Texas FLDS compound raided

By Norma Najacht Custer County Chronicle - Custer, South Dakota

Sometimes it takes a 16-year-old girl to get things done in the polygamist world, noted Mike Watkiss, senior reporter at KTVK in Phoenix. It was a 16-year-old girl — Ruth Stubbs — who was at least in part responsible for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) decision to start building compounds — including the one in Custer County — when she brought a lawsuit against her police officer and polygamist husband, Rodney Holmes, said Watkiss. "They came here (the Texas compound) for a safe haven," Watkiss said. "They do a lot to isolate these people." And once again, it was a 16-year-old girl who was responsible for the raid on the nearly 1,700-acre FLDS compound near Eldorado, Texas, last Thursday. An unidentified girl from the compound called officials March 29 and 30, claiming she had been abused, both sexually and physically. She claimed to have been married to 50-year-old Dale Barlow when she was 15 years old and has an 8-month-old baby by him. In Texas, it is unlawful to marry at age 15, even with parental consent. Barlow, who was one of eight men prosecuted two years ago in Arizona for having fathered a child with an underage girl, is living in Arizona. He pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with that minor and a second charge was dropped. He cannot leave the state without permission and he has not asked to travel to Texas. He claims he does not know the girl. As of press time on Tuesday, the number of children who have been taken out of the compound was reported as 401, along with 133 mothers who came with the children voluntarily. Dressed in home-sewn, ankle-length dresses with their hair pinned up in braids, many of the young women were pregnant or carrying babies. "Children" is defined as under 17 years of age. An unknown number of men remain at the compound and are not free to leave until investigators finish a house-to-house search. "There were a lot more people there than we thought," Watkiss noted. "Not surprisingly, there was an overwhelming lot more women and children." However, it is uncertain if the girl who made the call has been found. Watkiss said they don’t know if she is among the group that was taken out and is fearful that she will be shunned and banished, so she is unwilling to communicate, or if she has not yet been found. Eighteen girls were placed in immediate custody of Texas Child Protective Services because it was believed they had either been abused or were in immediate risk of abuse. Under Texas law, either one is grounds for removal. The rest of the children are still being interviewed to see if they are at risk. Law enforcement is not allowed to give information to the media after District Judge Barbara Walther issued a gag order prohibiting them from doing so. On Monday, law officers arrested FLDS member Levi Barlow Jeffs, 19, for interfering with law enforcement during the search. Also arrested was Leroy Johnson Steed, 41, for tampering with physical evidence. The FLDS was cooperative to a certain extent during the search, according to Watkiss. But there was some resistance. Officials have been authorized to remove computer hard drives, CDs, DVDs and photos. The judge released copies of a new search warrant she signed at 10 p.m. on Sunday. It authorized searches of all buildings, temples, temple annexes, places of worship, vaults, safes, lockboxes, locked drawers, medical facilities, structures, places and vehicles at the ranch. Judge Walther also gave officers permission to seize various records and items related to girls under the age of 17 who have been married to older men. The list includes prenatal and birth records, marriage records, wedding photos, electronic storage devices of all types that might include images of girls with their purported husbands, family Bibles or books listing similar information, medical records, bed linens, undergarments, hair fibers, bodily fluids, blood and clothing, video cameras and cell phones. There was first a stand-off at the gate and later at the temple during the search. An unofficial source said the jaws of life were called in during the raid to open the temple doors. On Tuesday morning, it was reported by the Eldorado Success that two FBI agents entered the compound and that law enforcement is watching for Seth Jeffs, Warren Jeffs’ brother, who is believed to have rented a vehicle and is believed to be headed to Texas. According to volunteers at the church in Eldorado where the women and children were first taken, the girls seemed fearful and wanted to stay close together. Nor did they make eye contact with outsiders. Mike Watkiss said one young girl said it was an honor to be a teenage bride. A child was given crayons but didn’t know what to do with them. "They have been ripped out of the only world they know," Watkiss said. "A roundup is a big, blunt instrument." "The world is turned upside down for these people," he added. He said he didn’t know how it would affect the people at the compound in Custer County. "Arizona and Utah, after decades of neglect, have finally gotten the guts to do something under the theory that it would send a message," he said. "That message clearly has not been heard. After (FLDS prophet Warren) Jeffs’ arrest, we were all hoping it would send a powerful message, but the reality of this community is that they continue to do this. It is deeply ingrained in their psyche and religion. They will never give it up. It is the mechanism that holds it together." "The two perverse pillars that support polygamy are underage marriage and incest. His people are not gonna stop practicing these. Nobody would care if only adults were involved in this, but it never is. Women and children are preyed upon. "Family members, in too many cases, are preying on blood relatives." Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler said in order to invade the compound here, there would have to be a complaint. While he says it is possible these types of crimes are being committed at this compound, there is nothing he can do unless there is a complaint. He said if that should happen, the state Department of Criminal Investigation would be called. In South Dakota, the legal age to marry is 18. If the person is between 16 and 18, they need a notarized statement of consent to marry from a parent or legal guardian. This must be presented to the county register of deeds when they apply for a marriage license. Custer County register of deeds office has had no such application in the last five years. A person younger than 16 is not allowed to marry, even with parents’ consent. The sheriff said he talked to Ben "Ed" Johnson, the person in charge of the Custer County compound, on Sunday and Johnson agreed to keep an open line in case there is some kind of repercussion. Cookie Hickstein, neighbor to the FLDS compound in Custer County, said she hopes more people will understand what is in our back yard and that more will be done to watch and see what is really going on out there. "The same thing could happen here, you know," she added. She questioned whether the county would be ready to help if one of the girls here called for help. "The people of Custer County need to realize that these are the exact same people here as in Texas. Some of these same people have been in Texas and Short Creek (Ariz.) and other compounds that they have. Custer County needs to understand that there is polygamy going on here just by the religion that these people live, that young ladies are married as first, second, third or more wives and start having babies as soon as possible with men that could be their grandfather." "I truly don't think most people understand the situation that is here and not going away." Last July, Cookie said her husband, Richard, was riding his horse around 6 a.m. when he heard a woman screaming. "He had no idea why they were screaming," Cookie said. "We feel as if our hands are tied. There isn't much you can do or say when you know that all will be denied (by them) if law enforcement shows up." While the women and childrens’ cases were originally scheduled to be held Monday, they will now move into 14-day hearings, known as adversarial hearings. Child Protective Services (CPS) must show why it feels the children removed from the compound are at risk for further abuse if they return. Dozens of CPS caseworkers continue to interview the hundreds of women and children removed from the Texas compound, known as the YFZ Ranch, since Friday. The women and children were first housed at an Eldorado church and civic center, but are now housed at Fort Concho National Historic Landmark at San Angelo, 45 miles north of Eldorado. The interviews could provide the basis for affidavits CPS must file that support its decision to remove the 18 girls from parental custody. Likewise, the interviews could turn up more evidence of alleged abuse and lead to more girls being taken into state custody. Each child will have an attorney and guardian to represent that child in court. CPS believes there could still be more women and children at the compound who haven't yet been brought out. Carolyn Jessop, who wrote "Escape" detailing her life with ex-husband Merril Jessop, the man in charge of the Texas FLDS, arrived Sunday in Texas with two daughters she hoped to reunite with their half siblings. Jessop hoped to explain the group’s culture to authorities working with women and children taken from the compound. Also in Texas was Elissa Wall whose testimony sent FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs to prison in Utah on convictions for rape as an accomplice, and Shannon Price of the Utah-based Diversity Foundation, which helps teens leaving the sect. Jessop said she thought she saw one of her four step daughter's on a school bus as it left Eldorado. She hadn’t seen them for five years. Jessop said those taken from the compound are likely terrified because of the FLDS’ teachings that mainstream society is evil and is intent on taking children from their parents. Jessop said she initially feared the FLDS would use the investigation to portray themselves as martyrs. Now, she said, she is confident the raid will reveal the truth about the group's abusive practices. Price said the Texas action was necessary given the isolation and control in the FLDS. "There is something wrong when you have a secretive community," she said.

CusterCountyNews.com Originally published Wednesday, April 9, 2008

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