Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints

by Sam Brower

Overview

From the private investigator who cracked open the case that led to the conviction of Warren Jeffs, the maniacal prophet of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), comes the page-turning, horrifying story of how a rogue sect used sex, money, and power disguised under a façade of religion to further criminal activities and a madman's vision.

In Prophet's Prey, Brower implicates Jeffs in his own words, bringing to light the contents of Jeffs's personal priesthood journal, discovered in a hidden underground vault, and revealing to readers the shocking inside world of FLDS members whose trust he earned and who showed him the staggering truth of their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608193257
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	08/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	192,758
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Private detective Sam Brower is the investigator who pushed forward the long and hard legal battles against Warren Jeffs and the radical Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints. Prophet's Prey, his gripping, behind-the-scenes account of bringing Warren Jeffs to justice, was adapted into a Showtime documentary directed by Amy J. Berg. Raised in the Mormon Church (mainstream LDS), he lives in Cedar City, Utah. Visit his website at www.prophetsprey.com.
Private detective Sam Brower is the investigator who pushed forward the long and hard legal battles against the radical FLDS and Warren Jeffs. Raised in the Mormon Church (mainstream LDS), he lives in Cedar City, Utah. Visit his Web site at www.prophetsprey.com.

Table of Contents

Preface Jon Krakauer vii

Chapter 1 Prey 1

Chapter 2 Ross 13

Chapter 3 "Uncle Warren?" 21

Chapter 4 UEP v. Holm 28

Chapter 5 Big Willie 34

Chapter 6 P.I. 40

Chapter 7 The Father 45

Chapter 8 Lost Boys 55

Chapter 9 Headmaster 61

Chapter 10 Coup 68

Chapter 11 Diversity 75

Chapter 12 Blood Atonement 80

Chapter 13 Death in the Family 87

Chapter 14 Stepmothers and Wives 95

Chapter 15 Predator 102

Chapter 16 The Record 110

Chapter 17 Whirlwind 118

Chapter 18 Twenty-one Men 128

Chapter 19 There to Stay 137

Chapter 20 On the Run 144

Chapter 21 Mancos 152

Chapter 22 Janetta 159

Chapter 23 Wicked 168

Chapter 24 Candi 176

Chapter 25 Twelve Years Old 185

Chapter 26 Grand Jury 190

Chapter 27 On the Road 197

Chapter 28 The Turf War 208

Chapter 29 Arrest 218

Chapter 30 Guilty 227

Chapter 31 Elissa 236

Chapter 32 Sarah 243

Chapter 33 Standoff 249

Chapter 34 Search 255

Chapter 35 Seizure 262

Chapter 36 Backfire 269

Chapter 37 Sinking Ship 276

Chapter 38 Stalker 285

Chapter 39 Town without Pity 294

Chapter 40 The Telephone 299

Afterword 312

Acknowledgments 318

Index 320

Editorial Reviews

In 2008, most Americans became aware of the Fundamentalist Church of the Latter Day Saints (FLDS) when authorities in Texas searched the 1,700-acre Yearning for Zion Ranch and discovered alarming evidence of child abuse on a massive scale. As private investigator Brower points out in his often gripping memoir and detective tale, the video clips portrayed a tiny fraction of the real story. An extremist faction of the Mormon Church, the FLDS broke away from the mainstream church when the latter officially renounced polygamy. Under the leadership of Warren Jeffs, the FLDS group that drew the nation’s attention still regards plural marriage as the most holy and important doctrine ever revealed on Earth. Jeffs’s followers believe that they are the only true Mormon Church, and they zealously obey their religious teachings and their leader. As Brower points out, such ardent adherence to their leader’s teachings enabled Jeffs to create a subculture in which his control and decisions were unquestioned and embraced. Brower uncovers many documents exposing cases of extortion, tax fraud, child abuse, and kidnappings, and Brower’s investigations helped lead to Jeffs’s arrest in Texas, where the religious leader was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for child sex abuse this month. While the book often mimics the contrived dialogue and suspense of television drama and is often mind-numbingly repetitious, Brower manages to tell a fascinating tale of one man’s megalomania. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Mormon Brower recounts his seven-year investigation of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) leader Warren Jeffs. This investigation ultimately led to the conviction of Jeffs on felony counts of child sexual assault while the book presents a rare and detailed look into the FLDS. (LJ Xpress Reviews, 9/30/11)

Library Journal