Where Are Warren Jeffs and Vicki Thompson Kids’ Wendell Jeffs and Sarah Jeffs Now? – Wendell Jeffson is well aware that his father, polygamist cult leader Warren Jeffs, misled him and his more than 50 brothers and sisters. He had no influence over his own life growing up on a huge 1,700-acre ranch near Eldorado, Texas. Jeffson grew up with a large family and was taught to address his father’s 12-year-old wives as “mom.”
The horrifying acts that took place behind closed doors in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are revealed in Peacock’s four-part docuseries titled ‘Preaching Evil: A Wife on the Run With Warren Jeffs.’ Warren Jeffs was the president of this religious cult. He had multiple marriages (several of whom were minors) and fathered several children with them.
Vicki Thompson gave birth to two of Warren’s children, Wendell and Sarah Jeffs. So, if you’re interested in learning more about their experiences as members of the FLDS as children, here’s what we know.
See Also: Where is Warren Jeffs’ Brother Lyle Jeffs Now?
Wendell Jeffs and Sarah Jeffs: Who Are They?
Wendell was the older brother, and one of his earliest memories was of being removed from his mother and relocated to a Texas ranch. “I questioned why I was being removed from my mother and why she was crying,” he explained. I was really young at the time. “I didn’t fully grasp what was going on.” Wendell grew raised on a Texas ranch and recalls working even as a kid. They would assist with housework and weeding in the garden.
Wendell said his father, and he had a wonderful connection when he was younger, but not after Warren became the leader of the FLDS. “Warren Jeffs controlled everything from the things you eat to the things you dress and if he could even the things you think,” he later said of his father’s controlling and manipulative behaviour. Ultimately, in 2008, officials conducted a multi-day search on the Texas ranch after receiving a report about underage marriage and sexual abuse (which later proved out to be false).
This resulted in the removal of nearly 500 children from the ranch and their temporary placement in state custody. Wendell and his sister were terrified during the encounter. Sarah was only five years old when the cops arrived at the house, and she recalls being terrified.
She mentioned on the show that she was asked who her father was, but that she was trained to either stay quiet or ask for an attorney, so she did. The children were restored to Vicki after about six weeks, but Sarah recalls living in constant terror of being taken away.
Wendell also discussed the FLDS’ teachings about individuals on the outside. “We were taught that Black people were terribly bad,” he explained. I recall having to leave the compound and go to the hospital when I was a child, something most people did not have the opportunity to do.
And we were treated exceptionally well by a variety of folks, including several African-Americans. ‘Why were they so bad?’ I wondered at that time. I also wondered why I couldn’t wear short sleeves or why I couldn’t consume certain things, such as candy. And, like any youngster, I wanted toys.”
What Has Happened to Wendell and Sarah Jeffs?
Wendell talked about being transported to Hildale, Utah, when he was 14 years old on the podcast. He eventually lost touch with his family and went to work in construction. When Vicki decided to leave FLDS and start again, there was a beautiful reunion. “We were informed that if you left the FLDS, you’re going to be damned, like, you’re going to burn in hell,” Wendell said of the mental pain of being a member. We didn’t have any weapons or knives with us. It was emotional and manipulative in nature. So that’s where the real conflict took place.”
Both siblings appear to be doing much better today. Wendell, now 21, completed his GED and began working in the insurance industry. On the broadcast, he mentioned that he was thinking about pursuing a career in cybersecurity.
Sarah will be graduating from high school this year in Hurricane, Utah. Wendell used to live in New Harmony, Utah, but now resides in Guatemala. He’s also engaged to Yolanda, a singer-songwriter whom he met through a dating app. Wendell afterwards decided to change his last name to Jeffson to commemorate the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
