Utah Woman Sues Polygamist Husband for Property Ownership Share

A Utah woman is suing her husband, a polygamist prophet, for 25 percent of their property after he allegedly neglected her during their marriage, according to a report. Shirlyn Watson, founder of a Utah grocery store, filed the lawsuit against David Watson and her sister wives, as reported by local outlet ABC 4. David, a well-known local polygamist leader, married Shirlyn in 1973 through the Apostolic United Brethren church, which he would go on to lead. The pair had 11 children together.

When asked about Shirlyn’s allegations, David told The Independent: “No comment. All lies.” Shirlyn was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but joined the Apostolic United Brethren before she married David. The Apostolic United Brethren is a “Mormon fundamentalist group that believes in polygamy,” according to the Salt Lake Tribune. David had at least five wives, although he was only legally married to one, according to ABC 4.

“Polygamy really worked for me,” Shirlyn told the outlet. “I know that that’s really hard for people to accept. It was presented to me, and it felt right.” In 1989, Shirlyn founded the grocery chain Shirlyn’s Natural Foods. She also worked as a secretary for David’s auto repair business for five years. By 2000, all of Shirlyn’s earnings were going to David, into the family home or to their children, according to the lawsuit obtained by ABC 4.

Shirlyn, David and three sister wives then moved to Manti, Utah, in 2016, where they lived in separate houses on the same property, according to ABC 4. Shirlyn alleges that she and her sister wives were promised equal interest in the property. “He promised that he was going to put us on a family trust and that we’d all be taken care of,” Shirlyn told the outlet. “He started to lose me years ago. If something came up with ‘the favorite wife’ he would go take care of her first.”

By February 2020, David also began neglecting their late son, Robert, who had Down syndrome, Shirlyn alleged. At one point, David “left her there with their disabled son” while spending time with two of his other wives, the lawsuit reportedly claims. Shirlyn also invested $36,000 into their home, according to documents reviewed by ABC 4. But in 2021, David allegedly demanded that his wives start paying $260 each month to live on the property. Shirlyn “refused to pay because she had an ownership interest in the property based on her previous investments,” according to the lawsuit.

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