Notorious People from the St. George, Utah area:
Tyler Richardson, assassin of Charlie Kirk, was from Washington, a town 5.4 miles from St. George.
Warren Jeffs, Mormon husband to 80 wives and in prison for life, is from Colorado City, Arizona which is 42 miles south of St. George. Warren Jeffs was famously tried and convicted in St. George, Utah, in 2007 for being an accomplice to rape for arranging the marriage of a 14-year-old follower to her 19-year-old cousin. Though this conviction was later overturned, the trial was a significant moment in the public saga of the polygamist sect leader.
Key facts about Warren Jeffs's trial in St. George:
- The initial conviction: Following the September 2007 trial in St. George, a jury found Jeffs guilty of two felony counts of being an accomplice to rape. He was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison.
- A defining moment: For many in the region, the trial put Jeffs and the practices of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) on display. Much of the FLDS population lives in the twin communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, about 40 miles from St. George.
- A local perspective: The trial was a major news story in St. George. A local poll conducted at the time found that 75% of residents believed Jeffs was guilty.
- The overturned conviction: In 2010, the Utah Supreme Court overturned the St. George conviction and ordered a new trial. The court ruled that the trial judge gave faulty jury instructions, which improperly defined the "bride" in the arranged marriage as a minor, despite evidence that her family told Jeffs she was 19.
- Later conviction in Texas: The overturned Utah conviction did not release Jeffs from prison. In 2011, he was found guilty in Texas of sexually assaulting two underage followers and received a life sentence plus 20 years. He continues to lead the FLDS from prison. warren jeffs st. george utah - Google Search
How the FLDS church consolidated power on the Utah-Arizona border - High Country News
Jody Hildebrande and Judy Franke, convicted child abusers and Mormon influencers, were from Ivans, Utah which is 8 miles from St. George. Their 5 million dollar bunker-like house is next to Snow Canyon State Park.
Jodi Hildebrandt was the business partner and counselor to former YouTube parenting vlogger Ruby Franke. The two women were arrested together and ultimately sentenced for physically and emotionally abusing Franke's two youngest children.
Jodi Hildebrandt and the ConneXions program
- Hildebrandt was a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Utah. After her license was put on probation for revealing confidential client information, she pivoted to offering online "life coaching" through her business, ConneXions.
- Franke and her husband, Kevin, began attending ConneXions programs in 2019, which focused on "Truth" and "Distortion" parenting philosophies.
- Under Hildebrandt's influence, Franke's family life deteriorated. Franke began working with Hildebrandt, and they launched a joint Instagram account called "Moms of Truth." In 2022, Franke left her husband and moved with her two youngest children into Hildebrandt's home.
The arrest and abuse
- The abuse came to light in August 2023 when Franke's 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt's house in Ivins, Utah, and ran to a neighbor for help.
- The emaciated boy had duct tape on his wrists and ankles and showed severe wounds. A subsequent 911 call led police to Hildebrandt's home, where they found Franke's 9-year-old daughter in a similar state.
- The children had been tortured and starved, forced to do physical labor for hours in the heat, and subjected to severe punishments. Franke later wrote in journal entries that she and Hildebrandt had told the children they were evil and possessed.
- After their arrests, Franke and Hildebrandt each pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse.
Sentencing and legal proceedings
- In February 2024, both Franke and Hildebrandt were sentenced to serve four consecutive prison terms of one to 15 years, with the total time capped at 30 years under Utah law.
- Hildebrandt and Franke are serving their sentences at the Utah State Correctional Facility.
- In March 2025, Hildebrandt filed a petition to challenge her conviction, but a judge ruled against her in August.
- Hildebrandt has been named in multiple lawsuits from former clients and Franke's ex-husband, Kevin Franke.Jodi Hildebrandt was the business partner and counselor to former YouTube parenting vlogger Ruby Franke. The two women were arrested together and ultimately sentenced for physically and emotionally abusing Franke's two youngest children. Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow, both convicted of the murders of Vallow's two children, began their relationship when they met in October 2018 at a spiritual conference in St. George, Utah. Daybell described the meeting in text messages, noting he felt an immediate connection with Vallow. This encounter was a significant part of the timeline leading up to the murders of Vallow's two children and Daybell's late wife.The Meeting in St. George:
- When: October 2018.
- Where: A spiritual conference in St. George, Utah.
- Significance: This was the first time Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow met in person.
Chad Daybell's Account:- In text messages, Daybell described hearing a voice before the conference that foretold he would meet a significant woman who would change his life.
- He felt an immediate connection and belief in destiny with Vallow, referring to her in the texts as "Elena" and himself as "James".
- St. George was also 50 miles from one of the most horrible and tragic episodes in Utah history, the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857 in which the Mormons and Indians murdered at least 120 members of a wagon train that came from Arkansas. Mountain Meadows Massacre - Wikipedia
Brigham Young, first leader of the Utah Mormons spent the winters of 1870 to 1877 in St. George with some of his 57 wives. Descendant of one of Brigham Young’s plural wives seeks historical truth | Local News | stgeorgeutah.com
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