Overview of the Investigation – Eldorado, Texas

Chronology and Status Report

March 29-31

Over the weekend, a 16 year-old girl called a domestic violence shelter and reported that she had been sexually and physically abused in the past by her 49-year old “husband.”  The girl reported living at the YFZ (Yearn for Zion) Ranch, an outpost of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in Eldorado, Texas. The shelter called in a report to SWI (Statewide Intake), the CPS Hotline, and CPS investigators were assigned to the case.

CPS contacted law enforcement and began working closely with the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the sheriff’s office, the courts and other local officials.

Thursday, April 3

The Texas Rangers determined the timing of entering the compound, and late Thursday afternoon, law enforcement entered the compound. Once it was secured CPS investigators entered and began interviewing residents and children.  CPS investigators were at the compound all night and into Friday.

Friday, April 4

CPS took temporary legal custody of 18 girls (ages 6 months to 17 years) after investigators concluded they had been abused or were in imminent risk of future abuse. Thirty-four other girls were transported from the compound to a civic center in Eldorado for further questioning to determine if they had been abused or were at risk of abuse.

That evening, another 85 children, and 46 adult women who wanted to accompany the children, were transported to the civic center.

Saturday, April 5

CPS continued interviewing the children at the civic center and the compound. CPS called upon 15 more special investigators from around the state to assist.

The Governor’s Division of Emergency Management dispatched its Regional Incident Coordinator to the scene, activated the mass care plan, and began arranging for a larger shelter in San Angelo.

Sunday, April 6

All children and adults at shelters in Eldorado were moved to a centralized shelter in at the Ft. Concho complex in San Angelo. Including new arrivals from the FLDS compound there were 246 children and 93 women in DFPS care. 

CPS continued to work with law enforcement to locate children at the compound and bring them to the shelters in San Angelo.

Monday, April 7

District Judge Barbara Walthers granted DFPS temporary legal custody of all 401 the children in the shelter in San Angelo, after it was concluded that some of these children had been sexually and physically abused and the rest are at risk of abuse if returned to their homes at this time. An adversarial hearing was set for April 17, 2008 to determine if the children should remain in DFPS conservatorship.

The HHSC, DFPS, and STAR Health program have been working to provide for all the medical and psychological needs of these children. Arrangements were being made for medical evaluations, counseling, and whatever treatment is appropriate.

DFPS began working to locate longer term foster care living arrangements to provide the children more structure and stability. The temporary shelter at the Fort Concho complex in San Angelo is near capacity.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

CPS involvement in the operation at the compound itself is over. All the children who were living on the FLDS compound are now in CPS care.

15 more children were transported to the shelter last night, bringing the total number of children in state custody to 416 children. 139 women are at the shelters.

DFPS has now moved into the legal stage of this case.

Another shelter was opened in San Angelo and more than 100 children were moved into it in order to better meet their needs.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

DFPS and other state agencies continued to work to supervise and provide for the needs of 416 children who removed from the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints compound and placed in state custody.  All the children, and 139 adult women, were housed in several shelters in San Angelo.

The Department of State Health Services is coordinating medical and mental health services for the children. Health clinics and screenings are being held. 12 cases of chicken pox were identified and those children and their families were isolated. They contracted the virus before arriving in state custody. So far the screenings indicate that the physical and mental health of the children is generally good.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Judge Barbara Walther ordered DFPS to keep all 416 children removed from the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints compound in the San Angelo area until a hearing on April 17, 2008.  Therefore, no children will be placed into foster care before the hearing and all will remain in shelters.

A number of state agencies are working together to make all the children as comfortable as possible, and to meet all their physical, medical and psychology needs while they are in San Angelo.

Including 139 women who are companying the children, the state is providing for 555 people in shelters at this time.

APRIL 12-13

Judge Barbara Walther ordered DFPS to confiscate the cell phones of the 139 women to prevent witnesses tampering and interference with the legal process.

The women and children are being housed in a collection of nearby shelters. They are all being provided wholesome food, a place to sleep, personal items they need, and medical care by a team of doctors and mental health professionals.

A number of the children arrived at the shelters already suffering from a variety of illnesses including chicken pox, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, etc. Each is receiving the appropriate medical care.

MONDAY, APRIL 14

The children have been moved to a single large shelter at the San Angelo Coliseum, which provides more room and facilities for guests. With permission from Judge Barbara Walther, DFPS moved about two dozen teenage boys to a facility outside the area.

Adult women with very young children were provided the opportunity to remain at the shelter. The other women were given the choice to return to the Eldorado compound or to a safe place. This decision to separate the children was not made by CPS alone. DFPS sought counsel from the attorneys of the children, mental health professionals and others. The judge concurred that a partial separation is in the best interest of the children at this time.

TUESDAY, APRIL 15

Every step taken by CPS and the court has been done with the goal of doing what is best for the children, getting to the truth, and stopping abuse.

Children in the Coliseum and pavilion are adapting well to their new surroundings. About 400 women and children under the age of 5 are housed in the San Angelo Coliseum. About 100 older children are in the adjacent Wells Fargo Pavilion. About two dozen teenage boys are being housed in a licensed foster care facility outside the immediate area.