From Deseret News archives:
Charges dropped against polygamist after blackmail scheme revealed
The Mohave County Attorney's Office said Monday it struck a deal with Holm, 40, dismissing charges of sexual misconduct with a minor surrounding his marriage to Ruth Stubbs, then 16.
"The reason why this agreement was reached was due to the fact that the victim had engaged in a potential blackmail scheme with her brother in an attempt to get money from one of the leaders of the FLDS Church," Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith said in a statement. "This attempt was fairly recently discovered by all of the parties, and upon investigation, it appears that the victim did in fact write a letter indicating that she would not testify against certain defendants if excessive money was given to her brother and another man by one of the members of the FLDS Church."
Smith said in an e-mail to the Deseret Morning News that he would not pursue charges against Stubbs.
"There is insufficient evidence to prosecute her, because the member of the FLDS Church did not follow through with federal authorities in the investigation," he wrote. "The letter was destroyed, presumably by the victim's brother."
Stubbs was the key witness against Holm when he was convicted in Utah on bigamy charges in 2003. In 1998, she was told by then-FLDS leader Rulon Jeffs that she would be wed to Holm, who was a Hildale police officer. In a ceremony performed by Warren Jeffs the current FLDS leader, who is in jail and facing criminal charges Stubbs became Holm's third wife. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Holm's appeal on the Utah conviction.
Holm was the last of eight men from the FLDS enclaves of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., to face criminal charges related to alleged child-bride marriages. Four were convicted, one was acquitted and the charges were dropped against the other two.
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com
Recent comments
I smell a setup. It is the game of money buying brains to attack the...
Foul play | Aug. 28, 2007 at 11:15 a.m.
Do these comments make you FLDS? When I reported this abuse, the FLDS...
fincenMIB | Aug. 27, 2007 at 11:51 p.m.
It is all about money, money to Wisan , money to the goverments of...
Sunbear | Aug. 27, 2007 at 10:32 p.m.
- Start mammograms at 50, not 40 3:28 p.m.
- Pitta named semifinalist for award 3:11 p.m.
- Time Warner to spin off AOL 3:08 p.m.
- GMAC CEO steps down 3:07 p.m.
- Man arrested in '03 kidnapping 3:07 p.m.
- Tenn. loses 2 players to crime 2:48 p.m.
- Michigan didn't keep players logs 2:47 p.m.
- Barzee to plead guilty 2:47 p.m.
- Censors block call to free the Web 2:46 p.m.
- Vonage to settle investigation 2:43 p.m.
- MWC expand? Get rid of deadweight
- Relieved Cougs prep for Falcons
- Wounded Utes limp home
- Jazz rookies had to grow up quickly
- Apostle's wife felt comfort in attack
- Big games keep UHSAA coffers full
- TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd
- RSL surprised by Chicago's Fire
- Win in New Mexico good for Y?
- Jazz notes: Young bigs ride bench
- TCU creams U.
233 - BYU happy to escape with victory
232 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
220 - Will state consider gay rights law?
157 - RSL heads to MLS title game
133 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
131 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd
114 - Celtics crush Jazz
104 - MWC expand? Get rid of deadweight
100
The Gateway, 400 W. 200 South, will kick off the holiday shopping season...
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
Glad to see you back, Deron! Hope everything is doing well. Let's see you...
As far as has been reported,he was not a missionary, he was a United States...
Cannon wrote: "The First Amendment was designed to protect religion from...
...and every other natural sleeping aid.
The Founders, in today's political terms, were without doubt Conservatives,...
Ballet is way more physically demanding than any professional sport, but that...
liberal CONFUSION !!! | 3:16 p.m. Nov. 16, 2009 "Holy cow people, I have...
If Utah State is to ever become truely competative with schools in the MWC...
You have silly oppions, and no facts. What do you base your comments on? ...
I taught a BYU for a short time. I was accused of teaching false doctrine. I...
