“Finding out the death penalty isn’t real, I would like to see the state provide justice,” Sharon Wright Weeks said. “The death penalty is a lie.”

Weeks, Brenda Wright Lafferty’s sister, is seeking to overturn the death penalty in Utah for a new law of life imprisonment, without parole.

On Wednesday, the Utah County Commission passed a resolution in a 2-1 vote requesting the legislature do the same. Weeks spoke out in support of their resolution.

While there are some who don’t agree with it and would prefer to have the death penalty law cleaned up rather than done away with, there are others like Utah County Attorney David Leavitt who said it is a matter of resource management.

The Crime

Weeks feels compelled to speak for people affected by the death penalty — particularly friends and family — because of 1984 and the story of her sister Brenda Wright Lafferty and Brenda’s daughter Erica.

Lafferty was a beauty queen and college graduate hoping to go into journalism. Instead, she pursued a family life with her husband Allen Lafferty and her baby Erica.

The stories of her experiences with the Lafferty family are wide-reaching and discussed numerous times in the decades since.

On July 24, 1984 ,Allen was away from their American Fork duplex when Brenda’s brothers-in-law came to her home to fulfill what they believed was a prophecy.

They brutally murdered Brenda, 24 at the time and 15 month-old Erica while she lay in her crib.

During their subsequent trials, Dan Lafferty was sentenced to life in prison and Ron Lafferty was given the death penalty.

The difference was that Dan was able, by looks and flirtation, to sway one of the jurors in his trial, ending the option for the death penalty for him.

That one vote changed the course of Dan’s life. He has been in prison for 37 years without the fanfare or notoriety surrounding his brother. Weeks has made her peace with that, and felt justice was served.

Ron Lafferty’s journey is much different. Through court mishaps, appeal after appeal, another two full trials and all of their appeals — all the way to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals — Ron, after 35 years, died of cancer at age 78 in his prison cell.

“I was disappointed Dan didn’t get the death penalty at first,” Weeks said. “Now I’m so grateful to the juror who flirted with Dan.”

Weeks, now living in St. George, was only 15 when Brenda and Erica were killed. She did not attend the first trials.

Associated Press

Weeks is hoping the state provides some kind of justice to victims who believed in the death penalty, in the court system and that it would ultimately be carried out

Weeks added that her family feels empty not getting justice from Ron Lafferty. “We got justice from Dan’s sentence.”

“It is important for families, but impossible to get justice,” Weeks added. “It is extremely disappointing and angering knowing our state can’t provide what they pronounced. We will never have an execution in the state of Utah.”

Weeks said it isn’t just the families that are victims but many others including the jurors who give their time to sit through horrific cases, see evidence, make a ruling and are given cash and sent on their way.

“I’ve been sold a bill of goods,” Weeks said. “I’ve been lied to by the State of Utah. Why did we force a jury to make that decision when we wouldn’t carry through?”

Ron Lafferty had completed everything he could do to stop his execution from occurring. In July 2019, his options ran out and he was set to be executed. Four months later he was still waiting when his health ended his life.

“It’s never ending for the family,” Weeks said. “It’s horror mixed with sadness and it never goes away. It’s like a chapter book with colorful characters but goes on forever.”

Weeks said that all the time Ron was seeking appeals he was gaining notoriety. He had identity markers placed with his name like “notorious.”

“He got titles. He got famous for being a cold blooded murderer,” Weeks said.

In lieu of the death penalty Weeks said, “I would like them to be put in prison for the rest of their lives and their name never be spoken again.”

“I feel horrible for everybody involved, especially the jury. They were the bottom line. They were asked to make decisions,” she added. “A case this big and they still couldn’t get it done.”

During the 1996 case, she noticed an older male juror whose countenance changed throughout the month of testimony. He walked away in pain. Weeks said there was not even a counselor to help him. She’d like to see that changed too.

The personal impact of having no real resolution hit close to home for Weeks. She realized just how angry she was at not having closure and a sense of justice served.

“I was with my mother the day she died. I held her hand. My other sisters were there. We asked her to tell Brenda hi,” Weeks said. “Then I realized my mom didn’t receive justice. It popped into my head and I was so angry that happened while mom was leaving.”

LaRae Wright passed away in February 2016. Sharon’s father James Wright, 87, still lives on the family farm in Idaho.

“That’s why I’m involved. I do not want another person to go through what we’ve gone through. It affects your relationships all of your life.”

Weeks said during Ron 1996 trial he said, “I would dig the b–ch up just to kill her again.”

“I coped with that by getting involved. My parents coped by turning it over to the Lord because they couldn’t trust the law,” Weeks said. “I want the people to know that (the death penalty) is not a real sentence.”

Weeks indicated that her sister Brenda was independent and would have wanted this. “I’m doing this for her, in her name,”

Weeks contacted Rep. V. Lowry Snow, R-St. George, in 2017 to present her feelings and frustrations to him and to see what needed to be done to make changes. Snow has since been joined by Sen. Daniel McCay, R-District 11. They will be taking the desires of several victims, with the help of Weeks to the State Legislature the coming session.

Leavitt said during the Wednesday commission meeting that he is the only county attorney in 35 years to charge the death penalty.

He also noted that in Ron Lafferty’s case more than $40 million had been spent on his 35 years of appeals. In this case even the taxpayers were victims.

“The death penalty hurts victims as a whole and is not a deterrent,” Leavitt said. “The death penalty is used as a leverage point.”

The move to change the death penalty on the state level is not going to be easy, but people like Weeks and Leavitt, with help from legislators like Snow and McCay are hoping to make a difference.

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