(Image Source: Daily Mail)

 

BY SARAH NG

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES
 
You're watching multisource U.S. news analysis from Newsy.

It was a dramatic escape. A woman who has been identified as one of Warren Jeffs’ many wives, ran away from the FLDS church compounds after a tense standoff with church members. Here’s CNN with the report.

“One of the dozens of wives of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs escapes. … One of our affiliates is reporting that the 25-year-old woman, she’s now in a shelter, and this isn’t the first time she has tried to leave. And she may have been held against her will and perhaps even been drugged.”

The woman fled to Willie Jessop’s residence. He was once a top associate of Warren Jeffs before he was expelled from the church. He said he found the woman barefoot, and they called for the authorities when the church members came.

“Sources also told ABC 4 News that local town marshals and FLDS security surrounded the business of Willie Jessop, where the young woman had sought refuge. … Washington County Sheriff's deputies were called in, and took the woman to a shelter in St. George.”

Authorities haven’t released the woman’s identity, but Carolyn Jessop, another former member of the FLDS church, tells Good Morning America what the woman must have been going through.

“Things would have to be pretty serious for her. I mean to the point where death was better than to continue living. She must have reached a point where it just didn’t matter any more, she was willing to take whatever risks and consequences if she didn’t make it. I hope that it is going to send a message to the authorities in the Utah, Arizona, that it is not a problem that is going to go away.”

Issac Wyler, another ex-member of the FLDS church, says this was the woman’s second attempt at escaping. The Daily Mail quotes him as saying -- the church doesn’t make leaving easy.

“What ends up happening is when you come out of this cult you are so brainwashed that you are going to blood atone for your sins of running and things like that. And they put so much pressure on you to come back or you are going to burn eternally...”

With her escape, detectives think she could be an important witness in any future cases involving Jeffs and the FLDS church. KSTU says,

“...detectives were waiting to question her ... Washington County prosecutors said they would investigate the circumstances surrounding her leaving the church and whether she had information about any other crimes.”

The sheriff’s office says the woman is currently being given shelter and counseling.
 
Transcript by Newsy

U.S. News: Warren Jeffs Wife Escapes

One of Warren Jeffs' 78 Wives Escapes

October 14, 2011
(2:04)
A woman who has been identified as one of Warren Jeffs' 78 wives, escaped from the compounds of the church, found barefoot.
   
TRANSCRIPT

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