Mayor Rocky Anderson
City and County Building
451 So. State Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 

April 6, 2003

Dear Mayor Anderson:

 

I write this letter as a concerned citizen, a retired deputy sheriff, as an author, and as a specialist in Mormon polygamy investigations. I hope it will be of value to the five member commission you have appointed to scrutinize the police investigation of Elizabeth Smart. I believe your "commission" has the potential of favorably influencing future investigations involving miscreants imbedded in the Mormon fundamentalist subculture.

It has been the half-hearted handling of Utah polygamists that enabled Brian Mitchell to commit a heinous crime, almost unnoticed, when he should have been a serious suspect from the beginning.

The Elizabeth Smart kidnapping and arrest of Mormon fundamentalist, Brian David Mitchell, has created some interesting conundrums that cry out for explanation. Why? Because for years the polygamy subculture has been a disgusting breeding grounds and refuge for murderers, thieves, kidnapers and sexual predators, all masquerading as religions icons.

First of all, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, Mayor Rocky Anderson sent a memo to SLC Police Chief Rick Dines "less than two weeks" after the abduction, "imploring" the Chief to "aggressively" pursue "leads that pointed to a homeless street preacher named ‘Immanuel’ as the potential kidnapper." Evidently, the memo was not taken as seriously as it should have. Once the word "preacher" came into play, light bulbs should have flashed on.

Furthermore, did the Salt Lake City Police share this important memo with the FBI? If they did, how was the memo treated?

Secondly, Discordant overtones are fanning the air. How much did personality, rivalry, jealousy and arrogance impair what should have been an objective, coordinated investigation? The Smart family and people of Utah are entitled to know what happened, because it is well rumored in police circles that Mayor Rocky Anderson is unfriendly to law enforcement; and, I know from twenty-three years in law enforcement that arrogance on the part of some investigators can hamper an investigation.

Thirdly, why wasn’t polygamy specialist, Lt. Ron Barton, of the Utah State Attorney General’s Office consulted? Here is a valuable resource that went untapped. The Utah State Legislature created the position occupied by Lt. Barton nearly three years ago for this very purpose. Lt. Barton is knowledgeable, has numerous valuable contacts in the Mormon fundamentalist subculture, and he is responsible.

On April 4, 2003, the Tribune printed a story entitled, "Chief on Smart Case: ‘Good Investigation.’" The story by journalists Kevin Cantera and Michael Vigh, appeared to be a vindication of the police failure to solve the case. The story quoted from an impressive parade of FBI and police experts that suggested the Salt Lake City Police should be absolved of any dereliction in the investigation. Were these experts told that an "itinerant preacher," who once worked for the Smart family as a handyman, was a suspect within two weeks after the abduction?

In reading the Tribune’s article, I am convinced that the police did an outstanding job in investigating Richard Ricci. I have to admit that in following the case in the newspapers, I too thought Ricci was the most likely suspect. But the true crux of the investigation is in the answer to the following question: How much did the SLC Police know about Brian David Mitchell the day Elizabeth Smart was rescued? Because – the fact of the matter is that the kidnapping was solved by four alert citizens, not the police - four crucial citizens who in the developing stories seem to have fallen by the wayside.

My concerns are shared by others and are not unfair hindsight. Had Lt. Barton been contacted when Mitchell first became a suspect, a coordinated effort between the SL City Police and Attorney General’s Office might very well have resulted in a much sooner solution.

There seems to be a tendency by law enforcement and prosecutors to downplay the polygamy factor, when in reality, the Mormon fundamentalist subculture, that spawned Brian Mitchell, were it possible, should also be indicted. Are we afraid that if we acknowledge that there are serious cultural problems in the Mormon fundamentalist subculture that we will indirectly offend prominent, influential individuals or institutions?

The Utah Legislature has passed laws against bigamous, child marriages. If

these laws are not aggressively acted upon by law enforcement then they are nothing more than window dressing.

In the heartland of polygamy - which is Colorado City, Arizona - young girls designated as plural wives disappear with regularity. Flora Jessop was held captive in a bedroom for months. Fourteen year old Ruby Jessop disappeared nearly two years ago. The physical and mental enslavement of little girls in Colorado City is every much as real as it was with Elizabeth Smart.

The most sensational news stories to come out of Utah in the last twenty years has involved Mormon polygamists. [Ervil LeBaron, John Singer, Adam Swapp, Dan and Ron Lafferty, Paul Kingston, Warren Jeffs, Tom Green, Jim Harmston, Owen Allred and now Brian Mitchell] This is because the Mormon fundamentalist subculture has in place all the twisted doctrines that can further distort an already deranged mind.

The most pernicious Mormon doctrine is plural marriage, a commandment that requires men and women to take multiple wives in order to "raise up a righteous seed" and receive a "celestial exaltation." The polygamy doctrine, coupled with an unconscionable sex urge, can be a dangerous combination, like drinking and driving.

The second most pernicious doctrine is "unaccountability." Mormon fundamentalists recognize only God’s laws, which supersedes man’s laws. All of the actions of Mormon fundamentalists, including Brian David Mitchell, are ostensibly sanctioned by God - acts considered by society as murder, rape, theft, deception and kidnapping.

A week after the kidnapping I was contacted by a journalist asking if the abduction might have been motivated by polygamy. I learned that other experts on polygamy had been asked the same question. At the time there was nothing reported in the newspapers to suspect a polygamy connection. I thought the Smart family had enough troubles without inserting something as provocative as polygamy on mere speculation. But was it speculation?

The April 5^th Tribune article suggested that the reason the police did not go public with Mitchell’s "composite sketch" sooner is that Mitchell might have gone underground, but that should not have kept police from looking for him and checking him out. It was obvious to everyone that Elizabeth was not a random victim.

Lets face it, no one thought that religion could have been the motive. It was to far removed from the stereotypical kidnapping - sex, murder, ransom or revenge. But where did Mayor Rocky Anderson get his information about Mitchell? Was it from a source other than Elizabeth’s little sister?

Cory Lyman, who lead the investigation, told the Tribune that "police were aggressively following every lead." With that said, then it is only fair to ask who was assigned to follow up on Mayor Anderson’s memo, when, and what did he find?

My criticism of the Elizabeth Smart investigation is not so much to make the SLC Police Department look bad, but to emphasis the fact that there exists a dangerous criminal element within the Mormon fundamentalist subculture that is being overlooked and underestimated. I believe that the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, from where I retired, and other police departments, in all probability, would have made the same mistakes. The intelligence just wasn’t there to make the connection. Nevertheless, if we don’t call attention to the mistakes, and even rub it in a little, when it comes to Utah’s religious fanatics, there will be more mistakes in the future. Nor should we, at the expense of future victims, downplay or ignore the degenerate aspects of Mormon fundamentalism because it might adversely reflect upon, and cause discomfort to, Utah’s dominate religion.

The last twenty years should be clear and convincing evidence that the question is not what heinous crime might happen next in the polygamist subculture, but when will it happen. As soon as the prosecution of Mitchell is history and things return to normal, some other fanatic will get a revelation and Utah will be back in the headlines.

I wonder, how many more times will Utah take it on the chin before church and government wake up to the fact that there are serious problems in the Mormon fundamentalist subculture.

Please be advised that this letter will be posted on the following websites: and

 

Sincerely,

John R. Llewellyn
P. O. Box 
Riverton, Utah 84065
E-mail: john@polygamybooks.net

 

CC:Chief Rick Dinse
Salt Lake City Police Department
315 E. 200 So.
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111

Kirk Torgensen, Chief Deputy
Utah State Attorney General’s Office
236 State Capital
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-0810