COLORADO CITY, AZ (ABC 4 News) - Are the local police in the polygamist communities of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City playing favorites? A small minority of people in town answer, "yes." This minority is made up of people who are no longer members of the FLDS faith -- they're called apostates. But while many who have left the polygamist church have also left town, these people either refused to leave or have recently returned after getting occupancy agreements from a court-appointed administrator for some of the abandoned homes in the towns.
The apostates have long claimed to be victims of the majority's relentless drive to "purify" the community by forcing out non-believers. But recently, they say to has gotten worse. Much worse.
On Tuesday Matt and Genevive Hainline were hauled off to jail by town marshals for trying to clean out a work shed in their backyard. The marshals claimed to have a restraining order signed by a local justice of the peace keeping them from an address that does not exist -- an address apparently identifying the backyard of their corner lot.
The day after they were released from jail, the marshals were back warning the Hainlines not to step foot in their backyard. Matt told them, "If we're banned from our property then they should stay off the property." Hainline was referred to FLDS members who had occupied the property more than two years ago. They were continuing to come onto the Hainlines' property getting in and out of the shed.
For a 2nd day, ABC 4 tried to talk to the marshals and get their side of the story, but when we approached two who were chatting in their vehicles, they took off. Chief Marshal Jonathan Roundy has been unavailable both days.
ABC 4 obtained extensive home video of the two confrontations between the marshals and the Hainlines as well as video of other recent incidents involving apostates.
In one incident, the marshals brought a backhoe to the front yard of Ron and Jinjer Cooke and began digging. Their intent was to dig up and disconnect a water valve. The marshals claimed the Cookes had hooked up "illegally". The Cookes claimed they had permission. "They have no right to be on this property," said Jinjer Cooke who also said the marshals had no warrant. "They have no right to be here."
The other videos involve several incidents with Shane Stubbs. His family planted winter wheat last season, only to watch an unnamed FLDS man plow the crop under. The video shows Marshal Jeremiah Darger watching and doing nothing. At one point, a frustrated Shane Stubbs asks, "So you're not going to stop them at this time? Marshal Darger answered that he would not.
What wheat the Stubbs family did harvest this year was thrown out of the granary. Stubbs showed us some of the wheat spilled on the dirt road and said, "All my wheat was bagged and sitting in the middle of the road outside the fence." Stubbs said he's received permission from the court-appointed administrator of the lands in Hildale and Colorado City to put the wheat in the granary.
At other times, Stubbs claims FLDS members have torn down fences on land he has legal right to occupy and run off livestock. Stubbs said, "If I put animals in here -- in these fields -- they run them off."
He said his family has lost tens of thousands of dollars to vandalism that he believes has been committed by FLDS members determined to run him off along with his livestock.
What's more, he says the marshals have been accomplices to the crimes by looking the other way and refusing to act. "Over the years, they've gotten away with it because nobody has been able to stand up for what's right," Stubbs said, "I have a responsibility to stand up for what's right. What's true."
