A cult leader risks the death penalty after being convicted of murdering a family of five at a communal farm in what disciples said was a soul-cleansing ritual. Jeffery Lundgren, 40, was found guilty Wednesday of murder and kidnapping in the 1988 slayings. Earlier in the day, his wife, Alice, was sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison for her part in the murders. Dennis Avery; his wife, Cheryl, and daughters, ages 7, 13 and 15, were slain at the Lundgrens' rented farm in Kirtland, 30 miles east of Cleveland. They were lured one at a time to a barn, gagged, shot and dumped in a common grave. The bodies were found in January. Fellow cult members testified that the Averys, who also were members of the cult, were slain in a purification ritual in hopes of witnessing the return of Christ. Defense lawyers admitted Lundgren shot the family but said he was guided by his interpretation of the Scriptures. Prosecutor Steven LaTourette said after the verdict, ``I noticed Mr. Lundgren was smiling _ sort of a day-at-the-beach attitude.'' The jury will return Sept. 10 to consider whether he should get life in prison or death in the electric chair. Mrs. Lundgren, 39, was convicted Aug. 1 of conspiracy to commit murder and of kidnapping. After the sentencing, Mrs. Lundgren tearfully told reporters, ``I am not the `Angel of Death.' I am the mother of four.'' She testified she was afraid of her husband. ``I'm not a cold-blooded murderer. He is,'' she said. ``I was found guilty of a crime I had no knowledge would occur.'' Other cult members, however, testified she attended prayer meetings at which the pending murders were discussed. Until 1988, Lundgren was a lay minister for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Kirtland, a town of 6,500. He was defrocked for inappropriate conduct and formed his own sect, based on his interpretation of the Bible and the book of Mormon. Testimony indicated that the Averys were less ardent in their belief and that Lundgren disdained them. The Lundgrens' son, Damon, 19, awaits trial on murder charges. Five other cult members have pleaded guilty and await sentencing; five more await trial.
