Lloyd Barrus, a former Mormon missionary, met his first wife, Tracy, at a church in Idaho. After marrying, Lloyd worked in construction, while Tracy stayed home to care for their two sons, Marshall and Jeffrey.

Their peaceful family life turned violent as Lloyd began disappearing for "secret" meetings and expressing hostility towards the government.

"If I didn't do what I was told, my punishment was rape," Tracy said. "He once held a gun to my head and pulled the trigger. I only realized it wasn't loaded when I heard the click."

Terrified, Tracy realized staying in the abusive marriage could be fatal. She made the difficult decision to divorce Lloyd, despite her religious beliefs.

The divorce agreement granted shared custody of their sons. However, after Tracy left Marshall and Jeffrey with a neighbor for a weekend respite, Lloyd abducted them and fled hundreds of miles to Washington.

A second wife escapes

While Tracy and her lawyer fought to regain custody, Lloyd met Debra Del Bosque, a recently divorced mother of two, at a Mormon church.

Debra described Lloyd as a "good man" who shared her values. They quickly married and moved to Alaska with their combined five children.

However, like Lloyd's first marriage, Debra soon discovered her husband's secret meetings with neighbors, his refusal to pay taxes, and his disappearances for days on what he called "CIA missions."

The marriage was also marked by violence. Debra said after Lloyd callously shot a neighbor's puppy, she decided to escape. A Mormon bishop helped her buy a plane ticket in disguise, allowing her to flee with her children, but she had to leave Marshall and Jeffrey behind.

Remaining in Alaska with their father, the boys were subjected to Lloyd's anti-government rhetoric and taught to use weapons. According to Tracy, her ex-husband turned her sons into "monsters," conducting shooting drills and convincing them of an impending war against the US government.

An 18-hour standoff

By 3/2000, Lloyd was living in Idaho with a new girlfriend, continuing to blame the police and government for his misfortunes. When he was charged with drunk driving, instead of appearing in court, Lloyd, his girlfriend, and his now 20-year-old son Jeffrey fled.

The trio was driving on Highway 95, about 60 miles from Las Vegas, when a highway patrol officer pulled them over for speeding. The officer saw guns in the car and called for backup.

As backup arrived, Jeffrey sped off, firing at the officers and leading them on a high-speed chase into California.

In Death Valley, the trio abandoned their disabled vehicle and fled into the desert, digging a makeshift bunker despite having no water. During the ensuing 18-hour standoff, Jeffrey shot down a California Highway Patrol helicopter, forcing it to land. Eventually, Lloyd and Jeffrey surrendered.

Jeffrey pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He claimed his father coerced him into the crime.

Lloyd was diagnosed with severe paranoid personality disorder and ordered to a mental hospital. He initially claimed his son did the shooting but later pleaded guilty and received a 15-year sentence.

Plotting to 'execute' a police officer

Lloyd was released on 3/1/2013 after serving 13 years. Instead of leaving his past behind, he embraced social media, posting anti-government materials and execution photos.

His eldest son, Marshall, also with a criminal record, had successfully completed rehab and was rebuilding his life. But when Lloyd joined a family camping trip in Montana, Marshall quickly joined his father, drinking and ranting against authority figures.

The pair left the campsite in a white Chevrolet Suburban.

At 2h on 16/5/2017, Deputy Mason Moore of the Broadwater County Sheriff's Office in Montana was making his final rounds of local businesses before ending his shift.

Surveillance video showed Moore driving past a gas station where Lloyd and Marshall had stopped just minutes earlier. Moments after Moore left, the pair was seen driving in the same direction as the deputy.

Soon, they sped past Moore at almost 100 mph, challenging him. Moore activated his lights to pull the Suburban over, but Lloyd accelerated, mirroring his flight with his younger son years before.

As they sped down the highway, Moore's patrol car was hit by gunfire and he stopped responding to the dispatcher. A responding trooper found Moore’s patrol car stopped at a mile marker, door open. The 42-year-old deputy was dead inside. His vehicle was riddled with bullet holes.

Police remove Mason Moore's patrol car from the scene of the shooting. Photo: KBZK

Police remove Mason Moore's patrol car from the scene of the shooting. Photo: KBZK

According to authorities, in-car camera data showed Moore fought for his life for four minutes after being shot. Lloyd and Marshall then returned. Marshall exited the vehicle and fired 20 rounds from a semi-automatic rifle into the patrol car, killing Moore.

A deadly shootout

Other officers caught up with Lloyd and Marshall about 50 miles from the scene, initiating a dangerous pursuit at speeds reaching 140 mph. Lloyd and Marshall fired at pursuing officers.

Gunfire from the pair repeatedly disabled police vehicles. "It was the scariest moment of my life," recalled Trooper Rich O'Brien. He raised his rifle and fired through his front windshield in return.

When the Suburban stopped, Marshall jumped out and fired at officers at close range until he was shot and fell. Lloyd continued firing until his handgun was knocked away and he was apprehended.

The chase left 38-year-old Marshall dead. It took prosecutors years to bring Lloyd to trial.

Defense attorneys argued Lloyd belonged in a mental hospital, claiming his paranoid delusions rendered him incapable of understanding his crimes.

Lloyd Barrus is led away after his sentencing in 2022. Photo: Montana Standard

Lloyd Barrus is led away after his sentencing in 2022. Photo: Montana Standard

Lloyd's trial was delayed: prosecutors initially sought the death penalty, but he was deemed incompetent to stand trial. The judge ordered Lloyd to be forcibly medicated with antipsychotics for his delusional disorder after he refused treatment. The Montana Supreme Court upheld the forced medication order in 1/2020.

Prosecutors argued Lloyd harbored intense hatred for the government and "executed" Moore for wearing a uniform. Evidence suggested Lloyd and Marshall had discussed a "suicide mission" with family members before the shooting.

In 2021, 65-year-old Lloyd was convicted of Moore's deliberate homicide and the attempted murder of several other officers. In 4/2022, he was sentenced to three life terms without parole.

Tue Anh (according to Oxygen, NBC)