Lawsuit seeks damages, family information from polygamist leader
 
By Jennifer Dobner
The Associated Press
North County Times - California
 
SALT LAKE CITY -- A lawsuit filed against the head of a polygamy-practicing church demands information about the family that an Idaho man contends was taken from him as punishment for his lack of faith.

Attorneys for Wendell Musser filed the civil lawsuit against Warren Jeffs on Friday in St. George's 5th District Court. Jeffs, 51, is head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Members believe polygamy will bring them glorification in heaven.

Jeffs is being held at Purgatory Correctional Facility, the Washington County jail in Hurricane, on two first-degree felony charges of rape as an accomplice for his role in marrying a 14-year-old church girl to her 19-year-old cousin in 2001. No trial date is set.

A telephone message left Tuesday for Jeffs' criminal attorneys, Wally Bugden and Tara Isaacson, by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.

Court documents filed in support of the lawsuit say Musser worked for Jeffs as a family caretaker, living in hiding at various locations in Colorado to protect several of Jeffs' plural wives.

But Musser was cast out of the fold after being arrested for investigation of drunken driving in 2006 and was forced to leave his wife Vivian and infant son Levi behind. As directed, Musser returned to Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., where an estimated 10,000 church members live, and wrote letters of repentance to Jeffs.

According to court papers, Musser was refused contact with his family and was later told that Vivian and Levi had been assigned to a more worthy man in the church.

Musser, 22, now wants a court to force Jeffs to tell him where his wife and child are living so they can be reunited. Musser contends he has spent months visiting the Colorado homes where his family lived with Jeffs' wives, but that none are now occupied by FLDS church members. Musser lives in an undisclosed city in Idaho.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages, contending that Jeffs' actions resulted in an alienation of affection between Musser and his son, and caused the family severe emotional and financial distress. One of Warren Jeffs' brothers, Lyle Jeffs, is also named as a defendant in the he case.

"Specifically, this court should declare that the defendants had and have no right to prevent or interfere with the legally protected relationship between Wendell and Levi," court papers said.

At the very least, attorneys contend that Jeffs should be forced to provide Musser with information about the physical location of his family along with contact information.
 
NCTimes.com
Originally published May 2, 2007
 
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