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Show f Lafferty ' fight extradition to Utah There's no chance for a fair trial in Utah, brothers declare Ronald and Dan Lafferty , accused t the slaying of their sister-in-law "Id her infant daughter, say the charges against them are false but Dan believes the "time is at hand jji when the true criminals will be k madeknown." it The Lafferty brothers are fighting & extradition from Nevada to Utah, saying they will be unable to get a ;J fair trial in their home state. They f are currently in Washoe County Jail tf in Reno, Nev. where they were apprehended last Tuesday. ( Both brothers spoke out to news J reporlers this past week, ' proclaiming their innocence and saying they would place their trust k ' : in God. Regarding the July 24 slayings of Brenda Lafferty, 24, and her daughter, Erica Lane, 15-months, Ron Lafferty told an Associated Press reporter, "All I can say is the charges brought against me are false charges." He would not discuss the murders further to avoid prejudicing his case, he explained. Then, Monday evening, Dan Lafferty released a statement through his brother Ron, again through Associated Press. In it Dan said, "We have been abused and falsely accused, and portrayed to be dangerous criminals, which we are not. We are not guilty of any of the crimes for which we have been accused over the past few years." He continued in the statement, "If in the present matter, my life were to be taken, so be it. I would go with a free conscience." He said he hopes their lives won't be taken but believes the "time is at hand when the true criminals will be made known, when the things done in secret will be known to the world and the things done in the closets will be made known on the housetops." In the earlier statement, Ron Lafferty said he doesn't feel he and his brother will get a fair trial in Ulan because "They have proven to mo, at least in the state of Utah, that there's no justice in the system, that they will do politically whatever they want to do and we're just pawns in a game. . ." He said he and his brother have been targeted by the church because of their excommunications, and said he still loves the church but charges its leaders have strayed from the teachings of Joseph Smith, its founder. American Fork Police Chief Randy.Johnson said he is hopeful the Laffertys will be in Utah County Jail Friday evening. The brothers refused to waive extradition last Friday afternoon and were given time by Washoe County District Judge Roy Torvinen to prepare a writ of habeas corpus as to why they shouldn't be brought back to the state. That hearing is scheduled for Aug. 17 at 2:30 p.m. MST. Chief Johnson explained officers will present information to the Judge verifying the validity of the extradition papers signed by Utah Governor Scott M. Matheson and Nevada Governor Richard Bryan, and evidence to prove that the . Laffertys are the men sought by American Fork authorities. "We have all this and we had it last week, but the Judge gave them a chance to file the habeas corpus," Chief Johnson said. Following the hearing last week, Ron Lafferty requested to speak to the media, a request that resulted in the two statements given by the men. Chief Johnson said representatives represen-tatives of the police department and of the Utah County Attorneys office will be in Reno on Friday for the hearing, and hope to bring the Laffertys back following it. He said there are still legal options open to them, however, that could delay the extradition further. |