Nate Eaton Investigates: Escaping Polygamy Part II

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Story Published: May 15, 2008 at 9:05 PM MST

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 7:53 PM MST

By Nate Eaton

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After spending her entire life in the FLDS faith, Carolyn Jessop risked her life to save herself and her children.

Carolyn Jessop knew she had to escape. If she was going to do it, it had to be when all of her children were home and her husband was gone.

Carolyn Jessop, Escaped FLDS: “My fear was Merril would have taken my kids away from me, basically put me under house arrest, and I never would have been allowed to see my kids again.”

Carolyn asked her brothers, who lived in Salt Lake and had already left the FLDS church, to help. They agreed to meet up at a gas station three miles outside of Colorado City.

Finally, on April 22, 2003, at 4:30 in the morning, Carolyn knew it was time to act.

Jessop: “All of my kids were sharing rooms with their half siblings and so I had to sneak in their rooms and get them up and try to get them dressed without waking up their half siblings.”

Jessop: “I heard over the intercom that Merril wanted to talk to me on the phone.”

Immediately, Carolyn knew one of Merril's other wives had called and told him something was happening. She frantically started to throw her kids in the van and was ready to go when she realized her oldest daughter Betty wasn’t there.

Jessop: "I went running into the house, I found her in her room and she was crying hysterically. She’s like, ‘Mother, something you’re doing is wrong. Why doesn’t father know what you’re doing.’ I said, 'Betty I will not leave you behind.' I grabbed her hand and then ran with her to the van.”

Carolyn took off and had to drive on back roads because men were constantly patrolling the streets. Even the police were FLDS and couldn’t be trusted.

Finally she got outside of town to the highway and, after nearly running out of gas, met up with her brothers and they were on their way to Salt Lake.

Jessop: "Before I got to Salt Lake, Merril had my brother’s shop surrounded. He was scouring the city with FLDS men looking for me. It was just a nightmare trying to escape these people.”

It’s now been five years since Carolyn left polygamy. She’s blended into society and is currently working with the state of Texas in the child custody case involving over 400 kids.

She believes the state did the right thing in taking the children and hopes the abuse will now stop.

Jessop" “If they actually do prosecute and hold the people who are hurting other people accountable, I think it will stop.”

Carolyn is the first FLDS woman ever to gain custody of her children. She has a restraining order against Merril Jessop and hasn’t spoken to him in five years.

After years of counseling, all of her eight kids have blended into society…except Betty. When she turned eighteen, she returned to the FLDS compound in Texas.

As far as Merril, he now has at least 13 wives and over 100 children. One of his original, Faunita, was excommunicated a few years. Carolyn says Faunita wasn’t given an explanation, wasn’t told why…was simply kicked out and left to the streets with nothing.

Carolyn has written a book called "Escape" detailing her life in the FLDS faith and how she left the group. It's on sale at local bookstores.

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