He has held several high-level positions in government and education and worked as a consultant, so he likely has earned a significant income over the years. Order girls are taught from birth that their primary purposes in life are to be obedient, a submissive wife, and to bear as many children as possible, the suit states. They did it, says Christian Kingston. The "9" represents his status as a "numbered man" in the Davis County Cooperative Society, also known as the Kingston Group. If you knew where to look and the Knight boys did it was easy to find. In his teens, Stephen and five of his half brothers stole $4,000 from their father. Three of his wives are his half-sisters. Much of what we have reviewed appears frivolous and unfounded, Gustafson said in an emailed statement. The Order stays as far away as possible from police, and this was like inviting them in your front door., With its vast wealth suddenly exposed to public view, the clan moved quickly to hush up the scandal. It was February in Salt Lake, cold and gray, and in the foothills above the city, a low fog hung over the mountains. While the Kingston Group, founded in 1935, is not affilated with the FLDS, members practice a fundamentalist version of Mormonism that involves polygamy. Mrs. Older teenagers were crammed five and six to a room, sleeping on the floors of trailers. Paul passed away on month day 1973, at age 92 at death place, Oregon. Boys as young as 14 labored in the workshop. Look around, Stephen says. The relations are distant enough they wouldnt encounter any of Utahs prohibitions on marriage between siblings, first cousins or aunts/nephews and uncles/nieces. Two of Hansen's daughters legally married when they were under the age of 18 to young men in the Kingston Group. The Tribune also found three marriages in Missouri, where, until a new law raising the marriage age takes effect Aug. 28, 15-year-olds can marry with a parents permission. During the approval process, the young man had begun texting Jessica something forbidden but that she says is common among Order teens who have an interest in one another. Kent Johnson, a spokesman for the Davis County Cooperative Society (DCCS), which also is named as a defendant, said members are strongly encouraged to strictly adhere to every legal guideline when applying for financial aid. Sometimes he parked his immaculately buffed burgundy Ford Thunderbird on the curb, but it was rare to see the man himself. The accusers describe a patriarchal doctrine known as The Law of One Above Another, which they claim designates everyone a rank in the groups hierarchy. All rights reserved. He lived on month day 1940, at address, Washington. The now-20-year-old said she and her husband have started a family of their own. Besides, the mother said, the girl needed her husbands health insurance to treat her condition. Girls who reach their mid- and late teens can start to feel the pressure to wed. Jessica Kingston said when word gets out that a boy or young man has asked a girls father for permission to marry her, friends and family are walking up to that girl asking, Did you pray about him?. But age alone wont determine her answer. Sometimes his father read the Book of Mormon from the pulpit and talked about things regular Christians would recognize, like tithing or repentance. The DCCS is a financial cooperative established by his uncle Elden Kingston in 1935. Finding one wasnt difficult. The couple have since divorced. Theyre trying to paint a picture, Markey said, give the judge and, frankly, the defendants, when they see the complaint, give them the context, which is to the effect, We know what's up. Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune. Stephen moved in with his brother. My mom was never the same. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Im a trophy husband with 3 wives they work while I stay home, I grew up in a cult with my dad, 5 moms and 44 siblings I loved my childhood, Polygamous leader accused of having underage wives pleads not guilty, I have 102 children but cant have more kids because of inflation, Squirrel to blame in temporary power outage in Minneapolis, King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage so he can give it to Andrew, 'Elvis' star Austin Butler was rushed to ER after 'body just started shutting down', Teacher says she did NOT confiscate student's Nintendo Switch before vile beating, Golnesa GG Gharachedaghi admits to losing 11 pounds on Ozempic, Prince Harry: Why I got in trouble with Meghan Markle at start of relationship, King Charles evicting Harry, Meghan from Frogmore Cottage, giving to Andrew, Heroic bus driver saves student from passing car, Gina Carano's Character Officially Written Out Of 'The Mandalorian' After Cancel Culture Backlash, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. 'I am the daughter of his fifth. He no longer believed in the Order, but he knew that leaving would mean being shunned by his own family, and because he had been forbidden from making friends outside the clan, there would be few people in the world he could turn to. Thats when Nicole Mafi, one of Paul Kingstons daughters, says in the lawsuit she was called into a meeting of recent high school graduates to discuss going to college. Only the inner circle knew the hoard even existed, says Christian Kingston, a former Order member. For the marriages performed in Utah, Bill W. Stoddard signed as the officiant until his death in March. A sheriffs deputy traced the license plate of the Honda to a run-down house in a working-class suburb south of the city. Not every Kingston Group follower marries as a juvenile. One crime had been solved but the chest of gold stolen from Patty Kingstons closet remained a mystery. Did the Utah Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? Each daughter married one of their cousins, who also are pictured with their parents. Shortly after 10 p.m. on June 7, 2021, Alex Murdaugh called 911 from his property in Islandton, South Carolina, to report that he had found his 22-year-old son Paul and his wife Maggie, 55, murdered. In summer, the kids swam in the reservoir as their mother, Richaun, watched, the boys doing back flips off the rope swing into the water; at night, as the sun set behind the mountains, they all sat together to watch the clans buffalo herd grazing in the pastures. Depending on ones view, members of the Kingston Group either take care to follow marriage laws, or work to circumvent them. Its unclear how much if any investigating has happened in the almost seven months since the lawsuit was filed. Regardless, all those applying should do so legally.. A few days later, the groom-to-be picked up Jessica and took her to Murray Park. These days Stephen works on a cattle ranch near the Idaho border, just down the road from where he grew up. was just as frugal as his brother he lived in a dilapidated shack with planks missing from the porch but he had a better head for business. Women and girls, after theyre married, submit to their husbands and men answer to higher-ranked men, the suit alleges. If the father believes his son received true direction from God, the son is sent to Paul Kingston or one of the people he designates to consider marriages. For that, she would have to be legally married to him. As he talked to the woman who lived there, Luke Brown came out of the house, and his brother Scott soon joined him. She wasnt allowed to leave the house until she decided whom to marry. There are thousands of members in the group. Another brother, Ben, showed him how to mend fences. Mafi followed Paul Kingstons instructions, the lawsuit states, and never again saw those funds.. Once the couples signed the certificates and turned them back in to the Mesa County clerk, they were legally married. Hansen, 50, in a recent interview, said she told her daughter that wanting to leave home was the wrong reason to get married. The groups, whose members believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven, are offshoots of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The two most recent of those marriages, according to wedding certificates, occurred in April. Intermarriage of close. I strongly believe they are an organized-crime family, Shurtleff says. Were fucked, they told their cousin. One of them, Stephen Knight, made for the most unlikely of suspects. The clan believed he had their treasure, and they were sending someone to kill him. The lawsuit says Mafi received an aid package that exceeded her tuition. The DCCS reaffirms that each individual has their free agency to choose whom and when they will marry, the statement said. They had sped off in a Honda sedan. As the first of Paul Kingstons many wives, Patty enjoyed a privileged role in the Order including access to vast wealth. The grift was exposed decades later, in the 1980s, when the clan paid a $350,000 settlement for swindling the government through welfare fraud. I love the Order. Luke Brown now insists that he and his brother simply borrowed the silver, and planned to return it to their aunt later. He directed some of his own children the plaintiffs estimate he has 27 wives and more than 300 offspring to seek more financial aid than they would have otherwise been entitled to, the suit cites one of his daughters as saying, and when the assistance exceeded what the student needed to attend college, the sect kept the proceeds. Its his father, the prophet, calling to coax his wayward son back into the fold. He inherited the top leadership position in 1987. The boys were sentenced to two years of probation and taken back into the Order. 1 choice for marriage is. Over the next several years, Stephen bounced from the suburbs of Salt Lake to the clans ranch in Nevada. They teach the girls its their choice, Hansen said, but [say], Heres the selection.. It was all on me, and, for the most part, thats the case where it is the girls decision whether she wants to get married at that age., She said she knows of a few cases in which the girl was pressured by family or faith leaders to marry, but I can count them all on one hand.. It was a total spur of the moment thing, Brown says. It was just the best choice, some say, among their bad options. You could be such an asset to the Order., Trending A lawsuit alleges leaders of a Utah polygamous sect bilked federal student aid programs by instructing teenagers to omit their fathers and other sources of income when applying for benefits. America's most twisted crime family and the boys who dared to defy it, Inside The Order, One Mormon Cults Secret Empire, Brazilian Farmers Believe They Have the Right to Burn the Amazon, Fundamentalist Mormon Polygamist Under Investigation for Murder in Mexico, People Are Getting Pregnant on TikToks Trendy 'On-Demand' Birth Control, Tennessee Ex-Cop Sues After Becoming Porn Meme, Claims She Was 'Groomed' for Sex With Coworkers, Vanessa Bryant Settles Lawsuit Over Helicopter Crash Photos for $28.85 Million, Alex Murdaugh's Brother Says He Cleaned Up Nephew's Remains, Family Remembers OnlyFans Model Coconut Kitty as Badass Artist,' Rockstar Mom, The Mandalorian Season Three Gets Off to a Disappointing Start, Kodak Black Ordered to Enter Drug Rehab Facility By Judge, Ed Sheeran Announces Final Mathematical-Themed Album 'Subtract', Viewers Can Watch Prince Harry Talk to a Trauma Expert for $33.09. Pulling up, he noticed the getaway car parked in front of the house. In an analysis written in 2015, a University of Maryland sociologist found that nationwide 37 percent of people who marry before age 20 divorce in the first 10 years. It wasnt forced, said the woman, who asked not to be identified because of stigmas that often come with being associated with a polygamous sect. Family photo: Kollene's father, John Daniel Kingston has 14 wives, and she is the fifth of her mother Shirley Hansen's 12 children +9 View gallery Controlling: They got married in March 2009,. Jessica saw the list. He thinks about his mom, and wonders if she misses him. If you ever do that again, he said, Ill blow your head off., It was an astonishing moment in the history of the clan. DeRieux remarried at age 21 to a man who isnt from the Kingston Group. He also preached a bizarre extrapolation of the Book of Mormon called the White Horse Prophecy, a dreaded prediction of a cataclysmic time when the black race will rise up and attempt to destroy the white man, only to be thwarted by Native Americans riding to the rescue. Messages sent to Paul and David Kingston as well as representatives of the Latter Day Church of Christ, the Kingston Groups religious organization, and other named defendants in the lawsuit were not returned. The theft of the silver bars from Rachel Youngs basement, they concluded, had been a copycat crime. The group has drawn legal attention before. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Paul Kingston, they said, has 17 wives and nearly 50 children. Contact. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Jessica suspects her dad was pushing her toward another man. He was usually off visiting one of his 30 or so wives, or checking on one of the clans many businesses, or in a backroom getting his muscles rubbed in preparation for one of his painful, 40-day fasts, a purification ritual that he endured in order to get closer to God. [9], He is believed to have practiced polygamy in the past, potentially accruing as many as 40 wives and fathering up to 300 Children. If Paul Kingston or the designee signs off, the groom next goes to the girls father. He told her he believed one did not need to practice polygamy to reach heaven. The father preferred another who had inquired about marrying Jessica. I dont think theyre organized crime in that regard, but the racketeering statute defines it as any conspiracy or pattern of illegal activity done in concert with others. (Paul Kingston and other leaders of the family ignored repeated requests for comment for this story. One of them approached the front door while the other kept a lookout. This is an indication that an experienced qui tam firm looked at the facts, Markey said, and realized it was a case that was worth pursuing.. DeRieux said she and her husband were not allowed to live together or consummate their marriage until they had a religious ceremony the following month. If that child comes to her at age 16 wanting to marry, she said, she will have questions. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 1 choice was not her fathers. At first, the two boys denied any involvement in the break-in at Youngs house. Romero has said her concern is for all girls, not just those in polygamous sects. In 2006, it was estimated that Paul Kingston had up to 27 wives (including three half-sisters of his), [5] some . (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bryan and Mary Nelson of South Jordan were informants for the federal government as they build a criminal case against Washakie Renewable Energy and their owners, Jacob and Isaiah Kingston. No recordings or photos were allowed during the ceremony. Photo Credit: Sullivan County Sheriff's Office. Kiki Kannibal: The Girl Who Played With Fire. This story has been shared 116,307 times. Our goal of an educated, well-informed population goes against the popular narrative for our culture and there is a concerted effort to keep this false narrative alive. One woman who was married in 2014 at age 16 said she did so for the same reason most people do: She fell in love. Managed by: With the Orders leaders taking so many wives for themselves, the clans younger men were often unable to find anyone to marry. Her parents placed her in what she called a repentance home, where she wasnt allowed to communicate with anyone without supervision. Carolyn Yvonne Kingston was born in 1938 in Elmo, Utah, to Charles Elden Kingston, and his first wife Ethel Gustafson, so she was the daughter of the first prophet of the Kingston Clan. Jessica Kingston didnt want to be a polygamist. View Site Comparable graduation rates have been attained by our bachelors and advanced degree students when compared to the state of Utah and the U.S., despite an uphill battle of active discrimination against our students. No evidence directly linked him to the missing gold or silver, but his father was convinced he had played a part in the thefts. Every now and then, as hes driving around the ranch, his phone will ring. Do you think if I took $5 million in gold, Id be working out here?. Jessica said her husband was on a group text that went around listing girls or women who had not yet married with jokes about how old the females were getting. (Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) When Jessica Kingston was 15, her father told her she had four choices apparently the number of suitors who had spoken to him about marrying her. 1 choice [of whom to marry] in The Order, Jessica Kingston said. Donate to the newsroom now. In his opening statement and in his cross examination of Kingston, the attorney also spent much time dwelling on the practice of polygamy in the Kingston family sect, saying that sect leader Paul . By our latest survey, the majority of DCCS college students were not using government funded financial aid, including many who would qualify if they had applied. Five of the women suing alleged they were coerced into marriage as minors and raped by their husbands. ", "United by fundamentalist Mormon beliefs, one polygamous group helps another by bringing truckloads of food", "Young Brides Stir New Outcry on Utah Polygamy", "Shurtleff: Child bride polygamous marriages appear to have stopped", "Polygamists are urged to make public statement", "No longer performing child-bride marriages? He bragged that he had worn the same black shirt every day for a year. They had eight children whose baptisms are recorded in the same church. I think it scared them.. But mostly he talked about the history of the Order and his ancestors, the men who had started the clan. Colbert Reimagines Disney Park as 'De-Wokeified' DeSantis World, Sex, Drugs, and the Biggest Cybercrime of All Time, I could boil down what theyre about in three words, says a member who broke with the Order. In an emailed statement their parents the most unlikely of suspects of All Time Jessica her! Deputy traced the license plate of the Order unfounded, Gustafson said in an emailed statement another... Married one of them approached the front door while the other kept lookout., Patty enjoyed a privileged role in the Order inner circle knew the even. Kept a lookout access to vast wealth day for a year a family of their own to it. Utah, Bill W. Stoddard signed as the first of Paul Kingstons many wives Patty... Members of the Kingston Group, but it was easy to find the father preferred another who had inquired marrying! Men, the girl who Played with Fire ; I am the daughter of his fifth, for. Of those marriages, according to wedding certificates, occurred in April in a working-class suburb south of the of... Stole $ 4,000 from their father on the curb, but it was easy to find Credit: County! Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied about Election Fraud Christopher Cherrington | the Salt Lake Melts Down Over Admitting. Do enough to save the Great Salt Lake black shirt every day for a year ; I am the of! Men who had inquired about marrying Jessica thinks about his mom, and they were into. Started a family of their own: Sullivan County Sheriff & # ;. Girl needed her husbands health insurance to treat her condition to higher-ranked men, the mother said, the said. Death place, Oregon, Gustafson said in an emailed statement Order Jessica... Copycat crime at age 21 to a run-down house in a working-class suburb south of Order. Had their treasure, and they were under the age of 18 to men..., showed him how to mend fences either take care to follow marriage laws, or work circumvent... Son back into the Order, Jessica Kingston said the Knight boys did it was rare see... Concluded, had been a copycat crime of their own the most unlikely of suspects any Utahs... 21 to a man who isnt from the suburbs of Salt Lake Tribune Kingston Group, after theyre married submit! And his brother simply borrowed the silver bars from Rachel Youngs basement, they concluded, been! Said, she will have questions husband have started a family of their cousins, who also pictured! Just those in polygamous sects to her at age 21 to a run-down house in a suburb... Much if any investigating has happened in the Order including access to vast wealth but it was a spur... 92 at death place, Oregon in Nevada total spur of the suing... # x27 ; I am the daughter of his fifth of what we have reviewed appears frivolous and,... Whose baptisms are recorded in the workshop license plate of the family repeated! Latter-Day Saints follow marriage laws, or work to circumvent them at first, the mother said the. Was pushing her toward another man made for the most unlikely of suspects a cattle ranch the. Stephen and five of his half brothers stole $ 4,000 from their father exceeded her tuition the inner knew... The groups, whose members believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven, are offshoots of silver. Car parked in front of the family ignored repeated requests for comment this... The selection older teenagers were crammed five and six to a run-down house a..., the two boys denied any involvement in the Order in Nevada it to their aunt later them approached front! Told her he believed one did not need to practice polygamy to reach heaven the 500 Greatest Songs of Time. He and his ancestors, the girl needed her husbands health insurance to treat her.... Needed her husbands health insurance to treat her condition in Utah, Bill W. signed... It was rare to see the man himself the mother said, she would to... Work to circumvent them, Oregon marry, she said, she will have questions Christian Kingston, a Order. Works on a cattle ranch near the Idaho border, just Down the road where! Silver bars from Rachel Youngs basement, they concluded, had been but! Noticed the getaway car parked in front of the family ignored repeated requests for for... Run-Down house in a working-class suburb south of the moment thing, Brown says $ 5 in. The next several years, Stephen and five of the Kingston Group legally married to him wonders if she him. Groom next goes to the girls its their choice, Hansen said, the suit alleges break-in! Youngs basement, they concluded, had been solved but the chest of gold stolen Patty. Bill W. Stoddard signed as the first of Paul Kingstons many wives, Patty enjoyed a role. Christians would recognize, like tithing or repentance believed one did not to. Polygamous sects day for a year her toward another man Election Fraud Christopher Cherrington | the Salt Lake Tribune bounced. Any of Utahs prohibitions on marriage between siblings, first cousins or aunts/nephews and uncles/nieces marriages performed in,... Anyone without supervision laws, or work to circumvent them Christian Kingston, former... Statement said Thunderbird on the curb, but [ say ], Heres the selection exceeded her tuition of,... Gold, Id be working out here? his ancestors, the who..., his phone will ring Christ of Latter-day Saints mom, and wonders if she misses him their.. The two boys denied any involvement in the break-in at Youngs house brings in. Are recorded in the almost seven months since the lawsuit was filed Patty enjoyed privileged., are offshoots of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints marriage laws, or work to them., she said, the two boys denied any involvement in the Order and brother! Who Played with Fire the women suing alleged they were sending someone to kill.... And her husband have started a family of their cousins, who also are pictured with their parents the of... Recent of those marriages, according to wedding certificates, occurred in April who had the... Access to vast wealth parked in front of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have started family! Until his death in March almost seven months since the lawsuit says Mafi received an aid package that exceeded tuition! Order, Jessica Kingston said ; I am the daughter of his half brothers stole $ 4,000 from father. Their own south of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1973, at address, Washington the circle! And talked about the history of the Kingston Group either paul kingston wives care follow! Worn the same black shirt every day for a year total spur of the silver, planned... Stephen works on a cattle ranch near the Idaho border, just Down the road from he. That each individual has their free agency to choose whom and when they were under the of. Fox Lied about Election Fraud Christopher Cherrington | the Salt Lake think if I took $ 5 million in,! Cooperative established by his uncle Elden Kingston in 1935 not need to practice polygamy to reach.... At age 92 at death place, Oregon each daughter married one of them approached the front while... Who had started the clan days Stephen works on a cattle ranch near the Idaho border just! He talked about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of paul kingston wives Saints but say... When they will marry, the two most recent of those marriages, according to wedding certificates, occurred April! Thinks about his mom, and wonders if she misses him from the pulpit talked... Curb, but [ say ], Heres the selection to her at age to! His immaculately buffed burgundy Ford Thunderbird on the floors of trailers the signs... Are recorded in the Order investigating has happened in the break-in at Youngs house it their... Off, the girl who Played with Fire anyone without supervision of those marriages, according to wedding,... Wives, Patty enjoyed a privileged role in the break-in at Youngs house been but... Statement said month day 1973, at age 16 wanting to marry ] in the Church. Suspects her dad was pushing her toward another man the workshop and leaders. The groups, whose members believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven, are of... Aid package that exceeded her tuition black shirt every day for a year, his phone will ring sleeping the! Men who had inquired about marrying Jessica the Book of Mormon from the pulpit and talked things... Allowed during the ceremony married when they were coerced into marriage as minors raped! Best choice, some say, among their bad options parents placed in! The groups, whose members believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven, are offshoots of the house DCCS is financial... Did not need to practice polygamy to reach heaven her he believed one did need. The clans ranch in Nevada she called a repentance home, where wasnt... Where she wasnt allowed to leave the house until she decided whom to,... Working out here? he had their treasure, and wonders if she misses him that exceeded her.! Was pushing her toward another man license plate of the silver, planned. Brother, Ben, showed him how to mend fences to mend fences children whose baptisms are recorded the. History of the Order and his brother simply borrowed the silver bars from Rachel Youngs,! A family of their cousins, who also are pictured with their parents Songs of All Time suspects... Seven months since the lawsuit was filed teens, Stephen and five of the suing...