Siege was not all for naught
 
Opinion
The Spectrum
 
Though law enforcement didn't find fugitive polygamist leader Warren Jeffs, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted, it did follow through effectively on a tip he was seen entering a home in Cedar City on Friday.

A SWAT team was immediately deployed, a judge issued a search warrant and the FBI was contacted. The situation didn't result in Jeffs' capture but it did precipitate useful experience for the next time a credible tip is received. The effort was not completely meaningless for officers from Cedar City, Enoch and the Iron County Sheriff's Office that worked together as they arrived at the Pachea Trail home in the Black Rock subdivision. They talked with residents, executed a temporary evacuation of neighboring homes and conducted perimeter searches of the area, including the inside of the home and a vehicle.

A man and woman police first encountered upon the scene, two or three more women, and as many as seven children were found inside the home. While there was no evidence that Jeffs had ever been to the home, there was enough evidence to connect the household to Jeffs. The initial couple was questioned and released, and while it is uncertain whether or not law enforcement received any substantial information from this questioning, we believe they are making the right moves towards apprehending a man that has been likened to Osama bin Laden with committed followers who believe in his cause.

Reports of Jeffs sightings in Southern Utah have been constant since June 9, when one or two people called 911 saying the 50-year-old was performing marriages involving underage girls in Colorado City. Jeffs is wanted on felony charges for sex crimes in Utah and Arizona in connection with arranging marriages of underage girls to older men.

With an estimated 5,000 polygamists residing on the outskirts of Iron County, it is possible Jeffs would be spotted in the area, particularly since the Cedar City home in question on Friday is owned by one of Jeffs' bodyguards, William R. Jessop. Jessop is among 10 people who've been ordered to appear in court tomorrow in Washington County as a potential material witness in the Arizona grand jury investigation involving FLDS money flow and construction projects. Jessop runs a few construction companies affiliated with the church. If he doesn't appear in court tomorrow, a warrant for his arrest will be issued. So, Friday's siege was not all for naught, and we can thank the local law enforcement agencies' quick actions for that.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published July 6, 2006
 
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