Warren Jeffs trial on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sexual assault of a child begins in San Angelo. They were returned seven weeks later after the Third Court of Appeals ruled that the state had not met its burden for an emergency removal. "It was the cheapest way for the county. After Jeffs arrest in 2006, an anonymous tip alleging sexual abuse of children prompted law enforcement to raid the Yearning for Zion Ranch in April 2008; the ranch was thought to be FLDS second headquarters, sitting near Eldorado, Texas. Today, with the law of Texas coming down on them, the Yearning for Zion ranch is nearly vacant. During a traffic stop, Jeffs was detained on charges of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and rape in Utah and Arizona. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Aerial views of the FLDS compound YFZ "Yearning for Zion" Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, on April 8, 2008. The people behind the gates get upset when anyone calls this place a "compound." More than 400 children were taken into custody, but they were later returned to their parents by court order. For example, FLDS followers were taught to believe that people of color were bad, but Jeffson had met nonwhite people who treated him kindly. Norbert's work in West Africa is introducing Saints there to the need and, Nita Giles on Juanita Brooks Conference Schedule: Where do we meet Sat morning for the Juanita Brooks St George tour at 9;00 am? deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. Brown said that the abuses that occurred within the polygamist community outweigh any arguments about religious liberty or criticism of the state's abrupt removal of the children. Before the YFC Ranch turned this small town upside down, people here talked more about cotton, cattle and high school sports. A room off to the other end contains a fold up bed. Mar 3, 2019 A PORTION OF the Yearning for Zion Ranch, outside of Eldorado, is shown. And if the fear and anxiety triggered by the arrival of polygamists from Arizona and Utah has ebbed, the unnerving presence of the prophet lingers. Along the way, he said, he had to learn how everything worked, including the municipal water system. In my opinion, it was the worst of the state being Big Brother," Griffin began. His mother was prepared to leave, but Jeffson still felt loyal to his father's church. "There were 13 satellite television trucks parked at the courthouse," Mankin recalls. 211 0 obj Jeffson added, "He had control over the way that we saw the outside world in every aspect.". Things reached a chaotic peak in April 2008, when the state raided the ranch, prompted by an anonymous complaint to Child Protective Services of child abuse. When they move in, they can certainly ruin a community, he said. It was a political stand for (then-Attorney General) Mr. Abbott. Do we just take our own vehicles to the, Sher on Juanita Brooks Conference Schedule: Where is the Utah Tech main theatre? Authorities say Colorado resident Rozita Swinton might have placed a hoax call that sparked the ranch raid. Because of flawed jury instructions, the Utah Supreme court reverses Warren Jeffs' 2007 conviction on two counts of rape as an accomplice and orders a new trial. In August 2011, Jeffs was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sexual assault of a child. Already Border Patrol and Department of Defense personnel have come for training, and neighbors are getting used to the sounds of helicopters and other aircraft moving after dark. Jeffs is sentenced to 10 years to life in prison in Utah on two counts of being an accomplice to rape. The last question seems disingenuous. "Once I was taught these things, I was like, no wonder he's in jail. And it's sad that it's still going on. 207 0 obj But Jeffs still occupies a place of honor. I thought it was terribly handled," he said. Some people left because they were afraid a group would come and take over," he said. As Eldorado's improbable polygamist ordeal is now finally ending, opinions about the place among community leaders differ. CPS and law enforcement officials raid the YFZ Ranch compound. But just a few miles north of town, the abandoned Yearning for Zion Ranch looks much like it did when hundreds of followers of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints called it home. DFPS files motions for non-emergency removal of eight children because mothers refuse to sign safety plans. In August 2011, Jeffs was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sexual assault of a child. I thought I'd burn in hell for saying something. Remaining bigamy charges dropped for Warren Jeffs, Raymond Merril Jessop, Merril Leroy Jessop and Abram Harker Jeffs. "I was really opposed to that whole operation. This was an incredible experience for which all three of us are greatly indebted to a kind and dutiful Texas Ranger for taking his valuable time and sharing his knowledge. His father began separating his children from their mothers in Colorado City, on the Utah-Arizona border, to take them to his "Yearning for Zion Ranch" in Texas. Flora Jessop, an apostate who had left the polygamist colony at Short Creek, Arizona, and Buster Johnson, an official from Mohave County, Arizona, spoke to the crowd. They are not forced," a woman identified as Marilyn said. With the exception of white carpet seen in a couple of special locations, blue was the only color of carpet seen throughout the complex in every house, building, and room where carpet had been installed. Stay up to date with what you want to know. During his watch there, the ranch has experienced flooding, a wildfire and scattered attempts to break into the property. They're drones. That's why I kept it a secret.". Privacy Policy / "He is terrible, horrible. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. <>/Border[0 0 0]/Rect[81.0 617.094 129.672 629.106]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> He was going to run for governor. Children and women voluntarily accompanying them start to arrive in San Angelo and soon are taken to stay at Fort Concho National Historic Landmark. 200 0 obj During the tour on October 28, 2017, we had the opportunity for an in-depth visit to the FLDS Temple. In November 2012, the Texas Attorney Generals Office began legal proceedings to seize the ranch. Doran still remembers the shock of learning that the reclusive polygamists were building a community just to the north. "They have their own wells. After several more discussions with his mother, they decided to leave the group. Get the inside scoop on todays biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley delivered daily. "I definitely don't want people to look at me as someone who is victimizing myself. In October, ETG Properties, based in Addison, agreed to buy the ranch for $4.17 million. Serious question. But just a few miles north of town, the abandoned Yearning for Zion Ranch looks much like it did when hundreds of followers of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day. ", On March 25, 2004, as stunned townspeople gathered with Doran outside the courthouse to hear the news, one local woman held up a sign that read "The Devil is Here.". At that time, women inside denied that young girls had sex forced upon them. 202 0 obj |L>;2g`>0%a"w10m <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> "They are not a danger to your children. In April 2014, the last polygamists left peacefully and Texas authorities took possession. There was a lot of turmoil and unrest in the county. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. NEWS Yearning for Zion ex-polygamist ranch in Texas being sold John MacCormack Associated Press 0:06 1:09 A group of polygamists, with their blond child brides and 19th-century doctrine of. Warren Jeffs is sentenced to life plus 20 years in prison. "They have their own waste water treatment plant," he said. Former County Commissioner Matt Brown, however, thinks that state officials handled the situation appropriately. Members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints settled in a remote area near Eldorado, and isolated themselves on their self-built compound, the Yearning for Zion. The highest level is equipped with a slide-in-place curtain, again reminiscent of Kirtland. Help us get our children back.". There has not been a day that did not involve something to do with this bunch or this land, he said. World Briefing | The Americas Canadian Judge Dismisses Polygamy Charges A judge dismissed polygamy charges on Wednesday against two leaders of a fundamentalist Mormon sect based in Bountiful,. While the cemetery represents an opportunity for the FLDS to create difficulties for the state of Texas, it is likely that their respect for their deceased loved ones would make them want to grant a reinternment to a location closer to their current families. Jeffson, who was around 7 at the time, said he was told that his father was in prison because he was "doing God's work" and the devil was working against him. His victims were 12 and 15 years old. Were glad someone was interested in the property and its being put to good use, he added. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? A member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints buys land northeast of Eldorado, saying it will be a hunting retreat, and dubs it the Yearning for Zion Ranch. I dont see a practical distinction. A group of polygamists, with their blond child brides and 19th century doctrine of plural marriage being the pathway to heaven, were forced out their compound here in 2014, and scattered to the. 0000004448 00000 n
Some people left because they were afraid a group would come and take over, he said. Thanks for virtual tour; very interesting. He was marrying 12-year-old girls and having sex with 12-year-old girls," he said. The property is in the process of being sold to a Dallas-area company for a military and law enforcement. With Warren Jeffs still in jail doing time for rape as an accomplice in the forced marriage of an underage girl, another man has reportedly assumed Jeffs' authority. Based upon their conjugal relations with adolescent girls, these too were prosecuted and convicted. And it's sad that it's still going on. Looking north to the promontory, there is a large fenced field that was to serve as a cemetery. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune These aerial views of the YFZ (Yearning for Zion) Ranch outside of Eldorado, Texas, were taken on Tuesday, April 8, 2008, just days after law enforcement officers raided the FLDS compound. He also didn't understand why he had to wear long sleeves and couldn't play with toys. 0000019562 00000 n
Jeffson, his mother, Vicki Thompson, and his sister Sarah are among the former cult members who participated in the show. If they let me. endobj Still, four years after he left the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with his mother and sister, Jeffson doesn't want to be seen as a victim. I thought it was terribly handled," he said. 205 0 obj "This has consumed my life since 2004. Status hearings begin for individualized or maternal sibling groups to review service plans. He separated wives from their husbands and all kinds of things," Doyle said. The basement contains a baptismal font that was intended for sacred ordinances for both the dead and living, but may have also been used by Warren Jeffs for less than sacred purposes.[1]. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Texas authorities initiate the seizure of the YFZ Ranch. Of all the structures on the Yearning for Zion ranch, none was more striking than the temple. For a decade, Doran was the county's liaison with the polygamists and he still maintains contact with one of them. "Threatening me with eternal damnation if I did not do exactly what he said. At the other end is a grander multi-level podium. Jeffs is charged in Utah as an accomplice to rape. He also disagrees with the state using the criminal convictions of a handful of polygamist men to justify seizing the Yearning for Zion Ranch, and forcing everyone who lived there to leave. Jeffs visits the ranch to dedicate the foundation of a temple. The Third Court of Appeals finds that DFPS did not meet the burden of proof required for the emergency removal of the children. The round ceiling elements are skylights that can be opened electronically. ABC News had rare access inside the compound following a police raid in 2008. Probably both, but the state's concern is that all the security is there to allow something dark and unholy to proliferate in a supposedly spiritual place. More than 400 children were taken from the property and separated from their parents. trailer When you see your momma get drug off, its got to affect you. Photos and commentary provided by Craig Foster, Newel Bringhurst, and Craig Foster. Its pretty much a slave state, he said. See also Brian C. Hales, Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto, Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2006. "She's an extremely strong woman," Jeffson said of his mother. <>stream
Furthermore, the FLDS undoubtedly consider this building no longer suitable for their ritual observances. A charge of tampering with evidence is dismissed. They were returned seven weeks later after the Third Court of Appeals ruled that the state had not met its burden for an emergency removal. The children woke up at 5 a.m. each day to help make breakfast and clean up before they were sent into the fields. Provided by Wendell Jeffson Dozens of siblings and 'moms' Jeffson's earliest memory was from when he was 3 years old. <> Authorities had been tipped off by a phone call claiming the 16-year-old caller was being abused by her husband, a 50-year-old man.