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Have you ever felt lost in life? If yes, what did you do? Some people look to a higher power, such as God and religion, to give them a sense of purpose, community, and guidance.
Yes, faith can be a powerful tool to find meaning. However, you can see it happen repeatedly— others exploiting people’s beliefs to commit unspeakable acts.
One of these individuals is Warren Jeffs.
If this name doesn’t sound familiar to you, here’s the gist: he’s the polygamous head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS).
He’s also the man who showed the world the dark underbelly of religious devotion through his crimes, including the sexual abuse of his own children.
This article dives into the intricate and unsettling narrative surrounding Warren Jeffs and his ties to the FLDS church. It also answers the burning question that’s likely on your mind right now, “Is he in jail for his crimes?”
If you want information about an individual’s incarceration status, LookUpInmate.org gives you access to inmate records from over 7,000 U.S. (United States) correctional institutions.
Who Is Warren Jeffs?
You’d think that a person hailed as a religious group’s “president and prophet” would mean that he’s honorable. After all, you’re responsible for providing guidance and direction to the members of your organization. And that’s a heavy burden.
Warren Jeffs once held those titles within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). This Mormon-like cult diverged from the original Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
But if you’ve seen any of the various documentaries about Jeffs, including Netflix’s Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, you’d know that he’s far from the virtuous and conscientious figure he’s supposed to be.
Why, you ask? For starters, instead of preaching and teaching what you and most other people would call “proper” values, Jeffs promoted polygamy, underage marriage, and sexual assault.
He also notoriously seized former members‘ finances for personal gain and isolated many of these devotees from the outside world, allowing him to dig his claws deeper into his vulnerable faithful.
Fortunately, you can find relief knowing that Jeffs was ultimately incarcerated in 2011. The charges against him included the sexual assault of a child and being an accomplice to rape.
How Old Is Warren Jeffs?
They say, “Age often accompanies wisdom.” But that’s not the case for the polygamist leader Warren Jeffs. He was born on December 3, 1955, and as of November 2023, he’s 67 and is likely to stay within the confines of prison walls for the remainder of his life.
Who Was His Father, Rulon Jeffs?
While Warren Jeffs’ atrocities were undeniably perpetrated by his own choices and actions, you can say that he was also the product of his environment.
Jeffs took over the leadership role from his father, Rulon Jeffs, the former president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, when he passed in 2002.
As per the New York Times, Rulon was the eighth prophet of the Mormon Church, at one point leading the largest religious group in North America.
However, Rulon wasn’t someone you’d call a “good” influence on his son. He also practiced plural marriage, a tradition that the original Salt Lake City-based Mormon Church renounced in the 1890s. At his death, Rulon had around 20 wives, 60 children, and hundreds of grandchildren.
Does Warren Jeffs Still Have Wives?
Rulon significantly impacted the man that Warren Jeffs ultimately became. Like his father, Warren would continue the practice of polygamy, a factor central to his controversial leadership within the FLDS.
How Many Wives Did Warren Have?
If you thought Rulon’s marital arrangements were excessive, you’d share that sentiment with many others. But not Warren Jeffs.
As if competing with his father, Warren was rumored to have already had approximately 20 wives by the time he took on the mantle as the president of the FLDS.
However, he wasn’t done— far from it. Believe it or not, Jeffs’ wives had grown to a staggering 78 when he was arrested in 2008. Twenty-four of these women were under the age of 17.
Unfortunately, if you want to know whether he added more wives while living life in prison, the answer remains a mystery.
What is known is that Jeffs’ polygamous lifestyle and his involvement in 67 marriages involving underage girls played pivotal roles in his eventual convictions for sexual assault against minors.
Did Warren Jeffs Have Any Children?
After knowing how many wives Warren Jeffs has, you’re probably curious about how many children he fathered. Unfortunately, you may have to continue speculating.
The precise number of Jeffs’ offsprings remain unknown. However, many have estimated that the cult leader might’ve had at least 60 children based on his unconventional and controversial lifestyle.
How Did He Make His Money?
What qualities do you think a religious leader should have? Virtue? Trustworthiness? How about greed? That last one is likely the farthest from your mind, right?
But if you’ve made it this far into the article, you now know that Warren Jeffs is far from what you’d call a “conventional” beacon of faith. After all, he amassed considerable wealth during his time as the leader of the FLDS church.
In 2006, Jeffs’ real estate holdings alone were valued at around $100 million. Unfortunately, these earnings involved exploiting his followers’ low-cost and often free labor.
Jeffs also allegedly increased his funds through blackmail. According to former members, Jeffs would threaten FLDS faithful with losing their jobs, homes, and community if they didn’t pay the monthly fees ranging from $500 to $1,000.
Other “wealth creation” tactics Jeffs used included defrauding the government. According to the Utah Supreme Court, Jeffs used a complex scheme requiring his church members to buy exclusively from FLDS-run businesses using government-provided debit cards.
What Happened to Warren Jeffs?
Religious figures aren’t above the law. In 2005, Warren Jeffs’ misdeeds finally caught up with him as he was indicted on charges of sexual misconduct against a minor and conspiracy to commit the act in Arizona.
He was also charged with two counts of rape in Utah for orchestrating the sickening marriage between an underage girl (14) and her cousin (19).
But you’d be wrong if you thought Jeffs would accept the punishments for his crimes. Following the allegations, the cult leader disappeared from public view. This attempt at evading legal scrutiny landed him on the FBI‘s (Federal Bureau of Investigation) 10 Most Wanted list in May 2006.
Fortunately, law enforcement apprehended Jeffs in Las Vegas in August 2006. Interestingly, he was caught with several mobile phones, various wigs and disguises, and $55,000 in cash.
In 2011, the polygamist leader Warren Jeffs was found guilty and charged by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with a life sentence plus an additional 20 years.
Why Is Warren Jeffs in a Coma?
How would you handle your sentence if you were in Warren Jeffs’ shoes? Would you represent for your sins? Would you ask for forgiveness from those you’ve harmed?
For Jeffs, his answers were multiple suicide attempts and ill-advised fasting that he asserted weren’t hunger strikes. Jeffs’ response to incarceration got so bad that Texas prison doctors force-fed and placed him in a medically induced coma.
Warrens Jeffs Reportedly Experienced a “Psychological Crisis” During His Life Sentence in Prison
Would you be surprised to know that even while serving his life sentence, Warren Jeffs continued to wield influence over the radical polygamous Mormon sect from within his prison cell?
According to the true crime docuseries Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil, the cult leader allegedly directed various aspects of the church’s operations, including excommunications and determining the placement of women with caretakers while behind bars— talk about dedication.
However, following Jeffs’ several suicide attempts, his attorney claimed that the prophet suffered a mental breakdown. Perfect timing, considering that Jeffs’ psychological crisis claim was made after a woman filed a lawsuit against him for sexually abusing her as a child.
Members Pray for Jeffs Every Hour of the Day
What do you think FLDS members felt when they found out about the atrocities their prophet committed and for which he was incarcerated? While some understandably felt relieved, others weren’t.
Despite the many crimes Warren Jeffs performed against minors, some members of the FLDS community, including Warren Jeffs himself, believe he was unjustly imprisoned and should be freed as an act of faith. Some have even resorted to fasting and praying for three days to show their support.
Where Is Warren Jeffs Now?
As of November 2023, the FLDS cult leader Warren Jeffs is housed in and is serving his life sentence at Louis C. Powledge Unit, a correctional facility in Palestine, Texas.
If you’re looking for a resource to help determine an incarcerated individual’s whereabouts, visit LookUpInmate.org. It’s an invaluable resource that gives you access to inmate records from over 7,000 prisons nationwide.
FLDS Church Leader Warren Jeffs Back on Trial
As mentioned, Warren Jeffs was convicted of several counts of child sexual assault and conspiracies to rape. These charges led to a life sentence and an additional 20 years in prison.
Unfortunately for Jeffs, more charges would continue to come into view following his indictment. His most recent trial occurred in September 2022, which involved several testimonies from the church leader’s victims. One of the people who testified was Rebecca Musser, a former wife of Warren’s father, Rulon.
Will Warren Jeffs Ever Be Released?
“People deserve second chances.” However, no one can blame you for not sharing that sentiment after hearing about Warren Jeffs’ crimes. After all, his prosecutors don’t feel he does either.
Jeffs won’t be eligible for parole until July 2038— not until he’s 83. While some of his supporters continue to pray and fast for his release, their devotion is unlikely to be answered.
New Edict Purportedly From FLDS Leader Warren Jeffs Raises Alarm
Despite his incarceration, Warren Jeffs has unfortunately maintained an influential presence within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
In 2022, concerns arose after a mandate called for FLDS members to return to the faith and bring their children. This directive also asked followers to send photos and information about themselves and their families.
If you’re worried after hearing this news, so are former members. After all, Jeff’s continued influence on people can negatively impact lives. It could even lead to the separation of families.
Mugshots of Warren Jeffs Taken Two Weeks After Netflix Released a Documentary
If you want to hear more about Warren Jeffs’ story, consider watching the Netflix documentary Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey. It delves into the polygamous leader’s heinous acts within the FLDS.
The documentary also highlights the gravity of the sexual and physical abuse that took place within the extremist Mormon cult, including the assault of a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old.
But what does Jeffs have to say about his notoriety? Two weeks after the Netflix show aired, Jeffs’s new mugshot was released— he looked unamused.
What Happened to the FLDS?
You’d think that after the various legal troubles and subsequent imprisonment of its leader, Warren Jeffs, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would slowly die out.
But that’s not what happened. In fact, it’s still active. How active, you ask? Recent estimates suggest that 6,000 to 10,000 members continue to adhere to the sect’s beliefs.
Despite Jeffs’ incarceration, the FLDS‘s legacy persists, serving as a reminder of the complex and enduring influence of religious leaders— who may exploit their power for personal satisfaction and gain— on their followers.
What Happened to ‘Zion?’
If the arrest of their leader wasn’t enough for the FLDS faithful, more challenges to their faith awaited them. Three years after Warren Jeffs’ conviction, the Yearning for Zion Ranch (YFZ Ranch) was seized by the State of Texas.
This 1,700-acre ranch and prominent FLDS compound once housed over 700 members. The raid led to one of the largest child welfare cases in the state’s history, as 463 alleged minors were removed from the ranch.
Where Is the FLDS Based Now?
In response to the YFZ Ranch incident and the legal pressure from the federal government, many FLDS members left Hildale and Colorado City for other parts of Utah and neighboring states.
Some FLDS loyalists also established new church settlements in various other locations, including the following:
- Pringle, South Dakota
- Minot, North Dakota
- Mancos, Colorado
- Grand Marais, Minnesota
Who Runs FLDS Now?
Despite his incarceration, many believe that Warren Jeffs continues to exert control over the day-to-day operations of the FLDS. Some theorized that Jeffs’ visitation rights and permission to send letters are how he remains in power.
Authorities also believe that Jeffs’ messages are coded instructions to his followers. In fact, many assert that the 2022 mandate, which Warren’s son, Helaman Jeffs, distributed, came from Warren himself.
What Has the Mormon Church Said About Warren Jeffs and the FLDS?
The mainstream Mormon Church, which was previously called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, officially distanced itself from Warren Jeffs and the FLDS.
You would, too, if your prophet was found guilty of sexually abusing underage girls, right? The Mormon Church even went as far as issuing a statement asserting that it was “misleading and inaccurate” to refer to Warren Jeffs as a Mormon.
The statement also clarified that the Mormon Church abolished the practice of polygamy in 1890 via a “Manifesto.” A second “Manifesto” echoed this declaration and stipulated excommunication as a punishment for those who refuse to cease the tradition.
If you’re curious to learn more about the current prison status of figures like Warren Jeffs, consider visiting LookUpInmate.org. This priceless resource lets you access inmate records from over 7,000 U.S. correctional institutions.
References
- Warren Jeffs
https://www.biography.com/crime/warren-jeffs - Where Is Warren Jeffs Now?
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a40220506/warren-jeffs-now/ - Where Are Warren Jeffs’ Many Children Now?
https://marketrealist.com/p/warren-jeffs-children-now/ - 9 Things You Didn’t Know About the FLDS Church
https://abcnews.go.com/US/things-didnt-flds-church/ - Warren Jeffs Biography
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/warren-jeffs - Warrens Jeffs Allegedly Had A “Mental Breakdown” While Serving Life In Prison
https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/where-is-warren-jeffs - ‘Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey’ — What Happened to Warren Jeffs and the FLDS?
https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/keep-sweet - FLDS Church leader Warren Jeffs back on trial
https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/flds-church-leader - New edict purportedly from FLDS leader Warren Jeffs raises alarm
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/new-edict - Polygamous cult leader Warren Jeffs
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10947579/amp/