Prosecutors evidence against Jeffs included over 1,000 documents

December 16, 2006
By Rick Ross

The Washington County Attorney's Office relied upon three witnesses and over 1,000 documents to prosecute polygamist leader Warren S. Jeffs.

Jeffs is charged as an accomplice to rape.

The key witness against Jeffs was a woman only identified as "Jane Doe." She said Jeffs ordered her to become the "spiritual" bride of a much older man.

Jeffs, 50, leads the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) a polygamist sect that occupies and has dominated the towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona as its hub, though the group has followers in Nevada, Colorado, South Dakota, Texas and British Columbia.

Jane Doe also has also filed a lawsuit against Jeffs.

Other witnesses for the prosecution were Shauna Jones and Matt Fischer, deputies with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, as witnesses in the case.

Prosecutors also have statements made by Jeffs taken from documents, audio and video recordings, photographs and other evidence "seized, discovered and collected."

Note: This report is based upon an article titled "Prosecutors building case against polygamous sect leader" written by Brooke Adams and published by the Salt Lake Tribune November 2, 2006