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Family Describes Many Sides of Hacking

Family Describes Many Sides of Hacking


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Samantha Hayes reporting Mark Hacking will soon be in the company of other convicted killers in the Utah State Prison.

But this murder case will stand out, in part because Hacking himself was so difficult to understand.

Everyone involved says there is no excuse for the murder. Mark Hacking's motivations, however, are continually dissected and debated. Was he a man desperate for acceptance and love, or were his lies indications of an abusive personality?

It's hard to let it go: The image of them as a happy young couple.

But the undoing of Mark and Lori Hacking started long before the wedding pictures were taken.

Douglas Hacking, Mark's father: “In 1996 Mark was sent home from an LDS mission."

Shortly after, he fell off a roof, suffering a concussion, seizure, and a broken back. He could not concentrate, could not learn.

Douglas Hacking, Mark's father: “We have recently come to know how agonizing it was for him to fail one class after another to the point that he could not longer attend college."

But even as the lies piled up, the Hackings believe Mark's feelings for Lori were true.

Douglas Hacking, Mark's father: “More than anything we know that Mark loved Lori."

So was Mark a loving husband, troubled and overcome by standards he could not achieve? Or were there signs he was potentially abusive.

Lori's father talks about the day she planned to shop for his college graduation present.

Eraldo Soares, Lori's father: “Mark very rudely said, 'Where in the heck are you going? Where the hell are you going?' She said, 'I’m going to get somebody a graduation present.' He said 'You better hurry back.' And at that point I knew he was controlling."

Mark says in the end he killed Lori out of love, to save her from suffering. Now everyone has suffered.

Doug Hacking, Mark's father: “I hope no parent has to go through what we've just gone through."

Eraldo Soares says in no way does he feel sorry for Mark. He says Mark must pay for what he did to Lori.

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