More Colorado City criminal cases
 
e-Press
Tri-State News Network
 
KINGMAN, Ariz. – Mohave County attorney Matt Smith promises additional criminal cases involving ceremonial marriages that lead underage minors into sexual conduct with male adults in the polygamy-practicing community of Colorado City in northern Arizona. Smith said Tuesday that he's seeking charges against at least another dozen men in Colorado City.

Smith's office obtained an indictment last week charging Warren Jeffs, the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), the predominant church in Colorado City and the neighboring community of Hilldale in Utah.

Jeffs, 49, and an unidentified Colorado City man, 28, were charged with sex offenses in a five-count indictment handed up June 9 by a Mohave County Grand Jury.

County Attorney Matt Smith said Jeffs was charged with conspiracy and sexual conduct with a minor for arranging a church marriage in 2002, and encouraging the 16 year-old bride "to go forth and multiply and replenish the earth" with her already once-married husband.

Smith said the husband is charged for sexual relations with the young woman who is now 19 years old.

Pleading for an additional staff attorney during a budget workshop Tuesday, Smith informed county supervisors that he's gearing up for additional prosecution.

"We have at least 10 to 15 cases involving underage marriages that are going to the Grand Jury within the next four to six weeks," Smith said.

That's not counting two other indictments not involving Jeffs and his unnamed codefendant. An arraignment was scheduled Tuesday morning for the case against Dale Barlow, 47. Another defendant, Kelly Fischer, 38, failed to attend his arraignment Monday.

"I'm aware that on many of the indictments recently involving people living in that area, people who are charged with the same nature of offenses, that the state is indicating that they are unable to locate any of these people to serve them," Superior Court Judge Steve Conn said during Monday's hearing for Fischer.

Deputy county attorney Steve Wilson told Judge Conn that Fischer evaded a service attempt in early June.

"One of our investigators, Gary Engels, attempted to serve Mr. Fischer with a summons," Wilson said. "Mr. Fischer actually fled from him and officer Engels was unable to serve the summons."

Wilson said additional investigation revealed that Fischer has fled to Texas where the FLDS has built a compound near the town of Eldorado. The Sheriff in that jurisdiction said he does not intend to serve a warrant to search the same compound to see if Jeffs is in hiding there.

"I would certainly be a shame if all these people ended up fleeing to Texas," Judge Conn said Monday. Conn has issued arrest warrants for Fischer and Jeffs and Jeffs' codefendant.
 
Tri-State News Network
Originally published Wednesday, June 15, 2005
 
Back