Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 16 June 2017
In Bill Cosby trial, Lyle Jeffs, US polygamous sect

Deadlocked jury struggles to end impasse head, caught after year on lam

By BRADY McCOMBS during his first visit was fidg-
By MARYCLAIRE DALE ed Constand’s story. mosphere remained calm, JAMES NORD eting, seemed nervous and
MICHAEL R. SISAK “They’re conflicted about with accusers and support- Associated Press was “acting like a freak,”
Associated Press the inconsistencies in Ms. ers even holding hands at SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Po- Haug said.
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Constand’s testimony,” times. lygamous sect leader Lyle Barnhart declined com-
Four days after getting the spokesman Andrew Wyatt Dozens of women have Jeffs was captured in South ment on whether Haug
case, deadlocked jurors said. “And they’re hear- come forward to say Cos- Dakota following nearly was the tipster credited
in Bill Cosby’s sexual as- ing Mr. C.’s testimony, and by had drugged and as- a year on the run after he with helping authorities
sault trial struggled to end he’s extremely truthful. And saulted them, but this was pawned two pairs of pliers capture Jeffs, but Yankton
their impasse Thursday on that’s created this doubt.” the only case to result in and provided a real iden- County Chief Deputy Sher-
charges he drugged and Constand’s lawyer, Dolores criminal charges. tification card, authorities iff Michael Rothschadl said
molested a woman in 2004, Troiani, said only that the The 12-member jury must and the pawn shop owner authorities looked for Jeffs
the prospect of a mistrial “jury is apparently working come to a unanimous de- said. in the area because of the
The suspicious pawn shop pawn shop tip.
employee notified the The FBI had issued a $50,000
owner that Jeffs was want- reward for information
ed by the FBI, who learned leading to Jeffs’ arrest and
more about him online and Barnhart said the agency is
alerted authorities. working to determine if the
Jeffs was alone near a unidentified tipster will get
lakeside marina and hours paid.
away from a compound in Barnhart said investigators
the state run by his polyga- believe Jeffs was running
mous group when an off out resources and not get-
duty police detective spot- ting much help from mem-
ted a pickup truck Thurs- bers of the sect.
day that a tipster told po- He said investigators are still
lice Jeffs had been driving, trying to determine Jeffs’
said Eric Barnhart, FBI Spe- movements for the rest
cial Agent in Charge for of the time he was miss-
the Salt Lake City Division. ing and declined to dis-
Jeffs complied with offi- cuss other tips received by
cers when he was arrested agents.
Wednesday at a lakeside Jeffs will likely face at least
marina near the small town one new felony charge
Bill Cosby arrives at the Montgomery County Courthouse during his sexual assault trial, Thursday, of Yankton in the south- connected to his time on
June 15, 2017, in Norristown, Pa. eastern corner of South Da- the run, U.S. Attorney for
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum) kota, Barnhart said. Utah John Huber said.
growing larger even as the very hard.” The district at- cision to convict or acquit. Authorities believe he had Jeffs was stopped in Yank-
judge directed them to torney’s office declined to If the panel can’t break been in that area for the ton after using a bathroom
keep talking. comment. the deadlock, the judge last two weeks and was liv- as he drove at a marina-
The jurors had deliberated Constand passed the time could declare a hung jury ing out of his pickup truck. resort next to picturesque
about 30 hours before tell- by shooting hoops in a hall- and a mistrial. In that case, Authorities had been hunt- Lewis and Clark lake that
ing Judge Steven O’Neill way outside the district at- prosecutors would get four ing for Jeffs since he es- marks the border of South
they couldn’t reach a torney’s office. She tweet- months to decide whether caped home confinement Dakota and Nebraska,
unanimous decision on ed a video that shows her they want to retry the TV in Utah on June 18, 2016, Rothschadl said.
any of the counts against shooting a mini-basketball star or drop the charges. ahead of his trial in an al- Jeffs’ group, known as the
the 79-year-old comedian. into a net to the tune of Pennsylvania law professor leged multimillion-dollar Fundamentalist Church of
The judge told them to try “Sweet Georgia Brown,” David Rudovsky, a crimi- food stamp fraud scheme. Jesus Christ of Latter Day
again for a verdict. the theme song of the Har- nal lawyer in Philadelphia, The events leading to Jeffs’ Saints, is based in a small
As evening fell, the panel of lem Globetrotters. It ended said Thursday that the ju- capture started Tuesday community on the Utah-
seven men and five wom- with: “ALWAYS FOLLOW rors’ inability to agree on when he went to the River Arizona border.
en was still at it, poised for THROUGH.” a verdict didn’t surprise City Treasures and Pawn Members of the sect be-
another marathon session Constand won a national him, given the nature of a shop and sold two pairs of lieve polygamy brings ex-
in a case that has already title with the University of case that boiled down to Leatherman pliers for $37 altation in heaven. The
helped torpedo Cosby’s Arizona and played in a Cosby’s word against his and provided his ID, owner group is an offshoot of
career and nice-guy repu- pro league in Europe be- accuser’s and the legal Kevin Haug said in an inter- mainstream Mormonism,
tation. fore landing a job with meaning of consent. view. which disavowed polyg-
The charges involve Cos- Temple University women’s He added a hung jury A store employee notified amy more than 100 years
by’s sexual encounter with basketball team. It was at would be a victory for Cos- Haug that Jeffs was want- ago.
Andrea Constand, 44, at Temple she met Cosby, a by. ed by the FBI after Jeffs The group also has a small
his suburban Philadelphia member of the board of “In most criminal cases, had left the store. compound in far west
home. Constand says Cos- trustees. anything short of a con- Haug called police in Yank- South Dakota that was es-
by gave her pills that made With the jury struggling viction is a win for the de- ton and said he provided tablished more than a de-
her woozy, then violated to find common ground, fense,” said Rudovsky, officers with store video cade ago. Known to the
her. His lawyer says Cosby some of the other women who isn’t involved in the and pawn paperwork. faithful as “R23,” the com-
and Constand were lovers who have accused Cosby case. “It doesn’t surprise Jeffs also visited the store pound sits along a gravel
sharing a consensual mo- of sexual assault confront- me that this jury is split. The last week and tried to sell road, secluded by tall pine
ment of intimacy. ed sign-waving Cosby sup- prosecution had a strong a tool but the store did not trees, a privacy fence and
Cosby’s spokesman porters gathered on the case, but the defense buy them that time and a guard tower. Barnhart
maintained the impasse courthouse steps to await was able to show a lot of Jeffs did not identify himself said it is unclear if Jeffs
showed that jurors doubt- the outcome. But the at- inconsistencies.”q during the earlier visit. Jeffs spent any time there. q