ABC 4 News has learned that the eighteen-year-old accused of shooting and killing his girlfriend Saturday, has ties to the Colorado City FLDS community, and Warren Jeffs.
Parley Jeffs Dutson is in the Salt Lake County jail and accused by police in the murder of fifteen-year-old Kara Hopkins. Police say Dutson shot the girl in the head Saturday in West Jordan’s Willow Cove apartment complex after an argument.
ABC 4 News’ Reed Cowan has learned Dutson was a so-called “lost boy,” expelled from polygamist Colorado City by order of Warren Jeffs when he was only sixteen. The boy moved to St. George, where he met the teen who police say became his victim.
ABC 4 spoke with a woman, Elaine Tyler, who knew Dutson after his expulsion from Colorado City. She said, “He was kicked out. Warren tells the father to tell the son to leave and the father is ordered to break the news to his son. It breaks my heart that Warren is tearing families apart. Someone has to be accountable for this.”
ABC 4 News also spoke with the victim’s mother. Kara Hopkins’ mother did not want to speak to the media, but did say her daughter had no trouble with drugs.
Reports have surfaced that Dutson could have been on drugs the night he allegedly shot Hopkins. Police will not comment on that part of their investigation.