What happened to the La Mora community in Massacre Of The Mormons? Documentary subject explained

Massacre of the Mormons is a four-part documentary that sought to shed light on the tragedy of the La Mora community. A true crime show, the story delved into the fates of nine people dwelling in Mexico in November 2019, who met their ends while traveling across the border after gunmen opened fire on them.

The series has four episodes, and the majority of the show details the attempts to find the perpetrators behind the horrific incident. Justice was served to some extent, and before the end credits roll, around 35 people were shown to have been arrested due to their connection to the massacre. The series was released on HBO Max on April 11, 2024.

---

What is Massacre of the Mormons about?

Massacre of the Mormons centers around the murder of three women and six children belonging to the Mormon community in the region of La Mora. Situated about seventy miles south of the border of the United States and Mexico, the region was privy to a horrific incident on November 4, 2019. It was then that the travelers, traveling via three vehicles, came under assault by gunmen.

Along with the six children, three adult women - aka Christina Langford Johnson, Rhonita Miller, and Dawna Langford - were killed when their cars when suddenly attacked by gunmen violently. While escaping the fatal fate of their fellow travelers, several other kids also suffered various degrees of injuries.

Massacre of the Mormons details the efforts of authorities to pinpoint and locate the perpetrators of the attacks. What we do know about the incident was that the travelers all belonged to the LeBaron family. It is believed that a drug cartel was involved in the heavy fire, and the fatalities were borne of a case of mistaken identity.

---

A drug cartel's mistake cost nine Mormons their lives

After a thorough investigation, the authorities have traced the attack to a drug cartel, namely the La Linea faction of the Juarez drug cartel. It is believed that the Juarez cartel had been seeking to reclaim their land and were intending to open fire on a rival cartel. This is believed because the Juarez drug cartel had been previously engaged in a firefight with this rival cartel, aka the Sinaloa cartel, in Agua Prieta.

Proof of the sudden massacre was located in the form of 200 shell casings. These casings had been found on the border and, according to authorities, were fired from weapons made on US soil. According to reports, the three adult women were driving in a convoy for protection, but that failed to save them when they were suddenly ambushed.

All nine victims (as well as the ones who survived with wounds) were known to have had dual citizenship in both Mexico and USA. Massacre of the Mormons showed that the survivors had to fend for themselves in the absence of their mothers. For instance, 13-year-old Devin Blake Langford had saved the rest by his quick thinking, saving the six survivors in bushes and covering them with branches in disguise.

---

Over 35 people were arrested in connection with the accident

However, these innocent travelers were mistaken to be members of this rival Sinaloa cartel, and this cost them their lives, as was revealed in Massacre of the Mormons. Their grieving families demanded instant retribution and sued the Juarez cartel immediately. The court ruling did go in the victims' favor, and the plaintiffs decided that the cartel owed the Mormon community 4.6 billion dollars for the massacre.

While more than 35 people had been arrested due to their proposed connection to the murders, only one, aka Fidencio Gonzalez Esparza, was the only one convicted. Interested viewers seeking to know more can catch Massacre of the Mormons on Max.