Amber Alert Issued For Two Idaho Teens Believed To Be Heading To FLDS Group In Utah

 

An Amber Alert has been issued for two missing Idaho teenagers who authorities believe are en route to a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) community in Utah.

Thirteen-year-old Allen Larand Fischer and fifteen-year-old Rachelle Leray Fischer were reported missing Sunday from Monteview, Idaho. Idaho State Police say the siblings may be traveling with adult family members and heading to Trenton, Utah—a location they previously lived in and which is known to have FLDS ties.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said the teens are believed to have willingly left due to religious beliefs. Their mother, Elizabeth Roundy, confirmed she has sole legal custody of both children and is a former member of the FLDS church.

The FLDS is a breakaway sect from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, notable for its practice of polygamy and strict isolation from the outside world. Critics and former members have long warned about the group’s treatment of minors, particularly the forced marriages of young girls.

Roundy said she was previously cast out of the group and pressured to leave her children behind. When she attempted to regain custody, she was treated as an apostate—a former believer shunned by the group—and met resistance from the FLDS community.

“I was devastated,” Roundy said of learning her children were missing. “It’s a terrible, terrible feeling.”

She believes the teens may have been influenced to leave in response to recent messages from imprisoned FLDS leader Warren Jeffs. Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence plus 20 years for the sexual assault of underage girls he called his “spiritual wives.”

The Utah-based nonprofit Holding Out HELP, which assists people leaving polygamist environments, released a statement saying Roundy believes her children may be in “grave danger” due to a 2022 “revelation” Jeffs shared with followers. The document reportedly called on FLDS members to “consecrate and return their children to the church by any means necessary” and prepare them for the end times.

“The children are supposed to gather to assist in the building of Zion so they can die and become ‘pure’ and ‘translated beings,’” the group explained in a statement.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jennifer Fullmer said Jeffs’ message was a major factor in issuing the Amber Alert.

“These children truly believe they will lose their salvation, so they want to go back,” said Tonia Tewell, founder of Holding Out HELP, who has been working with the family for several years.

Roundy pleaded for her children’s safety: “I would tell them I love them very much and my heart is broken. Please don’t hesitate to call me or the police or somebody that can help if they are not in a good situation.”

Authorities say the children went missing between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time on Sunday. Law enforcement is still unsure whether the teens remain in the area or have already crossed into Utah.

Allen was last seen wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans, and Rachelle was last seen in a green dress. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is urged to contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Notably, another sibling—18-year-old Elintra Dee Fischer—was reported missing in January 2023 and remains unaccounted for, according to the sheriff’s office.

The FBI's Salt Lake City field office has now joined the investigation, working in coordination with local authorities.