Suvechha Sarkar
In November 2017, a deeply troubling case tied to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) surfaced in the public eye through Rachel Jeffs’ book, ‘Breaking Free: How I Escaped Polygamy, the FLDS Cult, and My Father, Warren Jeffs.’ It shed light on her painful past as the daughter of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs and also as the third wife of her ex-husband, Richard Allred. Her relationship with her ex-husband also came into focus on Lifetime’s ‘Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story.’ It also largely revolves around Richard’s role in her life and how polygamy was a part of their community.
Richard Allred Had Four Spiritual Wives by the Time He Turned 26
Richard S. Allred was born sometime in 1977 and is the grandson of Rulon Allred, who was the Prophet of the polygamous Apostolic United Brethren. However, he grew up as a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). Reports state that Richard is also related to the leader of the FLDS, Warren Jeffs, from both his maternal and paternal sides. According to the movie, he was a devoted and loyal member of the FLDS who always followed the rules set by the Prophet. He had reportedly embraced the polygamist lifestyle of that community and eventually got married four times to have four “spiritual wives.”
In December 1998, when he was just 21 years old, Richard married 18-year-old Sarah Allred in Washington County, Utah. Over the years, they welcomed their six children into the world. By 2002, he had once again tied the knot with the daughter of Warren Jeffs, Rachel. The union led to the birth of their five children. Rachel stated in her book that Richard was also married to a woman named Molly. Richard then married Molly’s sister, Susan, in November 2003. Although Rachel allegedly received the hostility of her other two sister wives, she had decided to make Susan feel welcome. According to the movie, Richard always insisted that his wives get along.
Court records state that Sarah claimed she was “assigned” to marry Richard. On the other hand, Rachel’s union with him was arranged by Warren Jeffs himself. She had revealed in her book that she met her ex-husband for just three hours the day before her wedding, and the ceremony was completed rather “abruptly.” However, despite the unconventional meeting, Richard and Rachel had grown close. While speaking on the matter, she stated, “I loved him. He was a kind Dad to his kids.” Shortly after, Richard was allegedly given a mission by Warren, and he was reportedly asked to move to their secret compound in Texas with Susan. Just a month later, Molly also reportedly joined Richard in Texas at their “land of refuge,” leaving behind two of his other wives and their children.
Richard Allred Lost Two of His Wives When They Escaped From the FLDS
As per the movie, Rachel and her two other sister wives were once sent to a “House of Hiding” in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Warren. However, Richard accepted the punishment as it was provided by their Prophet. Furthermore, Rachel claimed in her book that she once had a miscarriage. She continued that when Warren found out about it around 2013, he alleged that she and Richard had forbidden intimate relations during her pregnancy. Hence, Rachel claimed that she was sent to repent at a house alone in Short Creek, Utah. She further claimed that Richard was ordered to be sent to a secret location and was allegedly forbidden from having any contact with his family. According to Rachel, despite the severity of the alleged punishment, Richard accepted it entirely without any protest.
Just seven months later, Rachel’s relentless efforts reportedly helped her reunite with her children. However, the movie showed that one day they spotted Richard just outside their property, but despite several pleas from Rachel and their children, he allegedly never turned around. Ultimately, when Rachel reportedly escaped from the FLDS premises with her children around 2014 or 2015, she left Richard behind. According to reports, despite multiple attempts to contact his children and Rachel, Richard was unsuccessful in doing so. On the other hand, court details state that Richard’s wife, Sarah, had struggled due to the lack of birth certificates for two of her children since they were born secretly in South Dakota.
Although Sarah was allegedly forced to live away from her children from 2012 to 2014, she was already filing court actions in Utah seeking custody, divorce, and legal recognition of her children’s births. However, Richard reportedly did not respond to any of the court petitions regarding those matters. Ultimately, on September 30, 2016, the court granted Sarah a divorce from Richard. On the very same day, her petition to change the surnames of her three oldest children from Jeffs to Allred was also granted. As of writing, there has been no public information available on whether Richard is still a part of FLDS or not. It seems that he has chosen to lead a quiet life away from the spotlight.
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