. plus, ask how to get up to a $1000 prepaid card with a qualifying internet package. don't wait, call and switch today! keith morrison: it was one woman's battle with a shadowy church where teenage girls were ordered to marry a man old enough to be their grandfather. rebecca musser: he was 85. it was one woman's battle at a shadowy church where teenage girls were ordered to marry a man old enough to be their grandfather! >> he was 85, and i was 18. it was horrifying.

>> a place where they had no voice, and no choice. >> i finally just said, okay! with tears streaming down my face. >> but rebecca her sister, defying the leader who ruled them all. >> he said they will be destroyed in the flesh. >> instead, she got out and helped uncover the truth about this powerful prophet. >> this is a horrible thing to listen to. >> a sinister secret caught on tape! >> now prepare, dear sister-- >> it will just rock you! >> for too long, he alluded the law. could she bring the him down? >> i looked him in the eyes as if to say. we meet again! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> it is a long way home. back to that place tucked away between the towering red cliffs that joined utah to arizona. the place where you have been in that other lifetime. >> it is tough to be back. brings up a lot of things that are still really raw. >> then when she was known as sister becky. and wore those colorful prairie dresses. and piled up her long and braided hair. and shared a husband with more than 60 other women. it was here in this place that they call short crick or just, the crick. here is where it happened. >> a lot of it is the same, a lot of it has changed. i'm not the same person that i

was either. >> her name is rebecca musser. she has come back to the crick for the first time in years. hoping to find family and friends that she left behind. anyone, that is, who might actually speak to her. given what she did. given what she caused. oh yes, she is the one. you have heard about the strange religious leader. his shocking crimes, his dramatic undoing. here, is the incredible behind the headlines story. the story of the women in red. versus one of the fbi's most notorious fugitives. the unlikely soldier who went to war with a prophet, and said. if that is holy, and that is divine, and that is heaven i will take hell!

>> charles craig, is actually the two little towns of hildale, the utah and colorado city, good arizona. here live some 8000 souls, the core, the center of what they call the work. most people know it as the flds, the the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. no, not lds. regular mormons were considered apostates around here. and doomed for rejecting the religious tenants. polygamy, the life and which becky musser was born. >> you should want to be a poor wife because it was more wholly fulfilling this holy law by being a plural wife. >> no, not just allowed. required by god. >> they're measure of success is, for the women to marry a good faithful person where she brings forth as many children

as she can. because the more children he has, the larger the kingdom that he has. >> this is not a mainstream belief, or even legal for that matter. but this is after all, america. blessed in the constitution that quite pointedly shelters religious freedoms in all its stunning variety. becky's father, a convert to the work. was a college educated engineer who lived in salt lake city and designed for the space shuttle. in public, he was very successful. but in private? in private, he was fully aware that polygamy was illegal so he did all he could for his huge and growing family, to keep it a secret. >> my father had 25 children in total. 9 from his first wife, 14 from a second wife and 2 from his third.

>> did you feel different from the people around you? >> they told us that we were different from the rest of the world. >> your parents did? >> yes. and they told us that we needed to be more obedient because we had this higher way of life. and so, they just created a tremendous gap between us versus them. and terrified us of the outside world. >> there was a reason for that primal fear. very deep, and an forgotten in the dna of the flds. the raid. it was july 26th, 1953. the governor of arizona ordered the arrest of every single man in short creek. and more than 250 children were carted away. some of those families were not reunited for years. rebecca, like every flds child, heard the story over and over again. from when she was old enough to listen, from the day that they remembered as their most terrible. and about the awful things the outside world did. when the policeman came. and so they were watchful, wary

of outsiders. who lived around their crops here in the saltlake suburbs. >> my dad's first wife, and her children lived on the top floor. and my mother, the second wife, and her children lived in the downstairs. the bottom basement floor. >> how did the two wives get along? >> not so good. >> no? >> no. there was a tremendous amount of jealousy from my father's first wife. >> nevertheless, said rebecca, she practiced the work and studied the holy books. and put her trust and faith in the church and its prophet, rulon jeffs. to rebecca, uncle rulon led the church in salt lake and he was more than just a man. he had over ten wives in over 50 children. and as rebecca was taught to believe, he spoke directly with god. >> he was our connection to the

divine! and so, yes, i did owe that to him. >> so of course, rebecca, along with everyone else in the flds obeyed the prophets every directive. to obey was the key to salvation. >> obedience is the only act you could perform, and anything else was damnation. >> but as rebecca entered her teens, change was in the air. behind her uncles gentle smile, rules hardened. controlled tightened. not just for rebecca, of course, for all of them. this was her childhood friend, andrew chatwin. >> rulon started teaching you do not have a choice anymore. you have to be perfectly obedient. you are ordered to donate your time, your car, or make sacrifices that you normally wouldn't do because it was hurting your family. >> so more autocratic? dictatorial? >> yes, very dictatorial. a lot of members were going around and putting everyone on

the spot constantly. they would say, are you for him or against him? >> rebecca's father was very much for the prophet. he enrolled his children, including becky, in the uncles special school. called the academy. and there, the elements of an explosion mixed together. all that remained, was to light the fuse. coming up! >> there was always a calculated part of him. >> the principle of the academy? his son, warren jeffs. a man who carried out the doctrine with discipline. >> i never felt completely relaxed around him. and i think i'm not the only one. >> he gave me one beating. and it swelled up. i couldn't sit down good for a week. >> when dateline continues! dat . (♪♪) for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause... veozah is the first and only prescription treatment

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problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy for copd because breathing should be beautiful. [♪♪] your skin is ever-changing, take care of it with gold bond's age renew formulations of 7 moisturizers and 3 vitamins. for all your skins, gold bond. of 7 moisturizers and 3 vitamins. keith morrison: it's torn down now, but in 2013, this building was still standing, the shell of its former self, mind you, only the weeds for company, it is torn heredown now.

but in 2013, this building was still standing. the shell of its former self, mind you, only the weeds for company. it was on the fringe of salt lake city. this is, or was, the alta academy. once the most prestigious flds school. here, hundreds of children had seen their old yearbook folders where instilled in the flds faith. including rebecca musser who was a student here for more than ten years. >> so this is your classroom, fourth grade. >> fourth grade through 12th grade we would meet here. and mr. jeffs would teach for a morning class. >> mr. jeffs, was warren jeffs. the principle of alta academy. and one of her primary teachers. tall, slender. warren was one of uncle rulon's

many sons. >> warren was an authority in the school. he was close to the prophet, and warren would talk to him every single day. and he would be his father's messenger. >> this most private of private schools, away from the prying eyes of the outside world, taught the basics of reading and writing, and arithmetic. and that is when rebecca also discovered her natural musical talent. she learned to play and love the violin. she also listened carefully to warren jeffs lessons and strict obedience. even if that did not always come so easily. >> what was called holy was this level of obedience and dedication. and i stroll for that. i didn't have boyfriends, i did not sneak out, i did not drink beer. >> warren jeffs knew how to have fun though, or seem to be enjoying himself. in this rare video shot at school. >> he was, kind of goofy. a little bit of the nerdy. >> but he ran the place with an

iron hand, said rebecca. developing and dictating every aspect of the class curriculum. as if he had something bigger in mind. >> there was always a calculated part of him. about what was going on, and what the dynamic was and how it affected him. and what his next best move was. whether it was for power, or position. but i never felt completely relaxed around him. and i think i'm not the only one. >> very true, said rebecca's fellow student, andrew chatwin. >> he started doing things that were mentally abusive. then it went physically abusive. >> how do you know? >> how do i know? he implemented a school rule. if you got three asks, or three late assignments meant he would beat you on the back of the legs with a yardstick. >> including you? >> he gave me one beating, i swelled up on the back of my

legs. couldn't sit down for a month. i was 15 or 16 years old. stood almost as tall as him. and so i took the beating. warren jeffs pointedly excluded subjects, that didn't have it happen. or, even men on the moon. >> that didn't happen either. which is how young rebecca first ran afoul of the prophets son. >> i had gone to kindergarten first grade at a public school, and i remember, so distinctly, the day an astronaut came to visit our school. i was mesmerized. so then i go to alta academy, and, some how, there was some discussion about astronauts. i spout out, yes, they have been on the moon. >> perhaps that moment was the beginning of it. the first skirmish. oh, but not the last. rebecca's outburst earned her the first of many trips down the hall, to warren jeff's

office. >> where he very, strictly, and sternly, reprimanded me. saying, there is no way that god would allow any mortal man to walk on the moon. it is a trick, it did not happen, and don't you ever bring it up again. >> by then, the prophets rule on jeff's announced that the end times were upon them. he also announced that he would be the very last prophet, he personally would welcome back to earth jesus christ. in the meantime, while they waited, he told them, they would need to be absolutely obedient to his every directive. the trouble was, rebecca was having more, and more trouble with being absolutely obedient to the school's principal, the prophet's powerful son, warren jeffs. >> i was in trouble for being stubborn. i would ask a question, why? that doesn't make sense to me? if god is a god of reason, why doesn't this make sense? where is the missing link?

>> all the while, of course, rebecca understood that the church was planning her future for her. she would bear many children, she would be given to a husband of the prophet's choosing, and share him with other wives, just how it was. >> for the women, they are owned. body, mind, and soul, in their marriage covenant. it says, do you give yourself to your husband of own freewill and choice? >> they all said yes. the alternative, after all, was damnation. besides, as becky developed into a very beautiful young woman, her prospects were extremely good. especially because of, the particular person who expressed their interest, as everyone told her. >> you'll be blessed, you will have your salvation made sure. >> because rebecca's husband to be was the prophet himself. with the by then 85-year-old

rulon jeffs. >> i just remember walking in and feeling like, just stand up, and do your duty. >> though becky grew up in the flds, she has no idea what is in store. >> how can a man, of 85, with 19 wives, perform the functions of a husband? >> even though he couldn't, he certainly tried. it was horrifying. >> when dateline, continues. da. respiratory disease from rsv r in people 60 years and older. it's not for everyone and may not protect all who receive it. don't get abrysvo if you've had an allergic reaction to its ingredients. a weakened immune system may decrease your response. most common side effects are tiredness, headache, injection-site pain and muscle pain. ask your pharmacist or doctor about abrysvo today. my name is marie. i'm 49 years old and i'm a business owner. i own a lemonade and ice cream shop in florida,

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as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. [somber music] so this is my wedding dress. wow. you made that too? there was no courtship, no romantic proposal, just a short ceremony, to, of all people, this was my wedding dress. >> there was no courtship, no romantic proposal, just a short ceremony to, of all people, the prophet himself. uncle rulon jeff's, rebecca was his 19th wife.

>> in the flds, world, the age does not matter. the standing with the prophet. how pure, of obedient, and honorable he is. in my case, this faithful man was the prophet himself. >> rebecca's father told us that she wanted to marry the prophet, but it was an honor, but oh no, says rebecca, her father was wrong. it was more of a horror. >> i did not want to marry rulon jeffs. >> he's an octogenarian. a man in his 80s, for heaven's sakes. >> he was 85, and i was 19. >> they held the wedding in the living room of uncle rulon jeffs's sprawling house in salt lake city, september 17th, 1995. >> i resigned myself to the fact that that was my faith. just a surrender to it. >> this is my prince charming? this 85-year-old? >> my prince charming? i just remember walking in, and feeling like -- just stand up, and do your duty. >> she wore the white wedding

dress that she sewed herself, but she did not walk down the aisle. now here comes the bride, for her. just a brief exchange of vows, witnessed by her family, and uncle rulon jeffs many other wives. >> he could not stand up. he was leaning against a bench, and feeling what it felt like, because his hand was shaky. holding this old man's hand, i felt lost. why don't i feel like this is the right thing inside? i was ashamed that i was not thrilled to be marrying a man more than four times my age. >> something else, which was certainly no thrill at all, was because she was married to uncle rulon jeffs, his children were now her children. which meant, the authority figure she had learned to fear, the man who tormented her for years of school, warren jeffs was suddenly her son.

>> after i married rulon jeffs, warren jeffs was strangely nice. but, he could also be very stern, and to make sure you knew your place, your duty, and what was required of you. >> life, as a married woman required serving to prophet, any way he wanted to be served. they had a phrase for it. keeping sweet. >> to keep sweet, meaning, you are, absolutely, without question, obedient to what is being asked of you. >> no matter what it may be? >> no matter what that may be. with this sweet attitude, there should be no anger, no resistance, no, even, asking the question why was wrong. >> whatever uncle rulon jeffs wanted, he got. even though he was 85, he still wanted sex. >> when i first married him, it was 2 to 3 times a month. >> how can a man of 85, with 19

wives, perform the functions of a husband? >> he was old, and even though he couldn't, he certainly did try. it was horrifying. i kept trying to say, this is a man of god, yet he does this to me. if he talks to god then surely god will give him the message that i am terrified. >> but, neither --, nor anyone else, seem to be paying attention. the next time the prophet called for her she did the unthinkable. she refused to see him. >> i said no. i am not ready to come stay with you. i was not going to go through it again. and that was a big consequence. >> that's a big deal. >> there was a huge deal. >> word of rebecca's refusal got to warren jeffs, and again, she said, she was called to his office. the petty skirmish-ing was over

now. now, she knew, she was in very real jeopardy. >> he used scripture to tell me that it is my duty to be a comfort to my husband. especially my husband, because he was the prophet. that he received direct revelation from god. he said, don't you ever, ever, ever, ever, tell your husband no again. if you do, you will be destroyed in the flesh. >> destroyed in the flesh? well, maybe not rebecca. maybe, someone else. >> coming up -- >> i was in the room when it happened. he was sitting, talking, and all of a sudden, he slumped over, and didn't wake up. >> cataclysmic change comes to the creek. becky's little sister will also

pay the price. >> he asked my mother to standoff next to me, she stood there, squeezed my hand, and finally, i said, okay. tears streaming down my face. >> when dateline continues. ce. >> when dateline continues. shingles strikes as a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. and it could wake at any time. think you're not at risk for shingles? it's time to wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles prevention. from pep in their step to shine in their coats, when people switch their dog's food to the farmer's dog, the effects can seem like magic. but there's no magic involved. (dog bark) it's just smarter, healthier pet food. it's amazing what real food can do. nexium 24hr prevents heartburn acid for twice as long as pepcid. get all-day and all-night heartburn acid prevention with just one pill a day. choose acid prevention. choose nexium. wanna know why people are getting a covid-19 shot?

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the economy is simply not working for millions of hard working families. book online or go to they're working harder than ever and they still can't make enough to get by to afford food and medicine to even keep a roof over their heads. we need to build more housing that's truly affordable. we need to address this terrible epidemic of homelessness. we need to invest in good paying jobs, union jobs and investments in our future. this, this is why i'm running for the us senate. i'm adam schiff and i approve this message.

i am richard louis with the hours top stories. russia says it has captured a key ukrainian city of at pika. you can in troops confirmed that they withdrew from the battered town, expanding moscow's control of the east. so let's get says it was left to spare soldiers lives. meanwhile, the u.n. security council, an estimated 65 heads of states and government officials expected to meet, including president zelenskyy and secretary of state antony blinken. now back to dateline. antony blinken. now back to dateline. , was not destroyed in the flesh. no, despite the threatening noises from rulon's son warren, rebecca found other ways to keep her aging husband content. wife number 19 was not destroyed in a flash. no, despite the threatening

noises from their son, rebecca found other ways to keep her aging as been -- anyway, there was lots of help in the department. as they're protected and times approached, he married more and more young women to ensure their salvation, he would tell them. by the time he was 19, he had something like six wives and more than 60 children. and then, basic biology stepped in. three years into rebecca's marriage, the man they all believed was in mortal who lived to see the second coming of crisis suffered a very human failure. >> i was in the room when it happened. he was sitting and talking. when he was slumped over and did not wake up. >> they rushed into the nearest hospital. a stroke, they can. he survived but only barely. frail confuse, could not remember his wife's names,

called them all sweetie. then they had instructions, no one wants to know, the severity of the profits condition must be kept secret, especially from the people of the nfl ds. >> what he was talking to people was that the profit was doing fine. only that he needed to have some rest. >> i have to prove it, the marriage continued. rylan was eventually married to 65 women, most of them young. the sign for the faithful, have a healthy profit. but an outsider was watching all of this with a very different eyes. a private investigator who has made his business to track and right about the f of the snt sleet or, say a man named sam brower. what concerned bauer was not so much the sick old profit and his wives, as it was the young man pulling the strings. >> when he saw his father starting to deteriorate, he was

able to kind of form himself into position of authority. then, when his father started having these strokes, warren proclaimed himself his father's mouthpiece. >> first came an order, supposedly by the profit passed on by his son warren. the profit had ever volition, salt lake city had become the look at a city on earth, a city marked for destruction in the second coming of crisis. >> but in the meantime, the faithful were told to gather here, here in short creek to await the end of times. most of them came. >> reporter: soon, warren jeff's tactics, extremely effective, says rebecca, at least to her, it appears, gathered them at a place he could more easily control himself, that he was handing out political gifts to his male pillars. >> it went from having two or

three marriages a weekend to having five, six, seven, even sometimes eight marriages in a. day >> but they were getting younger and younger and younger? >> because they were running out of girls. warren was literally appeasing the questions with, you've been so faithful, here is a new beautiful bride for you. this is your blessing. >> here is a 16-year-old. >> then, all of the 16-year-old to get married, and then there are 15 year olds. >> one of those girls being pressured to marriage was a happy little blonde named lisa wahl, rebecca's little sister, who is just 14. >> when i found out that i was marrying allen, who was my first cousin, i was already resistant to the marriage. i had on multiple occasions expressed my desire to not get married. >> allen was alan steed, lisa despised him, had known him all her life. besides she knew nothing of marriage let alone sex or

having babies. >> i have never been talk about anatomy. i had never been taught about sex. there was not that term used in faes. >> and so rebecca intervened. tried to stop the marriage. but. >> warren told me it is happening. there was no choice for her except to do what she was told. >> and so, in a seedy motel owned by the flds. in the town of nevada, a secret marriage took place. warren jeff's ruth presiding. >> i knew this wasn't right. and i took those last moments to be defiant. i refused to take my vows. >> they just waited for you to say the right word? >> they said, i remember warren asking about the vows. and then he turned to me and asked me, do i take allen? and i just stood there. my last defense. >> so what did he do? >> he asked my mother to stand up next to me.

and she stood there and she squeezed my hand. and i finally said okay. yay tears streaming down my face. >> alyssa and her husband moved into a house near the crick. rebecca moved into rulon dry and house and was unaware of what was happening to her little sister. >> i was very good -- from day one i was very vocal about how much he didn't touch me. about how much i did not want to have a family with him. so, to have the sexual relationship with him was so devastating. it was absolutely being raped. >> and so, did you go to either rulon or warren and complain? >> i want to warn jeff multiple times in my marriage with allen, begging him for a way

out. explaining what was going on. and he ultimately would reprimand me and tell me to go home and give myself to him body and soul. >> it was your? fault >> it was, it was always my fault. >> meanwhile, the millennium came and went. the world did not end. but something very unexpected did happen. in 2002, rule on jeff's, the seemingly immortal prophet. the man who prophesized he would be alive for the return of jesus died. he was 92. >> and then, as it started to sink in, i was scared. >> because? guess who was in charge now? >> coming up! >> warren is a brilliant man. he is diabolically genius. >> after years of quiet classes >> with warren jets, things were about to explode. >> he pointed his finger at me and said i will break you!

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keith morrison: it was huge, the funeral. like burying short crick's version of a pope, it was huge! the funeral. like burying short creek's version of the pope. even more so because the prophet, rulon, dead at 92, was supposed to be immortal. and welcome to second coming of christ. >> the shock just when he absolutely did die. i remember thinking, no, that cannot be. that does not fit into what we have been told. and if we had enough faith, then he would live that long and he would be living again. it was because of our lack of faith that this man in his 90s died. and that's what's when warren made his move. >> you just stepped into the vacancy and then said that is it, it is me now.

>> he didn't say it, very subtly, but very aggressively. warren is diabolically genius. >> by the time uncle rulon died, his son was untouchable. get in short, he was officially declared prophet of the flds. >> he proceeded to kick any threats out of the church. he held a meeting, and immediately kicked out 21 men that were a threats to his authority. >> remember the andrew chatwin? he knew several members of the church, he said, that we're getting the adult version. >> in some cases, a man would go to work and in the morning, come back that evening. and all his personal stuff is put out on the front yard of the house. and his wife's remarried. >> in one day? >> in one day while he went to work. no trial, no explaining yourself. they made a decision.

>> rapidly, short creek changed, said andrew chatwin. paranoia wormed its way through the commune. >> warren, he is not a stupid man. and that is what is so dangerous about him. it's like he made sure that every single person had just enough dirt on them to keep them uncomfortable from speaking up. and that is what's allowed all of that to flourish. >> rebecca was 26 by then. a widow. and she believed, vulnerable. >> i no longer had a layer of protection from the prophet. and warren had absolute say. so for me it was scary. >> what were you scared he was going to do? >> my biggest fear was that he was gonna force us to be remarried. >> to somebody? >> to anybody. especially him. >> sure enough, in short creek, warren jets wasted little time arranging weddings for dozens of the prophet's widows. >> when he did start to marry

his wives off. it was like a locomotive out of control. i would see them walk behind him the next day and realized another one is married. it was very troubling. and it felt like being sets to auction. >> rebecca, perhaps the prettiest of all the prophets wives. but no friend of warren. felt she would be next. >> i was very concerned about marrying him. i had seen how he had treated his wives and his family. and i knew that even the little freedoms that i had would be taken. >> and then one day, rebecca and a young man named ben, a member of the flds, went hiking in the hills above short creek. since rulon's death the two had grown close. the trouble was someone had saw them kissing. and told warren. and once again, she said, she was called into his

disapproving presence. >> and then he said, i detect the seeds of apostasy and you. and that is in the flds culture by far, one of the worst to have. that's next to murder. >> and then a new prophet issued the order. the one she feared. >> you will be married. one week from now. >> and i begged him, i said please. do not do this to me. and he said, you know that's what god wants. and i said, no i don't. and he pointed his finger at me and said, i will break you! >> and maybe only now, in retrospect, does the moment come into focus. the years of animosity, the building tension between rebecca and warren jeffs had just become a declaration of war. >> coming up! >> that door had everything that i had ever known in my entire life. >> rebecca takes a life-

changing risk. >> when it sunk in i thought to myself, what have i done? oh my gosh, what am i gonna do? >> when dateline continues. dat a that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent. shingles. some describe it as an intense burning sensation, or an unbearable itch. this painful, blistering rash can disrupt your life for weeks and could make it hard to be there for your loved ones. shingles could also lead to serious complications that can last for years. if you're over 50, the virus that causes shingles is likely already inside you. and as you age, your risk of developing shingles increases. don't wait.

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vote yes on e. keith morrison: she had a week to decide, this prophet's widow, marry warren jeffs or some other man of his choosing or-- or what? she had a week -pto decide, thi prophets widow. marry warren jets or some other man of his choosing. or, or what? doubt and guilt played ping- pong in her head. >> well, maybe they know better than what i know. maybe it's just me that is wrong. but there's a part of me that says, hold on a minute, there is something really wrong here. >> the days, the voices. tick tock, a deadline coming. and then something clicked. >> and, it hit me. you can leave! and i felt this instant lift off of my shoulders.

>> but how could she leave? not like she could just stroll out of the place in her dress and start a brand-new life somewhere. the flds was all she had ever known. >> i so distinctly remember that before i leave, who would i want to come? good because we were gonna tot that you would be evil and wicked and a diseased in the streets. >> rebecca had no escape plan, no survival strategy. she did have a few brothers who had left the flds, including one that lived in oregon. and he said come with me, but that is in oregon. and i am in southern utah. so i was thinking oregon really? so i had no idea how i was gonna get there. >> and she neither car, and no money to speak of. there was however, ben, the young man that she was caught kissing on the mountain.

>> ben told me that he would help me get there. and that was a sobering thing for him to do. realizing what it was like for him. but he said i will help you. >> ben had a truck, they decided to leave and then struck on sunday morning, the day before warren jeff's deadline. they left very early before dawn, before church. over the next few days, rebecca gathered together her belongings, her most precious possessions. her photographs, her violin. she took them over to her sister's home nearby. she did not tell anyone which he was doing, not even get elissa. >> then it was time. a chilly sunday morning, november 2002. >> i remember what it was like to shut the door to my room and feeling that click shot and knowing that on the other side of that door was anything that i had ever known in my entire life. >> she climbed over the gates of uncle rulon's mansion and waited down the road in his

truck. >> and i just kept thinking, just walk, just walk. and i remember he opened the door. and he said, are you ready? and i said yeah! so we got in, and just got out of town as quickly as we could. [noise] ♪ ♪ ♪ >> as dawn lit up the utah desert, sister becky was now just rebecca. >> it sunk in, and i thought would have a done. what am i going to do? and looking at the clock thinking, okay. if we turned around right now, i could probably slip in while everybody is in sunday school and it would be just fine. >> struggled with that a bit? >> it would've been fine. but i thought, you know i, know where i would go back. >> they drove 22 straight hours to oregon. to a world that she had been taught was evil.

>> i went cold turkey from being an flds prophets wife and my hair was up to my knees and only having one long dresses. >> for the first time in her life, rebecca cut her hair. learn to apply makeup and got a job as a waitress and found that communicating with customers was not easy and she did not know slang words like cool and hip. she took them literally. >> even though i spoke the english language, i had no idea what people were talking about so it was overwhelming. >> and she pined for her family. >> i was able to stay in touch covertly with some of my friends. >> life was not good for elissa, then 17. not at all. >> it was a lot of abuse, psychological, physical, mental abuse. sexual abuse. i think watching rebecca go, and finding out later on that she wasn't dead and that

lightning had not come down and struck her, opened my eyes. >> with newfound courage, she left allen and then fled the flds. >> i had a chance to go to oregon where she was living at the time, and my brother and her were there. and i looked back on that moment as a very pivotal point in my experience. because it gave me a very clear understanding that there was a possibility that i would be okay. >> how was it to see them again? >> seeing my family after the pain of them leaving? interestingly enough. it was just joy! there was no judgment. there was no how dare you? i was so happy to see them again. and i realized that i loved them. no matter what the religion said, or warren, or what my teachings told me. >> but back at the creek, things were not okay for warren jeffs.

suddenly he was facing two lawsuits. an attorney knew the flds, although he no longer code represents them. >> it was a case that the boys claimed had been thrown out of the community. and another was a young man who alleged that he had been sexually assaulted by warren as a boy. >> by 2004, when elissa left the church and it spread through crick that the church was ejected by warren jeff's. it got worse. and more and more marriages were being arranged for pre- buscent girls. almost as if he was using them as bargaining chips. and for senior members of the church. the flds recalls that. and she says. >> he said you had two sisters there. the only guy you can stop warren's the stop warren. and what can be done is to bring charges against him. it was hard for me to hear that because it's like, yeah i want

him to stop. but do i really want to be that person to step into those shoes? >> but as she thought about those little girls. sisters, cousins. innocence. she knew, leaving the got flds to save herself was not enough. >> i thought, i can't sit by and let this happen. if there was a way i couldn't stop the, and i didn't. i don't know if i could live have lived with myself knowing that. >> so rebecca, and especially her brother. knowing that elissa had a strong case, urged her to file charges against her husband allen steed and warren jeffs to stop the abuse. >> i had known for a while that both arizona and utah were searching for a witness. that they were hoping that i would come forward. ultimately, coming forward was a choice that i made. i realized, whatever the pressure, whatever the cost, that i owed it to myself in the future of other girls to speak my truth. >> and so, you came forward?

>> i came forward. >> so in 2006, elissa, by then cut off from family members still in the flds ads short crick. made her accusations official. he was charged with 2000 -- two counts of rape. but the problem? the prophet had disappeared. coming up! a spiritual leader missing? where on earth could he be? >> he was traveling around the country. going from state, to state, to state. and just trying to stay hidden. he wants to disneyland. he went to strip clubs. and had a good old time. >> they picked up his eye- popping trail. but did they find him? when dateline continues! when dateline continues! and with higher stroke risk from afib not caused by a heart valve problem, we're going for a better treatment than warfarin. eliquis. eliquis reduces stroke risk.

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and thus, of sanctioning rape. but warren jeffs had been underground for more than two years by then because this wasn't his only trouble. where was warren jets? it was 2006. warren jeff was a wanted man, accused of arranging the illegal unknown wanted marriage of alyssa. but warren just have been underground for more than two years by then, because. this was not his only trouble, remember those two lawsuits that the prophet was already facing? it was said to take a very long trip. even the fbi could not seem to find him. >> today, warren jeffs was placed on the fbi's most wanted list. >> and sam brower was hearing stories from his sources at the flds. >> he was traveling around the country going from state, to states, to state. trying to stay hidden. >> on the road, it appeared. the profit was not exactly practicing what he preached. >> he went to disneyland, mardi gras, he went to the strip clubs.

and had a good old time. >> warren also turned up here in west texas, very rural west texas. where he was helping oversee a construction of the new community of the flds. called the zion ranch, or -- . far away from the prying eyes of the outside world. but, the age of consent, the age of person could marry was 14 here. they would build a shining white temple for the church. >> the project was to say the least, ambitious. the whole town went up around the tyndall. these were the most faithful flds followers. and it was literally their place to wait for zion. they farmed the land, raise the lies sock. built the quality homes for them in their children. schools, machine stops, a factory. away from the world. >> there were no building codes in the county where he they

were building. they could just start building something. of course in warren's mind it was god telling him to go out there and do this. to find a place of refuge. >> warren did not just see construction of the ranch. but never spent long stretches of time here, or anywhere else. one of the reasons he kept alluding law enforcement. and then, in august of 2006. on a lowly stretch of interstate 15. a nevada state trooper spotted and escalate. it appeared to have no license plates. he flashed his lights, pulled over the suv and the driver was a tall looking man. >> his artery was pulsating on the right side of his neck. even at one point told him, is everything okay? you seem nervous? >> the cop ran the license. it was the profit and fugitive, warren jeff's. >> we would like to announce the rest of fbi's most wanted, worn jeff. >> good sam brower heard right away about the arrest and of course saw the escalate. all kinds of disguises, wigs,

cell phones, thousands of dollars in cash. prepaid credit cards and phone cards. >> everything that somebody on the run from the law would need. >> including several computer drives. several? one in particular featured a rather odd recording of him having a conversation with a young girl. >> please get on the other side of the bed. >> a few days later, he appeared at the hearing in utah to face charges in elissa case. >> are you warren jets? >> yes. >> when i found out he was caught i was shocked. surely, all these people can see he is just a fake! everything that he was telling them that was evil and dark and

wicked to do, he was out doing! >> and for a moment, at least, it seemed as if the self proclaimed prophet was having some doubt of his own. this was a jailhouse meeting with one of his brothers, which just happened to be caught on camera. >> [inaudible] i never was the prophet. and i've been deceived by the powers of evil. >> but his stunning revelation, if that's what it was, did not last. when the outburst went public, he had an explanation. >> warren made the statements that the devil appeared to him as a pillar of light in his jail cell, and deceived him. and that's why he was saying those things. >> then, in spite of it all, the vast majority of nfl d as members continue to believe in him. including rebecca's own mother!

who had no idea that her daughters were actively working against her profit. >> after he was caught, my mother called me and she asked me who has charges against our prophet? >> and i was not gonna lie to her, but i certainly wasn't going to tell her either and she said, well honey, i hope it's not you or any of my children because i would rather see every single one of my children go to the grave before anyone of you stand up against our prophet. >> it was the fall of 2007 when warren drafts went on trial in utah, facing two accounts of rape as an accomplished. for arranging underage spiritual marriage day, and one of the key witnesses against him was the woman that he once called mother becky musser. the shoe was on the other foot now. >> the last time that i had seen him before that trial was in his office, and he said i will break you! and, he looked over at me and i looked him square in the eyes.

and it was as if we both nodded. slightly, as if to say, we meet again! >> coming up! the stakes and pressure on rebecca and her sister the could not be fathom. if they failed, he stood to become even more powerful. >> if he was to walk away a free man, he would prove to them that he really, truly was gods disciple. >> when dateline continues! e. >> when dateline continues! (♪♪) but this is a not flash. (♪♪) for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause... veozah is the first and only prescription treatment that directly blocks a source of hot flashes and night sweats. with 100% hormone—free veozah... you can have fewer hot flashes and more not flashes. veozah reduces the number and severity of hot flashes day and night. for some women, it can start working in as early as one week. don't use veozah if you have cirrhosis, severe kidney problems, kidney failure, or take cyp1a2 inhibitors. increased liver blood test values may occur.

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was going to go on trial. warren jeffs was about to thmak history. for the first time ever, a prophet of the flds, a man who had spoken to --, was going to go on trial. and what made it more dramatic? a case was the direct our assault on the practice. he was facing two felony counts as rape as an accomplice of elissa wall, rebecca's sister. >> what was happening to me was the real truth of what got out. >> and she was set to testify that warren jess was set to marry her at 14. and ignored her pleas for help when she was sexually abused by her husband. >> walking into the courtroom and saw him there. i remember our eyes locking, and an unbreakable deaths there. and holding my ground. facing him. and not looking down but to hold his gaze was like the

shackles breaking away. >> arranged marriages, underage brides. religious freedom. all on trial! but it was also the first time that someone inside of the flds would speak up publicly in a criminal case against the prophet. the grainy courtroom camera rolled, as the process's -- alleging he enticed 14-year-old elissa into marriage, and insisted that she obeyed her husband and the sexual demands. >> that man performed a ceremony and told her to multiply and replenish the earth. that's why the defendant is an accomplice to rape. >> but the defense team insisted that what happened between elissa, and her husband was her husband's doing. not warreb jeff's. the prophet had only offered advice on improving the marriage. >> he talked about abstinence, he does not talk about

promiscuity. there is no evidence that warren -- allen to go ahead and rape your wife. she was almost 21 by this time. >> because she was a minor when the alleged crime happened, the camera did not show her face when she told that she was taught to always obey the prophet. >> he told me that i was not living up to my vows. i was not being obedient. >> but the prosecution needed more than her story. they needed what rebecca could tell them. >> they said, we can prove that your sister was raped, but it's your testimony that links warren to the crime. because you were in his family. you were with him, and you understand the training, and the culture of this. >> and so rebecca came to court , and saw warren jeffs for the first time since she left short quick.

before she spoke, before she took the oath, she made a statement. not in words. in what she wore. >> we were not allowed to wear the color red. and warren had gone into extensive preaching about how evil, and dark, and immoral the color red was. so, i thought, how can i sent him a message that he never broke me? so i chose to wear the color red. >> rebecca testified how he created, condoned, and encouraged a culture ripe for abuse. >> he would tell me that under no circumstances do you ever, ever, ever, tell your husband no. >> for two weeks, he watched in silence as the case played out before him and then the jury took up the question, protection of girls versus the prophets ideas of religious practice. >> i knew that if he was to walk away a free man, he would just be ingrained in the people of the flds because he was

really truly gods disciple. >> it did not take the jury long to reach a verdict. >> mr. jeffs can you please stand? >> warren just and his charcoal gray suit stood up to hear the verdict. >> we find the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. and he is guilty to rape as an accomplice. >> guilty! on both felony counts! the prophet was sentenced to ten years in prison. allen steed had been charged with one count of rape, but denied the allegations. later, he pled to reduced the charges. and was sentenced to jail, along with three years probation. >> this has not been easy for us! the easy thing would have been to do nothing. but i have followed my heart, and i have spoken the truth. >> and rebecca finally felt

vindicated. >> i spoke, i testified. he was found guilty. and, i wore red. and it was not like the world went into a massive explosion or earthquake. i was so relieved. and i said finally, it is over. >> it was not over though, was it? >> now. >> in fact, it was just beginning. because of all new, and much more complicated case was about to explode deep in the heart of texas. and soon, rebecca would find herself smack in the middle of it. >> coming up! >> investigators discover a balcony scene. as rebecca watches from afar, holding her breath. >> it felt like i was being ripped apart! >> when dateline continues! dat respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can be serious for those over 60, including those with asthma, diabetes, copd, and certain other conditions. but i'm protected. arexvy is proven to be over 82% effective

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the prophet was now in prison. it was spring, 2008. but even behind bars, warren jeffs was still very much in power and maintaining control over his flock, especially the flds the prophet was now in prison. it was spring of 2008. but even behind bars, warren jeffs was still very much in power. and maintaining control of his flock. especially the flds community which had recently sprung up in west texas. at this time, that 1800 acre yearning for zion ranch and sparkly new temple were complete. local law enforcement was keeping a close eye on the ranch. curious about it. but also concerned about what was taking shape out there in the desert. -- was a texas ranger. >> west texas people are very friendly and welcoming individuals. but they were certainly

concerned because texas has own history of having some -- . >> as it was under construction, the texas legislature changed the age of which a person could marry with parental consent. from 14 to 16. rebecca heard about the ranch too, she wondered if any members of her family had moved there. so she checked with the local sheriff to see what he knew. nothing, it turned out. but he did begin using rebecca as an interpreter. >> he would call me periodically and ask, can you tell me about this? or can you tell me what this means to them? >> then on an early spring day in march. authorities in nearby st. got a call. from a woman who said her name was sarah barlow. claimed she lived at the ranch, and was being abused and held against her will by her husband. >> she was a young girl. and, i think at the time of the

phone call. 16. she had already given birth to a child. and, with her age, it's doing the math, recognize that that would've been a sexual assault of a child. >> so what was the plan there? >> to find sarah barlow. >> on april 3rd, 2008. the rangers, child protective services in total, arrived at the ranch. >> and the women were in prairie dresses essentially. most of it was constructed in log cabin type nature. so it almost felt like you went back in time to a period that merica left at a long time ago. >> whether the rangers had known it or not, they confirmed their worst fears. here and everywhere, that the flds was faithful. ever since that still vividly remembered raid on the church

in short crick, back in 1953. and some 1500 miles away, rebecca knew very well. >> to know that the lives of people that you loved dearly, theme our understanding the responsibility of the law. it was like two words crashing together. and having a major explosion. it for me, it was ripping me apart. >> and almost immediately, it seemed to go wrong. instead of the 300 or 400 people the rangers expected to find. there was something like 700. including more than 400 children. and dozens of teenage girls, finally finding sarah was looking for a needle in a haystack. >> very confusing information. most of these ladies dressed alike, sounded alike. their hair was fixed the same. there was only about four or five very common names on the ranch. so it was very difficult, as you would imagine, to differentiate who belongs to who. and who is who. >> then it got worse. swat teams arrived. snipers.

even an armored personnel carrier. and while the terrified residents cowered, the rangers searched every house. every media room. every birthing center. looking for the elusive sarah. nothing, except. >> we started seeing signs in plain view. of other abuse. we saw young girls with babies. young girls, at least appear to be young that were expecting. and, during these interviews. looking for sarah. jim evidence of other crimes came apparent very quickly. now that we can see it, where being held by these instances by good child abuse of these little girls. >> several of the girls interviewed by child protective services said that they had been spiritually united with adult men. but no age was too young for them. and it was the prophet who decided when, and whom, they should marry. the next day, 18 girls were determined to have been abused. or at risk of abuse. and were removed from the

ranch. and then, over the next two days, dozens more children. some very young, were forcibly removed from their parents, and taken to temporary housing. >> my two-year-old son was screaming. mother, don't let him take me. don't let him take me. i want to save you mother. please don't let him take me. >> and then, four days after the raid began. the court order was arranged to take away all the remaining children until an assessment could be made of what was going on in the ranch. this time, however, money mothers but not fathers were allowed to go with them. >> they had been predispositioned to believe that anyone from the outside was evil. we had no desire to go out to the ranch for any other reason than the call. you can't ignore a young girls cry for help. you have to act! >> some of the mothers and the children who had been separated

were reunited in a makeshift shelter. eventually, all of them were transported to an overburdened sports union in san angelo. and many of the members, young and old, were required to line up and submit samples of their dna. and then, scores. toddlers and children shipped off to foster homes around the state. some of them hundreds of miles away. to live with families whose culture they did not know. for how long? they did not know. this was for their protection. >> this is not about numbers. this is about children, who are in imminent risk of harm. children that we believe that had been abused or neglected. >> the images set of a firestorm of controversy. former flds attorney, rob parker. >> what the state did, was traumatizing that entire community. and all of those children. that was wrong! what texas should have done is take a more targeted approach. not just sweep up everything.

>> we did not particularly enjoy it either. no one likes taking a child out of its environment. even the worst circumstances. but the law isn the law, someone spoke, and the children were in danger. we did what we had to do. >> mind you, there was no sign of the mysterious sarah barlow whose call had prompted the raid, everything that followed. but they did find birth records. but untangling the names and blood lines was overflowing and impossible. >> we were essentially learning an entire network, a community of people. and they all have similar last names. and they all sound the same, look the same, at the same. >> they needed somebody who could tell them what it all meant.

crack the code. unravel the secrets. an expert who needed all, good literally from the inside. >> and finally he said, look we are in over our head. can you please come in and help us. and so i did. >> and what she exposed, deep inside the yearning for zion ranch, was a very dark, and carefully guarded secret. about a religion and his prophet, warren jeffs. >> coming up! investigators make a strange discovery that only rebecca can explain, what it means. >> there was part of me that hoped that, no it cannot be right! when dateline continues! en dat! it's lying dormant, waiting... and could reactivate. shingles strikes as a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. and it could wake at any time. think you're not at risk for shingles? it's time to wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles prevention. from pep in their step to shine in their coats, when people switch their dog's food to the farmer's dog,

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i'm richard louis. some stories we're following this. our two atmospheric rivers here expected to bring heavy rainfall to california. northern california could see 3 to 4 inches of rain with the river shifting south on sunday. mudslides could also be concerned in that area. football star, travis kelce, donated $100,000 to two young girls who were shot at the kansas city chiefs victory

parade. family said the kids had surgery for gunshot wounds to their lakes. now, back to dateline. their lakes. now, back to dateline. its brille pointing to heaven from the heart of the yearning for zion ranch. this first ever temple of the flds, gleaming white limestone, every piece it sparkled in the texas sun, it's brilliant white spire pointing to the head of the yearning for zion ranch. this first ever temple of the flds. every piece cut from the very land it sat on, every square inch of it fashioned by the people on the ranch themselves. every square inch sacred. but now the texas rangers were at the door, looking they said, for the mysterious sarah barlow. >> we recognize the temple was a symbol to those folks. and we did not want to trample on their beliefs. however, we had not found sarah barlow. the search warrants dictated

that we search the premises, and that includes any place that she could be head. and obviously she could be had there. >> the temples giant doors were fashioned in heavy oak and were tightly secured. >> we asked them numerous taught times, please unlock the doors. we don't want to use force to gain entry. but, the cooperation only was in the warrant. >> rebecca had not arrived yet. but she knew what was happening. >> i was terrified because i did not know what was in that temple. i knew how they hoped that temple was sacred. and i was scared, because if there was going to be an incident. it would've been over that temple. >> the decision was made. the rangers used a battering ram. and at that very moment, says than the members of the flds. the temple was defiled. there would never be a temple again. >> the moment that stays with me is the treatment of the

temple. the pounding of the door just echoed across. and to me it was signified the period that existed and that was cloaked for so many years was coming to an end. >> for sergeant, and the other things to enter at the temple. they marveled at the workmanship, the design, the decor. >> i did not see it as defiling it, but i know we took great measures to respect things. to not tear up anything that they had. but whatever it took to make sure that there was not a victim there was what we were going to do. >> there was no sign of sarah, or anyone else inside. but as they climbed, they could see that each for seem to have special significance. as the colors of the walls, the floors changed. each for distinctively different. >> the third floor was white. and it was brilliant white. the furniture was white.

the tables were white. the carpet was right. you almost needed shades when you went up there. and you really did get the sense, if there was a room over there i bet it looks like this. >> on the same floor, the rangers discovered something. very strange. >> two beds, and one bed was positioned and situated like in a medical clinic. >> it was a murphy bed that could be pulled down from the wall. with several chairs surrounding it. and then, in an adjacent hallway they found the parts of another bed that had been disassembled. track marks on the rug suggested that it had at some point been moved in and out of the room. the rangers put it back together. and this is what it looked like. compete with railings and the kneeling bench at the foot of the bed. >> we needed somebody to help us give some understanding of the culture we were in.

and the things that we had that we could not understand. >> so two days after the initial visit. the rangers took rebecca inside the temple with them. >> when we got ready to go up to the top floor, the ranger told me. he said now, if there is any reason that this beds. they had talked about beds on the top floor. if there is any reason, other than what we think they are there for. we need to know. >> the beds. seeing them, said rebecca, sparked a rush of memories. and hearing uncle rulon and get warren jeffs talking about safe ordinances to be talked about in their future temple. >> i remember the horror that i felt in the warren jeffs home as he was discovering this ordinance of a sexual nature where we were taught the correct way to conceive a child. the laws of creation. >> the beds in the temple? as far as rebecca was concerned it was confirmation that warrant jetts was not just teaching underage girls about the sex ordinances. he was performing them.

>> seeing the bed, the chairs around it. all of the things that warren described. there was a part of me that hoped that, no that cannot be right. but there was also another part of me that knew, there it is. there is everything that you ever thought about it. >> but, there was one more piece of evidence hidden at the ranch. a voice, sitting in the secret vault. that would shock even rebecca! >> coming up! an audio recording that reveals the darkest discovery of all. >> it will just rock you. it is so horrible. >> when dateline continues! >> when dateline continues! i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds.

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ask your eczema specialist april, 2008. the nation's eyes were glued on what was happening in the desert of west texas. the yearning for zion ranch was crawling with texas april 2008, the nation's eyes were glued on what was happening in the desert of west texas. the yearning for zion ranch, was crawling with texas rangers. looking not only for a teenage girl who would be in danger. but also evidence of other, underage brides. and there is one more place to look. >> there was a sister building to the temple. and it was referred to as the temple annex. inside, there was a vault. >> this time, a battering ram was not enough. >> so we jack hammered through the wall to open the vault from the inside. >> rebecca in the rangers

entered, and immediately they knew. they had hit the mother lode. >> they had just tons, i mean 400 boxes. of physical papers. plus all of the digital information. and it was all of these records. >> church records, we found. family records. and probably the most important thing was priesthood records. which were the mutations of warren jeff. his movements, his directions. really it was a roadmap to all of the activities of the flds community. >> every dictation, every record, every file. had to be scrutinized. page by page. >> walking into there, and going, oh my god. look at all of this. >> he was an investigator in the attorney generals office. and box by box, through merely millions of pages, they searched. with the help of rebecca. >> she was very important about their authenticating the documents for us.

she was able to give us their lineage. >> rebecca knew it all. because, she personally, had helped compile them. >> i was there, and i saw, i heard, and was involved with the gatherings. so it was the prophets wives that came and sorted them out. the different kinds of records. putting all the personal records together. family records together. >> marriages, babies, bloodlines. the whole intricate web. >> but there was one thing that rebecca did not know about. sarah barlow. the mysterious girl who had prompted the whole raid. that's because there was no sarah barlow. two weeks after the raid, in a stunning surprise. the calls that triggered the raid where a fraud! a fake! the woman who made it from far away in colorado had nothing to do with the flds. her attorney said that she suffered with multiple personality disorder after

pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge in filing a false report, the case was dismissed. but the representative of the flds was furious about the actions of the texas rangers. >> what they did was they described a person who did not exist, and used it to justify a complete search of the ranch. >> families separated, children shipped away, some not return for almost two months. a sacred temple defiled. but neither the rangers, nor rebecca, heads second thoughts about that. sara barlow may have been a fake, but what warren jeffs was doing here with underage girls. was very real. as seen as these pictures. seized during the raid. >> to carry around with you any sort of sadness? guilt? about how much you had to do to get the evidence against warren

jeffs? >> now. >> no regrets? >> no regrets. >> no, we did not create the circumstances. warren jeffs did. >> but he obviously did not see it as a crime. he saw it as him doing his priestly duty. >> he understood that the outside world view that as a crime. that society did. because even in these records, there was a quote or comment that he made that the world knew what he was doing, they would hang me from the highest tree. >> for the next several months, they paint sink think glee picked through the work. looking for anything to link worn jeff and the members to specific crimes. but there was a clue that had been discovered a few years earlier. remember when the prophet was arrested in 2006? one of the things found in the escalade was a rather disturbing audio recording. >> thank you for letting her feel the heavily burning piece.

>> this was warren jeffs performing one of his sacred ordinances. with what sounded like a young girl. because he said her name on the tape, it was a simple matter of matching her to church records seized in the texas raid. it turns out she was just 12 years old. the tone, quiet, almost soothing, belies the horror of what is really happening. >> that feels good. now repeat the words from your mouth. >> this is a horrible thing to listen to. it will just rock you. it is so horrible. >> eventually, the master copy of the recording was filed. buried in evidence in the ranch. >> at this young age, to come to know god, and his power. and feel his presence. >> it just crushes your heart. for one thing. that you know what is going on. and what is happening to the 12 year old girl. and, that is something that i

will never forget. >> it was exactly what rebecca feared. when she saw those beds in the temple. >> not only had he been the perpetrator, and the predator on these young girls. but he had, in a very twisted sense, taken the thought, the idea, and called it holy. >> warren jeffs, and nine other members of the flds the were indicted in a variety of charges involving underage girls. the prophet, once an incomparable to anyone, would have to face the court. this time facing life in prison. and once again, the woman that he once warned would be destroyed in the flesh. would be the star witness against him. and if the stakes were not high enough, they were about to go up! in 2010, just before the texas trial was to start. back in utah, the state supreme

court overturned his earlier conviction in the elissa wall case. the judge cited improper instructions by the trial judge. while prosecutors were deciding to retry the prophet, he was expedited to texas. where something traumatic was about to happen. on day one of his trial. coming up! rebecca takes the stand. but worn jets makes a move that stuns the courtroom. >> it was just a real. >> when dateline continues! dat dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent. shingles. some describe it as an

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san angelo texas, cattle country on the banks of the concho river. in the center of town, a stately old courthouse, the stage for the 2011 trial of prophet warren jeffs, san angelo, texas. cattle country, on the banks of the river. in the center of town, the old courthouse. the stage for the 2011 trial of warren jeffs. now facing charges for sexually assaulting two underage girls who were his spiritual wives. >> mr. jeffs. did you rape those two girls? >> this time. the prophet could face life in prison. >> we prepared ourselves diligently. anticipating different arguments from the defense team. >> but there was no defense team, per se. because right before the trial, he fired all of his attorneys and said he would represent

himself. in the opening argument, he delivered a thirty minute speech on religious persecution. and then the prosecution presented its case. all of that evidence seized in the texas raid. and rebecca, again dress in red, try to make sense of it all for the jury. the girls that he allegedly raped, took the fifth instead of testifying against their husband. the prophet. >> there were no victims sitting on the stand to say this man did this to me. and, it was my testimony to authenticate the record. to explain to the jury what's these young girls were victims, being forced to marry, being forced to have sex. that that was normal. >> and then the prosecution played the audio of warren jeffs and the 12-year-old girl. recovered at the ranch.

all 21 minutes of it. >> perform this ordinance in the name of jesus christ. amen. >> amen. >> i looked over, and i saw the emotional reactions of the jurors. and struck tears were streaming down their face. >> finally, it was time for the prophet to deliver his closing argument. his last chance to make a compelling case for himself, and his holy ordinances. he stood, and face the jury. but. >> he did not utter a word. for at least 38 minutes and 50 seconds. and, at the conclusion of that period of time. he said, i am at peace. >> and i guess that was his argument. but it was just surreal. >> it took the texas jury nearly half an hour to reach a verdict. nearly guilty on all four counts. >> it was like we had a great thousand pound weight taken off your shoulders. >> our investigation was also on trial. going on to the ranch for the search warrant, was also on

trial. >> and in the state of texas, i'm glad that somebody stood up to this man. and he sitting in prison for the rest of his life. >> three months after he was handed the life sentence, prosecutors in utah said they would not retry him in the elissa wall case. they dropped all charges, a decision made with her consent. >> much has happened since we first brought you this story. all of the children taken from the ranch were eventually returned to their families. all but one. the 12-year-old from the audiotape. last time with her back, and she told us that the girl, now yachtswoman, still considers herself a wife of the prophet. and is thought to be living adam flds somewhere in the u. s.. the state of texas seized the ranch and sold it. the former religious call was

turned into a law enforcement training base of all things. a few days later. >> we received a tip from the public. matching his description. it was absolutely instrumental. >> warren's brother, was arrested. after slipping out of his ankle monitor while awaiting a trial on food stamp fraud. he was convicted, sentenced to just under five years. and short crick? the crick, once flds ground zero? back in 2013, as we finished taping and were prepared to leave. suddenly, we were surrounded by teens on horseback. responding to our greetings with blank stares. >> do you want to call the sheriff? now? >> these are children who had been taken from their parents. said rebecca's old school friend. they were just following church

orders to harass the media. but, that was then. now, said andrew. the crick is ground zero no more. >> the majority of the flds, about 90% are not in short crick anymore. >> a series of court rulings rested control of the town away from the church and warren jeffs. and the devout just left. >> they had been told not to cooperate with the courts. and they would rather walk away from their homes, then to cooperate. >> so much changed. they welcome visitors now. there's even a bar. >> the feds are coming. down at the telling people, we're living in the aftermath of the jets. we are cleaning up and rebuilding. >> rebuilding and taking back control of their lives. it 2016, more than a dozen x

lds sued the whitecaps for fraud and human trafficking. their testimony including allegations forced marriages and child rape. jeff's, who refused to appear in court, was found -- the federal judge later ordered him to pay $52 million in damages and what the plaintiffs attorney would be challenging collect. but the end of the story? no, not at all. because though his block is scattered, warren jabs, even in prison, is still a profit, issuing effects to faithful followers, now in neighboring utah and beyond. private investigator, sam bauer -- >> they will do anything he says. >> with their families? >> they will leave their families. they believe their children. they will turn daughters over to lectures. they built it literally anything that they are called upon to do. they see it as their path to salvation. >> and rebecca mueller?

to the authority as faithful, she is an apostate, an enemy. does it hurt you knowing that many of them feel negative towards you know? >> i'm sad that some of them do, but i could no longer stay. it's not a glamorous part of getting freedom. there's a cost to that. >> when we last spoke, rebecca was rocking it relies date and had two children. but she was estranged from her own parents. her mother, she said, still wouldn't speak to her. her father believed the teachings of the l d s, although he no longer believe more jets was that profit. the woman once known as sister becky wrote a book about her experiences. she called it, though witness wore red and has held council former l d asked members. >> the powerful words means breaking your silence. to be silent is to be enslaved.

and there is as amazing thing called choice and that is freedom! ♪ ♪ ♪ >> and sometimes when she is playing her violin. one of the classic hymns that she learned in practicing the work. she learns about her days in the flds, thinks about the moment when warren jess demanded her obedience. the moment he threatened he would break her. >> he didn't break you? you broke him. >> i did not set out to break him. i think he broke himself. but, he most certainly did not break me. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ hello, i'm craig melvin, the miracle of facebook. >> i'm craig melvin. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline". >> i tell people it's the miracle