.3Los Angeles Times. Cult Slayings Near Kirtland, Ohio He predicted the second coming would occur on his birthday, May 3, and invoked a concept he called “blood atonement” to argue that ritual killing could spiritually purify the group.2launiusr.wordpress.com. Jeffrey Lundgren, Reorganized Church Dissidents, and Modern Blood Atonement Killings Alice lived within this group as the prophet’s wife.
The Murders of the Avery Family
On April 17, 1989, the cult killed Dennis Avery, his wife Cheryl, and their three daughters, Trina, 15, Rebecca, 13, and Karen, 7, in a barn on the group’s farm.4Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Execution Records: Jeffrey Lundgren The victims were shot execution-style with a .45-caliber revolver.5Los Angeles Times. Arrests in Ohio Cult Slayings Investigators described the killings as part of a “plan for spiritual cleansing” meant to prepare the group for a retreat into the wilderness, and later suggested the family had been targeted over disputes involving money, sex, or loyalty within the group.3Los Angeles Times. Cult Slayings Near Kirtland, Ohio
Arrest in California and Cooperation With Agents
After the killings, the group left Ohio and eventually scattered. On January 7, 1990, federal agents arrested Jeffrey Lundgren, Alice Lundgren, and their 19-year-old son Damon in a motel room in National City, California. Alice had been hired as a receptionist at a San Diego doctor’s office and was scheduled to start work the following day.5Los Angeles Times. Arrests in Ohio Cult Slayings
Following her arrest, Alice provided information to federal agents about a weapons cache her husband had stored in a storage locker. Her attorney, Kay Sunday, told reporters that Alice had “innocently and naively told authorities what she knew” and said no plea bargain was involved.6UPI. Cult Leader’s Wife Agrees to Extradition to Ohio Federal sources suggested her willingness to cooperate may have been influenced by an alleged extramarital affair between Jeffrey Lundgren and Kathryn Johnson, a cult member who had left her own husband and four children to follow him to California.5Los Angeles Times. Arrests in Ohio Cult Slayings Alice waived extradition and was returned to Ohio.
Trial, Conviction, and Sentence
Alice was indicted on 15 counts, including conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, complicity to commit aggravated murder, and kidnapping.3Los Angeles Times. Cult Slayings Near Kirtland, Ohio Her trial was held in Lake County Common Pleas Court. During testimony in July 1990, she demonstrated for the jury how her husband had threatened her by pointing a loaded gun at her head.7News-Herald. Kirtland Cult Killings: Timeline of Events
On August 1, 1990, she was convicted on five counts of conspiracy and complicity to commit aggravated murder and five counts of kidnapping, and sentenced to five consecutive life terms.8Los Angeles Times. Alice Lundgren Convicted The aggregate sentence is 150 years to life.1Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Offender Details: Alice E. Lundgren
Her husband Jeffrey was convicted in September 1990, sentenced to death, and executed by lethal injection on October 24, 2006 at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.9NBC News. Ohio Executes Cult Leader Jeffrey Lundgren Her son Damon was convicted on four counts each of aggravated murder and kidnapping and sentenced to 120 years to life.10UPI. Cult Leader’s Son to Spend Rest of Life in Prison
Where Alice Lundgren Is Today
Alice has been incarcerated continuously since her admission to the Ohio prison system on October 17, 1990. She is held at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Her parole eligibility date is May 13, 2091, and her first parole board hearing is scheduled for March 2091. No parole hearing has yet taken place.1Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Offender Details: Alice E. Lundgren Damon Lundgren remains incarcerated at the Mansfield Correctional Institution, with a parole eligibility date of March 8, 2098.11Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Offender Details: Damon P. Lundgren