Steed Charged with Rape, by Patrice St. Germain, The Spectrum, September 27, 2007

Steed Charged with Rape

By Patrice St. Germain
The Spectrum
September 27, 2007

http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070927/NEWS01/709270309

ST. GEORGE - One day after a jury brought back guilty verdicts against Warren Steed Jeffs on two counts of rape as an accomplice, the person suspected of committing the rape was charged in 5th District Court.

Allen Glade Steed, 26, the cousin and former spiritual husband of Elissa Wall, was charged with one count of rape, a first-degree felony, covering a time period from April 14, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2004.

A $50,000 arrest warrant has been issued for Steed.

While the papers were actually filed Wednesday at around noon, the paperwork was signed Sept. 21 by Brian Filter, senior deputy for the Washington County Attorney's Office.

"We filed the charge at what we deemed to be the appropriate time considering a lot of factors, including the conducting of the Jeffs trial and the deliberation of the jury," Filter said.

Filter said the Washington County Attorney's Office elected to charge Steed with one count at this point and said the office has the evidence to support the charge.

Through her attorney, Roger Hoole, Wall released a statement about the charge against her former husband.

The man who had been married to the woman whose accusations have led to the prosecution of Warren Jeffs wipes a tear from his eye as he talks about the breakup of his marriage to the accuser during the man's cross examination Wednesday in 5th District Court in St. George.
Photo by Jud Burkett

"Allen Steed was both a victim of Warren Jeffs and a perpetrator of child abuse. We have seen the justice system bring out the truth and I am confident it will again," Wall said.

Jeffs, 51, the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was charged with two counts of rape as accomplice. In Jeffs' case, the first count occurred between April 23, 2001 - the day Jeffs married the couple in Caliente, Nev. - and May 12, 2001, when the couple went to Canada to visit Wall's sisters.

The second count covered a time frame between May 13, 2001, and Sept. 20, 2003.

Steed was a witness for the defense during Jeffs' trial and Jeffs' attorney, Walter Bugden, started out by asking Steed if the police ever questioned him about his side of the story, to which he replied, "no."

Bugden also asked if Steed understood that he had the right to remain silent and what he said may lead to his being charged with a crime, to which Steed replied in the affirmative.

Steed, who said his attorney was in the courtroom, said he wanted to tell his side of the story and said both sides need to be said in order to know the truth.

During his testimony, Steed, who admitted he was never good at communication, spoke of how his wife initiated sexual intercourse first, although Wall gave a much different version, saying how despite her crying and pleading, her husband undressed her and then had sexual relations without her consent.

Wall explained that she had no idea what her husband was doing or why.

She also stated in court that she had no idea that sexual intercourse was how babies were made.

At the time of their marriage, Wall and Steed were both members of the FLDS religion.

Hoole said it would be up to the prosecution to decide if Wall will need to testify again. Wall is also one of the alleged victims in the charges against Jeffs in Mohave County.

Steed's attorney, Jim Bradshaw, of Sandy, did not return telephone calls seeking comment by press time.

Contact: patrices@thespectrum.com