Amber Alert Issued for Missing Idaho Teens Believed to Have Fled to FLDS Group in Utah
Amber The missing siblings, 13-year-old Allen Larand Fischer and 15-year-old Rachelle Leray Fischer, were reported missing on Sunday. Authorities say the two may be traveling with adult siblings and could be en route to Trenton, Utah, where they previously lived.
Amber According to a statement from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, it is believed the teens left voluntarily due to religious motivations. Their mother, Elizabeth Roundy, who has sole legal custody, says she fears her children may have been influenced or taken in connection with recent disturbing directives from imprisoned FLDS leader Warren Jeffs.
Roundy, a former member of the FLDS, told CNN she lost custody of the children years ago when she was encouraged by church members to leave them in the group’s care. She later returned and regained custody after leaving the sect and being labeled an apostate — a designation that caused church members to isolate her from her children.
The FLDS is a breakaway sect from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church. The FLDS continues to uphold polygamist practices that the mainstream church officially renounced in the late 19th century. The group is known for its secretive ways and limited contact with the outside world.
Critics and former FLDS members have long raised concerns about the treatment of children within the sect, particularly underage girls, who are sometimes forced into spiritual marriages with older men.
Roundy said she alerted law enforcement after becoming concerned that her children’s disappearance might be linked to statements made by Warren Jeffs from prison. Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence plus 20 years following a 2011 conviction for sexually assaulting underage girls whom he claimed as spiritual wives.
A Utah-based nonprofit, Holding Out HELP, which assists individuals leaving polygamist communities, said Roundy believes her children are in serious danger. According to the organization, Jeffs issued a “revelation” in August 2022 that urges followers to reclaim and return children to the church, using any means necessary, in preparation for the “end times.”
The message, reportedly delivered to FLDS members, instructed followers to consecrate their children to the church so they can become “pure” and “translated beings” through death. Holding Out HELP called the directive deeply alarming and said it may have played a role in the teens’ disappearance.
“We felt like that was enough to show a danger to the children,” said Jennifer Fullmer, spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, explaining why the Amber Alert was issued.
“These children truly believe they will lose their salvation, so they want to go back,” said Tonia Tewell, executive director of Holding Out HELP, who has worked closely with the family for years.
Fullmer added that the teens had previously expressed interest in returning to the FLDS.
Since the alert was issued Monday, investigators have narrowed the timeframe of their disappearance to between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday. Authorities are still working to determine whether the teens have left the area or are hiding nearby.
Meanwhile, the case has drawn comparisons to another unresolved disappearance in the same family. In January 2023, Allen and Rachelle’s older sister, Elintra Dee Fischer, now 18, was reported missing and remains unaccounted for, according to the sheriff’s office.
Elizabeth Roundy made a heartfelt plea to her children through the media, saying, “If I could speak to them, I’d tell them I love them very much and my heart is broken.”
She urged Allen and Rachelle to reach out to her, law enforcement, or anyone who can help if they are in danger. “Please don’t hesitate,” she said. “Call me or the police or somebody that can help you if you are not in a good situation.”
Allen was last seen wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans, while Rachelle was wearing a green dress. The FBI has also joined the investigation and is providing assistance.