'Under the Banner of Heaven': 5 Things To Have Happened Since Lafferty Arrests

Under the Banner of Heaven came to a conclusion on Thursday, June 2, but there is plenty the FX true crime drama did not go into.

Warning: This article contains some spoilers for the 'Under the Banner of Heaven' finale

The show, which was created by Dustin Lance Black, ended with detectives Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) and Bill Taba (Gil Birmingham) finally catching Ron and Dan Lafferty (played by Sam Worthington and Wyatt Russell).

They arrested the Lafferty brothers for the murder of their sister-in-law Brenda Wright Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her 15-month-old daughter Erica but the show ends before it reveals what happened to the two of them.

Here are five interesting things that have happened in the case after Ron and Dan Lafferty's arrests on August 7, 1984.

5 Things That Have Happened in Ron and Dan Lafferty's Case Since Their Arrests

1. Ron Lafferty Almost Died Before Going to Trial

After they were arrested, Ron and Dan Lafferty protested their innocence and claimed that they had nothing to do with Brenda and her daughter's murder.

However, five days before they were due to go on trial Ron attempted to take his own life, and Jon Krakauer explained in his book Under the Banner of Heaven that he had "appeared dead" when his brother discovered him.

Paramedics rushed in to try and revive Ron, and although he had stopped breathing for "fifteen minutes" they were successful.

Krakauer explained that the attempt left Ron in a coma for two days and because of this a judge decided he would not be tried alongside his brother but four months later in April, 1985.

2. Dan Lafferty Defended Himself at his Trial

Dan's trial took place as scheduled in January 1985, but although the court appointed him two attorneys Dan chose to defend himself and gave the lawyers advisory roles.

Despite his attempt to defend himself, the jury found Dan guilty of two counts of first-degree murder.

The jury was then tasked with deciding whether Dan should be given the death penalty or not, and at his trial the murderer said that if he were in their position he "would impose" capital punishment on himself, per Krakauer.

3. The Unexpected Reason Why Dan Lafferty Avoided the Death Penalty

Although Dan had said that he would have given himself the death penalty, the jury were split 10-2 over capital punishment. This meant that he avoided a death sentence, because that would have necessitated a unanimous decision.

Krakauer explained that the reason one woman chose not to go with the majority and vote for the death penalty was because Dan had flirted with her during the trial.

The author claimed the jury foreman accused Dan of manipulating the woman with "eye-contact, smiles, and other charismatic, non verbal attachments and psycho-sexual seduction."

4. Ron Lafferty Attempted To Kill His Brother in Prison

In the FX show's finale Ron is seen trying to take his brother's life, which Detective Pyre manages to halt before the younger Lafferty died.

This is based on a real event in the two brother's lives that happened after their arrests. In December 1984, before their respective trials and Ron's attempt to take his own life, Ron tried to kill his brother.

The Lafferty siblings were sharing a cell in Utah County Jail when Dan caught Ron trying to sneak up on him in the night, per Krakauer.

Though nothing happened that night Ron did ask his brother if he believed "he would be able to kill someone as big" as Dan.

The next day, Ron is said to have attacked his brother unexpectedly and "unleashed a flurry of blows" that didn't stop until "his hands hurt too bad."

They were put in separate cells but Ron informed his brother he'd received a revelation from God that Dan should allow Ron to kill him, and after praying on the matter Dan agreed to it.

Ron almost did kill Dan using a towel between their two cells, but he said he received another revelation from God during the act that said Dan should be allowed to live if he breathed one more breath, which he did.

5. Dan Lafferty Still Believes the Murders Were Ordained by God

Krakauer met with and interviewed Dan in prison for his book and the author claimed that the murderer still showed no signs of remorse for the killings.

The criminal told Krakauer that he felt like "someone had taken me by the hand that day and led me comfortably through everything that happened."

He also claimed that the crimes were a "revelation from God that these lives be taken" and that "you don't want to offend Him by refusing to do His work."

Under the Banner of Heaven is available to watch in full on Hulu now.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.