Under The Banner Of Heaven Episode 7 True Story: What Really Happened

Under the Banner of Heaven's finale episode sees Pyre and Taba finally reaching Dan and Ron, with the series taking a few historical liberties.

WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7.

The series finale of Under the Banner of Heaven concludes the true story of Brenda Lafferty’s murder, with the extent of Ron and Dan’s crimes finally being revealed. Adapted from the nonfiction true crime book of the same name by Jon Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven’s true story takes a deep dive into the brutal murders of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter Erica at the hands of her brothers-in-law, who used religious scriptures to validate their delusions of grandeur and brutal rage. With the series also including flashbacks to violent events in Mormon history that the perpetrators claim are the will of God, Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7, “Blood Atonement,” ends with a chilling warning of the dangers of unyielding faith and zealotry.

Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7 catches up to the timeline of Dan and Ron Lafferty committing the murders of Brenda and Erica, with the brothers claiming the action was a command from God. In reality, the murders were done on behalf of jealous rage and anger at Brenda for defying the brothers’ dangerous beliefs, with Ron and Dan abusing Latter-day Saint scripture for their own personal gain. Under the Banner of Heaven then sees Detectives Pyre and Taba chasing after Dan and Ron in Nevada, where they find the brothers hiding out in a casino. All the while, Dianna Lafferty and her children are on the run from her ex-husband Ron, who both the police and his colleagues believe will murder his family after Brenda. Dianna is eventually found safe with her children, whereafter she saves Dan’s wife Matilda from a terrifying fate with the Lafferty brothers.

The ending of Under the Banner of Heaven’s series sees Dan and Ron arrested for their crimes while Andrew Garfield’s Detective Jeb Pyre finds a different kind of faith outside of the LDS Church; one that puts belief into his family and the world he’s in now instead. The fictional detective is able to derive the truth of Dan and Ron’s murders before addressing his own faith, with Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7’s story being largely accurate to the real-life apprehension of the brothers. Here’s a breakdown of the true story featured in Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7 compared to what actually happened in real life.

Did Brenda Write A Letter To Dianna The Day She Died?

On the day that Brenda dies, Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7 shows the character writing a letter to Dianna, which says that knowing Dianna is safe gave her life meaning through her real “calling.” Dianna finally reads this letter after learning that Brenda has been killed, which inspires her to also bring Dan’s wife Matilda to safety. Krakauer’s book doesn’t make any mention of Brenda writing a letter to Dianna dated July 24, 1984, with this specific instance appearing to be fictionalized for dramatic effect. The contents of the letter are heartbreaking in that Brenda is elated to have brought Dianna to safety and fulfilled her calling while she herself was in grave danger, with the irony seeming to be too convenient for real life.

Did Robin Really Lose All Of Their Money Gambling?

Before the murders, Ron gets a “revelation” to send his brother, Robin, to Nevada to bet on horses and win the money needed to save the School of the Prophets. However, they get word that Robin lost all of the money by betting on a different horse, with Ron forgiving him just before he goes to murder their sister-in-law and niece. Since Robin seems to be based on Under the Banner of Heaven’s real-life Lafferty brother Mark, it’s true that Ron sent him to bet on horses shortly before the killings. Mark did, in fact, lose their money gambling, with the real-life Prophet Onias reportedly telling Ron “I told you so” in regards to God not wanting them to gain funds through gambling.

Under The Banner Of Heaven: Who Really Killed Brenda?

Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7’s true story depicts the moment where Dan and Ron Lafferty murder Brenda, but the series seems to change which brother physically committed the homicide. The series shows both brothers entering Brenda’s house, where Dan is the one to physically hold the knife killing both Brenda and Erica. In real life, Dan Lafferty has always maintained that he was the one to kill both his sister-in-law and niece, whereas one of the men in the car with them at the murder testified that Ron had boasted about being the one to kill Brenda. While there is no debate about Dan being the one to inhumanely murder his niece, there remains contention about who killed Brenda. Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven book suggests there’s no reason to believe that Dan lied about killing both victims, with it being important that both brothers committed the heinous crimes together – regardless of who held the knife.

Were Dan And Ron Really Found In A Nevada Casino?

Andrew Garfield’s fictional Detective Pyre tracks Dan and Ron to a casino in Nevada during Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7, with this being the location where the brothers were finally apprehended for their brutal crimes. This fact in Under the Banner of Heaven is true, as the police had found Dan and Ron at the “Circus Circus” Casino in Reno. However, Dan and Ron hadn’t been arrested in a secluded bathroom where the latter was trying to murder the former, as what really happened was that the police apprehended them while waiting in line at the casino buffet.

Did Dianna Really Get Matilda Away From The Laffertys To Safety?

Not much has been reported about Matilda after the Lafferty murders, but it doesn’t appear that Dianna made the cross-country journey to personally pull her away from the dangers of the Lafferty family. However, Matilda had already separated from Under the Banner of Heaven‘s real character Dan before the time of the murders in the finale. Consequently, the moment in which Dianna saves Matilda from Sam Lafferty appears to be another example of fictionalization for dramatic effect.

UTBOH Changes Ron’s Murder Attempt On Dan

When Detective Pyre finally apprehends Dan and Ron Lafferty in Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7’s true story, he sees Ron choking Dan to death with a belt. This instance in Under the Banner of Heaven episode 7 is fictional, as Ron and Dan were found together in the buffet line at the casino. However, Ron would later attempt to kill Under the Banner of Heaven‘s Dan when the two were being held in jail, with the elder Lafferty brother truly claiming that it was a revelation from God to do so.

In December 1984, when the brothers were awaiting trial and sharing a cell in Utah County Jail, Ron snuck up on Dan and hit him, continuing to smash Dan’s nose and break his ribs. Ron continued beating Dan for quite some time until the guards separated the Lafferty brothers, then soon after Ron handed Dan a piece of paper with a revelation from God saying that he must kill him. Dan decided to submit to this “revelation,” with the brother agreeing that the best way to accomplish this command would be for Ron to put a towel around his neck and choke him to death – similar to the scene depicted in Under the Banner of Heaven‘s story. Ron had choked Dan with the towel until he blacked out, but once Ron saw Dan’s chest rise, he took it as a sign from God that Dan was meant to live, so he decided not to attempt murder again.

UTBOH True Story: What Happened Next For Dan & Ron Lafferty

Under the Banner of Heaven’s series finale ends without revealing the true fates of Dan and Ron Lafferty, with the FX show only depicting the brothers being arrested. In real life, Dan and Ron were both tried and convicted for the murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty. Dan Lafferty was given two life sentences for his crimes, which he is still carrying out in prison today. Ron Lafferty was sentenced to death, but after several years of appeals and delays for the execution, he died in November 2019 of natural causes. At the time of Andrew Garfield’s Under the Banner of Heaven series, Dan Lafferty is approximately 38 years into his sentence for the horrifying murders.