Police Look for Missing Polygamist Girl

The Mohave County Attorney's Office in Arizona is investigating a claim that a 17-year-old girl is missing.

Associated Press/November 16, 2004

St. George, Utah -- The Mohave County Attorney's Office in Arizona is investigating a claim that a 17-year-old girl is missing. The girl's parents live on the Arizona side of the twin polygamist communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., but the report that she was missing occurred on the Utah side.

An attorney with the Mohave County Attorney's Office said he had been authorized to look into the report.

Suzanne Johnson, the sister of 17-year-old Janetta Jessop, told Washington County sheriff's officers in Utah on Thursday that her sister called Nov. 5 asking to be picked up and was never heard from again.

Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith said Friday that the girl's parents told a deputy that she was fine and at home with them.

Johnson said her mother came over after the Nov. 5 call and said Jessop had called her to say "never mind."

'I could tell something was wrong (when Jessop called)," Johnson said. "I had a bad feeling."

Sam Brower, an investigator for some disaffected members of the sect, said the sheriff should not have taken the parents' word without checking.

"I don't know what everyone wants me to do.... We deal with fact, we don't deal with innuendo and I'm not (going to) allow this group to push their agenda," Smith said.

"We can't take some sister who hasn't seen her in a while. ... Mom and Dad say she's fine and I'm going to defer to Mom and Dad," he said.

Jessop's mother declined to comment, the Spectrum newspaper said.