The Mark Hofmann Forgery Case — Forged Documents, Bombings, and Murder
Mark William Hofmann (born 1954) is widely regarded as one of the most talented and dangerous document forgers in history. Between approximately 1980 and 1985, Hofmann created hundreds of forged historical documents — primarily related to early Mormon history and American literary history — that deceived some of the world’s most respected document experts, institutions, and collectors. When his scheme began to unravel in 1985, he resorted to pipe bombs, killing two people and severely injuring himself. His case remains the most dramatic and consequential forgery scandal in the history of document collecting.
The Forgeries
Mormon Historical Documents
Hofmann’s most consequential forgeries were documents related to the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Growing up in a Mormon family in Salt Lake City, Hofmann had intimate knowledge of Mormon history and theology, which he exploited with devastating effectiveness.
His most notorious Mormon forgeries included:
The Anthon Transcript (forged c. 1980). Purportedly a copy of the characters from the gold plates that Joseph Smith showed to Martin Harris, which Harris then took to Professor Charles Anthon at Columbia University. The LDS Church purchased the document.
The Salamander Letter (forged 1984). A letter purportedly written by Martin Harris in 1830 describing Joseph Smith’s discovery of the Book of Mormon, but replacing the angel Moroni with a “white salamander” — a detail that, if genuine, would have been deeply embarrassing to the Church’s foundational narrative. This forgery generated enormous controversy and was perhaps Hofmann’s most destabilising creation.
The Joseph Smith III Blessing (forged 1981). A document in which Joseph Smith reportedly blessed his son Joseph Smith III to be his successor — a text that, if genuine, would have supported the claims of the Reorganised Church (now Community of Christ) over the LDS Church.
American Historical Documents
Hofmann also forged a wide range of secular American documents:
- A poem attributed to Emily Dickinson
- Letters attributed to Daniel Boone
- A “Oath of a Freeman” — purportedly the first document printed in British North America (1638), which Hofmann attempted to sell to the Library of Congress for $1.5 million
- Letters attributed to various American historical figures
His Methods
Technical Skill
Hofmann’s forgeries were remarkable for their technical sophistication:
Paper. Hofmann sourced period-appropriate paper by cutting blank endpapers and flyleaves from genuinely old books. The paper was authentically aged because it was authentically old.
Ink. This was Hofmann’s most impressive technical achievement. He researched historical ink recipes and created iron gall ink formulations that mimicked the chemical composition and ageing characteristics of genuine period inks. He used chemical oxidation techniques to artificially age the ink, creating the cracking patterns and discolouration associated with genuinely old writing.
Handwriting. Hofmann studied the handwriting of his target authors obsessively, practicing their letter formations, spacing, and rhythms until he could reproduce them convincingly. He used period-appropriate writing implements (quill pens for early documents, steel-nib pens for later ones).
Content. Perhaps Hofmann’s greatest skill was not physical forgery but scholarly forgery. He understood the historical context of his fabrications deeply enough to create documents whose content was historically plausible — documents that fit neatly into known gaps in the historical record. His forgeries did not contradict established facts; they filled in lacunae that scholars had long wished to fill.
How He Fooled the Experts
Hofmann’s forgeries passed examination by leading document experts for several reasons:
- The paper was genuinely old (sourced from period books)
- The ink chemistry was consistent with period ink (custom-formulated and artificially aged)
- The handwriting was meticulously researched and practiced
- The content was historically plausible and filled known documentary gaps
- Experts were predisposed to believe in documents that confirmed their own theories or filled gaps they had been seeking to fill (confirmation bias)
- The LDS Church, his primary buyer, had institutional incentives to acquire documents related to its own history, reducing critical scrutiny
The Bombings
By 1985, Hofmann’s operation was collapsing. He had sold documents he had not yet forged, he owed money to investors, and at least one major transaction — the attempted sale of the “Oath of a Freeman” — was stalling. Faced with exposure, Hofmann chose violence.
October 15, 1985: A pipe bomb killed Steven Christensen, a businessman, document collector, and sometime intermediary in Hofmann’s transactions. Christensen had been investigating discrepancies in Hofmann’s dealings.
October 15, 1985: A second pipe bomb killed Kathy Sheets, the wife of businessman J. Gary Sheets, who was also connected to Hofmann’s financial dealings.
October 16, 1985: A third pipe bomb detonated prematurely in Hofmann’s car, severely injuring him. The accident led investigators to connect Hofmann to the bombings.
Investigation and Confession
Investigators initially pursued multiple theories for the bombings, but forensic evidence and financial records gradually pointed to Hofmann. In 1987, Hofmann pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count of theft by deception. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Following his conviction, detailed forensic analysis of his forged documents revealed the artificial aging techniques he had used. The ink analysis, in particular, showed chemical signatures inconsistent with natural aging — the cracking patterns were correct visually but the underlying chemistry was wrong. This analysis, conducted largely after Hofmann’s confession, advanced the field of forensic document examination significantly.
Lessons for Collectors
The Hofmann case is the single most important case study in document forgery for collectors:
Provenance Is Not Proof
Hofmann “discovered” his own forgeries — he would claim to have found a document in an old book, a collection, or a dealer’s stock, creating a false provenance chain. The provenance was as fabricated as the document itself.
Expert Opinion Is Fallible
Multiple respected document examiners authenticated Hofmann’s forgeries. Expert opinion, while valuable, is not infallible — especially when the forger is exceptionally skilled and the experts are not aware of the possibility of forgery.
Institutional Buyers Can Be Biased
The LDS Church’s eagerness to acquire documents related to its own history may have reduced the critical scrutiny applied to Hofmann’s offerings. Institutional buyers with a strong interest in the material may be less sceptical than disinterested parties.
Scientific Testing Has Limits
Hofmann’s ink chemistry was good enough to pass the forensic tests available in the early 1980s. Advanced techniques (cyclotron analysis of ink chemistry, for example) eventually revealed anomalies, but these methods were not available or routinely applied at the time of sale.
If It Seems Too Good to Be True
Hofmann repeatedly produced documents that filled known gaps in the historical record — exactly the documents that scholars and collectors most wanted to exist. This pattern, in retrospect, should have raised suspicion. When a single source produces multiple “discoveries” of extraordinary documents, scepticism is warranted.
Legacy
Hofmann’s case transformed the fields of document authentication and forensic examination. It demonstrated that even the most skilled human examiners can be deceived, leading to greater reliance on scientific analysis. It also served as a sobering reminder that the market for historical documents is vulnerable to sophisticated fraud, and that due diligence requires both expert opinion and scientific testing.
Hofmann remains in the Utah State Prison, where he is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole. He has not been granted parole.