New Allegations Against FLDS Church: Former Police Chief Says He Feared Church Leaders

A former police chief who served the twin towns dominated by the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) has come forward, claiming he lived in fear that church leaders, including Warren Jeffs, would take his family away if he didn’t comply with their demands. Helaman Barlow told ABC News’ “Nightline” in an exclusive interview that the community functions as a theocracy, with the church exerting control over every aspect of life for its members.

Barlow, who previously led the marshals patrolling Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, said he was hired by the marshal’s office only after obtaining permission from the church. The community, which straddles state lines, has its own town marshals, a system Barlow described as being deeply intertwined with FLDS leadership. He is now cooperating with federal investigators, who are suing local governments for alleged control by the church, a claim local officials deny.

Despite Warren Jeffs’ life sentence in prison for crimes involving minors, Barlow alleged that Jeffs continues to dictate the lives of the roughly 10,000 members in the community. This includes control over beliefs, possessions, marriages, and even dietary choices. The FLDS, a polygamist sect that split from the Mormon Church over a century ago, operates independently of the larger Mormon organization.

Barlow, now openly defying the church, has grown out his hair, grown a mustache, and rides a motorcycle—acts he said are symbolic of his break from FLDS rules. He described his role as a marshal as one of protecting the church, a position he held for 20 years. During his tenure, he said the marshals worked closely with the church’s security, known as “The God Squad,” which monitors the community extensively, including through a vast network of cameras.

As a leader under Jeffs, Barlow said he was asked to perform actions he now regrets, though he has not disclosed all of them publicly. His testimony adds to a growing movement seeking to challenge Jeffs’ authority, with Barlow playing a key role in that effort.

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