Gordon Church in front of Matthew Shepard
On November 22, 1988, Gordon Church stopped at a gas station in Cedar City, Utah, where he met Mike Archuleta and Lance Wood. A few hours later, Church was dead because he was gay, his body dumped more than an hour north in Dog Valley.
Why the Gordon Church murder you’ve never heard of
Church, who was targeted because of his homosexuality, was raped, tortured and bound with tire chains in the trunk of his own car before Archuleta and Wood drove him to a remote area of ​​Millard County and brutally beat him to death with a tire iron.
Writer and social worker Chad Anderson came across Church’s story while researching LGBT history in Utah. Having grown up gay and Mormon himself, Anderson felt a personal connection to Church and his story and decided to make a documentary about the case. Today, Anderson reviews Church’s story and explains what is known about that night in 1988 and the bizarre behavior of Archuleta and Wood in the hours after the murder. He talks about several of the friends, family members and police officers he interviewed for the documentary and how their lives were forever changed by Church’s violent death.
Anderson gives us insight into the demands of producing a documentary, the costs involved, and his progress so far. He also talks about why he chose the documentary format and its power as a visual medium. Listen to understand the importance of sharing stories of anti-gay hate crimes and how you can work to ensure Gordon Church is never forgotten.
Hear Chad’s passion and persistence in telling the Church’s story:
To donate or if you have any questions about donating to the Making of Church: The Life and Murder of Gordon Church Please contact:
Topics covered at Gordon Church
A brief overview of the church case
- student in Cedar City, UT
- Meeting Archuleta and Wood at the gas station (November 1988)
- Raped, brutally beaten and murdered
Why Chad is drawn to the history of the church
- Career as an author, teacher and therapist
- Grew up gay and Mormon myself
The people Chad interviewed for his documentary about Gordon Church
- College friends near Gordon
- Police officers involved in the case
Chad’s progress filming the church documentary
- A third of filming completed
- Professional film crew donates time and talent
The funding Chad needs to complete his film about Church
- Requires $200,000 to secure crew services as a major project
Why Chad chose the documentary format
- Capture emotions, images and sound
- It’s life-changing to see the faces of those involved
The Importance of Telling Gay Hate Crime Stories
- Learn from LGBT history
- Context for understanding what we have overcome
The Conviction and Sentencing of Archuleta and Wood
- Archuleta received the death penalty (Catholic, Hispanic)
- Wood sentenced to life in prison (Mormon, white)