From Deseret News archives:

Jurors: Girl's age was crucial to decision in Jeffs trial

Published: Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007 12:19 a.m. MDT
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Jurors said they did not fully believe Steed's testimony, although they did wonder why he was not charged with rape if Jeffs was being tried as an accomplice to the rape.

"We talked about it, whether there was an actual rape," said juror Ben Coulter, 26, who works in retail sales. "But it was her age. She was 14."

Jeffs, he said, was "the only one who could have released her (Elissa Wall) from the marriage."

Jury foreman David Finch said the jury thought Steed "contradicted himself several times on the stand" when it came to the timeline of events.

The first rape occurred between April 23, 2001, when Steed and Wall were married, and May 12, 2001, when the couple took a trip to Canada. The second count occurred sometime between May 13, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2003.

Juror Diedre Shaw, 32, a housewife and mother of four, said the group talked about whether there could be an accomplice to rape if there wasn't a rape. Other adults in Wall's life also did nothing to stop the marriage. Wall testified she never told anyone she was being raped.

"We talked about Allen Steed, her mother, her sisters and the fact that she (Elissa Wall) said she 'sugared up' to Allen eventually," Shaw said. "But they weren't on trial."

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Steed must have enticed Wall into sex, Shaw said, because Wall testified she consented to sex at times in order to get money or see family.

Three jurors said they were "inclined toward innocent on at least one of the counts" when they began deliberating Friday. On Monday afternoon, the jury informed Judge James Shumate they were deadlocked on one count, which prompted the judge to ask them to continue their discussions.

The jury was released for the night at 8 p.m. on Monday after telling the judge they were close to a verdict on both counts.

By Tuesday morning, a female juror was excused for an undisclosed reason. That dismissed juror, Andrea Powers Harold, told KSL-TV that a fierce argument broke out between her and another juror over what she called "misinterpreted words." An alternate juror, Rachel Karimi, 28, a mother with young children, was seated on the jury. Shumate instructed them that they were a "new panel." Less than three hours later, the jury returned with a guilty verdict.


E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com

Recent comments

This country has gone crazy.

Reading or quoting a passage of...

Someone | Sept. 27, 2007 at 7:28 p.m.

Oh, wait

because he's the hero who raped? her and didn't have an...

Anyone | Sept. 27, 2007 at 6:42 p.m.

The jury makes no reference to discussing what has been PROVEN to...

Anyone | Sept. 27, 2007 at 6:35 p.m.

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