'Most Wanted' to feature Jeffs
 
By Ben Winslow
Deseret Morning News
 
More publicity is being heaped on fugitive polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.

The Fox TV show "America's Most Wanted" is expected to profile the Fundamentalist LDS Church leader tonight at 8 p.m. on Channel 13.

The crime-fighting show will feature interviews with ex-FLDS members and a 15-minute dramatization of Jeffs and his taped sermons. In their full context, the presentations are hours-long, monotonous diatribes.

"We cast an actor who was quite good, looks a lot like him, sounds a lot like him and we aired a couple of his sermons," said "America's Most Wanted" creative producer Greg Klein. "He does a good job in conveying who Warren is."

Authorities here in Utah hope the profile on the popular crime-fighting TV show helps draw new attention to the manhunt for Jeffs.

"We're hoping the show will get every American out there looking and bringing Warren Jeffs to justice," said Utah Attorney General's spokesman Paul Murphy.

It's difficult to gauge if "America's Most Wanted" will lead to Jeffs' capture.

"Often the people you think you're going to catch right away, you never catch," Klein said Friday. "The ones you think you'll never catch — you catch."

Klein said the odds of catching Jeffs are remote, but he hopes the TV piece appeals to FLDS members who may be watching TV.

"Maybe they'll see him in a realistic light and somebody will turn on him," he said.

FLDS members are told to shun the outside world, including TV, radio and newspapers.

Jeffs is facing criminal charges in Utah and Arizona related to arranging polygamous marriages involving teenage girls and older men. He is also facing federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. A $60,000 reward for information leading to Jeffs' arrest and conviction is being offered by Utah and Arizona authorities.

Utah authorities have told the Deseret Morning News they believe that Jeffs has been at the FLDS Church's Eldorado, Texas, compound in recent months. The FLDS Church also has enclaves in Hildale, Utah; Colorado City, Ariz.; Mancos, Colo.; Pioche, Nev.; Pringle, S.D.; Bountiful, British Columbia, Canada and a ranch in Mexico.

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com
 
deseretnews.com
Originally published Saturday, May 6, 2006
 
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