(Updated 12/7/06 6:45 a.m.) This is actually a follow up post to Dave’s excellent post over at Bloggernacle Times here. Today, the bride and BYU Student Julianna Myers testified in a preliminary hearing against both her biological parents, Julia Redd, 58, and Lemuel Hardison Redd, 61, of Monticello, UT. The Salt Lake Tribune reported on the preliminary hearing:
A woman allegedly kidnapped by her parents on the eve of her wedding testified Wednesday they believed her fiance was “evil and abusive” for buying her a gold band instead of a diamond ring.
BYU student Julianna Myers told 4th District Judge James Taylor that on Aug. 4, her parents picked her up at her Provo condo on the pretext of driving to Orem to buy religious garments for her Aug. 5 wedding ceremony.But her father turned the van south on Interstate 15, instead of north. When Myers asked what was going on, she testified, her mother turned to her and said: “What is the 4th [sic] Commandment?”
At a rest stop, instead of running away, or calling the police, or shouting to the world—hey I’m being kidnapped, Ms. Myers apparently testifed:
At a Salina rest stop, Julianna Myers refused to get back in the van, but said she relented after her parents pulled on her wrists and hair. They stayed the night in Grand Junction, Colo., but returned to Provo the next day after Myers promised to have no contact with her fiancé. She testified she made that promise even though she knew her fiance would be looking for her and would find her.
There was no testimony about a gun, or knife, or other weapon of any kind used in this alleged kidnapping. One has to wonder how much kidnapping was actually going on here. From the photograph above, it appears Ms. Myers is a healthy young woman, quite capable of taking care of herself if she needed to in a true emergency situation.
This BYU Newsnet article quoted Ms. Myers:
“I’m not angry, and I don’t want revenge,” Myers said. “The state is pushing the charges. No one wants to see their parents go to jail. But there’s right and wrong, they have to pay for what was done.”
Myers said she wants nothing to do with the case. “[It] is between the state and my parents.”
Myers is currently not speaking to her parents.
“I did get a letter from my mom, condemning my marriage,” Myers said. “I’m not communicating with them until they have a change of heart and stop trying to destroy my family.”
So, she doesn’t want revenge or doesn’t want her parents to go to jail. Yet, she testified under oath today at the preliminary hearing, where the judge (based on that very testimony) bound her parents over for trial on charges that could land them at Point of the Mountain for up to 15 years. Ms. Myers has no credibility here. The “state” could not even begin to proceed to a preliminary hearing if she didn’t willingly agree to testify against her parents. She claims that she wants nothing to do with the case. Yet, she testified at today’s preliminary hearing. The “state” can’t force her to testify. This is not between the state and her parents. Make no mistake–this is very much between Ms. Myers and her parents.
I think this is an incredibly tragic story that has torn this family apart. There clearly are issues that need to be addressed. I think they are best address in the context of professional counseling, and not withing the confines of Utah’s criminal justice system. For the AP’s story which is being carried by papers all over the world now check out the Guardian’s story here.
More Coverage:
KUTV (with Video–in which she comes across very glib)
ABC 4 (with more video this time with the parents)
Messenger and Advocate 
December 6, 2006 at 8:52 pm
This woman is obviously very immature and will no doubt regret her actions when she eventually realizes what she has done to her parents and her family. Very sad.
Thanks for the update, Guy.
December 6, 2006 at 9:05 pm
ECS, You’ve nailed it I think. A very immature young woman, who perhaps should not have married when she did. Anyone who could willingly do this to their own flesh and blood has as many issues going on as do the parents who would go to such great lengths to prevent the marriage.
In the end, it is indeed very sad.! Thanks for stopping by.
December 6, 2006 at 11:59 pm
If someone had kidnapped me I might be worried about what they might continue to do to me and my family. If they aren’t changing this might be the only way to get the parents to shape up.
December 7, 2006 at 4:01 am
I agree with Clark. I’m truly worried about those parents. They still condemn the marriage. If they are willing to kidnap their daughter—what was it, just days before their marriage???, I forget—what are they willing to do later on? Would they kidnap their grandkids because they don’t think the father is a good man?
December 7, 2006 at 5:20 am
Clark and Daniel – you have _got_ to be kidding me. Imprisonment at the state pen for fifteen years is a completely disproportionate and counterproductive punishment for the parents – they haven’t even tried court-mandated family counseling and probation.
And even the Unabomber’s brother felt some remorse and regret after turning him in to the authorities. This woman’s steely resolve to cooperate with the prosecution no matter the cost to her parents sends chills down my spine.
December 7, 2006 at 6:02 am
Clark and Dan: This wasn’t “someone” it was her parents. And, I’m not so certain the “kidnapping” charge is going to stick. Here’s Utah’s statute:
I think any talented criminal defense lawyer is going to have a field day with # 1 above. You can’t kidnap the willing. I think it pretty clear this gal willingly left with the parents. It’s not so clear just when shopping became kidnapping, if at all.
I don’t think there’s any evidence to suggest a prior or even a continuing problem with these parents. From what I’ve read there’s been no further contact at all. The parents aren’t incarcerated. I believe the crossed a state line, which I think is a federal offense. Yet, the FBI hasn’t investigated and the U.S. Attorney hasn’t charged them–there must be some reason for this.
I’m not suggesting the parents just walk. Clearly there needs to be some counseling going on here. There must be something in between Point of the Mountain and walking free that is appropriate here.
This is a waste of the criminal justice system’s resources. But, ya got credit the local Utah County prosecutor for clamping down on what I’m certain must be a spate of parent child kidnappings gone wild in “Happy Valley.”
It will be interesting to see just how far this goes. My hope is that there will be some voluntary settlement, in exchange for dropping these very serious criminal charges and the consequences for everyone involved that a criminal conviction would bring.
Thanks for stopping by.
December 7, 2006 at 6:48 am
Imprisonment at the state pen for fifteen years is a completely disproportionate and counterproductive punishment for the parents…–ECS
That’s for a jury and judge to decide.
December 7, 2006 at 7:15 am
Guy,
Trust me, I’m not defending the daughter. It’s just that this kind of move by the parents is very troubling. I do agree that the criminal court system might not be the best place for this tiff to be solved.
I know how I would react if my parents tried to take me against my will, but Julianna is not me, and she reacted differently.
I think the parents need to apologize and let their daughter be with whom she desires. Have they done this yet?
December 7, 2006 at 7:28 am
In addition to the Guardian, the Redds’ and Myers’ international fame also reaches to Spain
December 7, 2006 at 8:03 am
I will have to agree that this young woman seems very immature. It is beyond my comprehension that she is OK with this case going forward. These are her parents. While they definitely crossed the line they did not cause her any major harm. I am surprised the Bishop allowed her to get married in the temple as she apparently was not following the requirement to not have any unresolved issues with your family members.
December 7, 2006 at 9:14 am
Michael, that part of the recommend interview is a polite way of asking “Are you beating your wife and children?”
December 7, 2006 at 10:21 am
I’m not willing to condemn this young woman for testifying against her parents. News reports are entirely insufficent to judge her maturity level or character. And if she was called as a witness, she has a legal obligation to testify, regardless of her feelings for her parents. Nor am I comfortable with the idea of dropping the charges against the parents. While they didn’t commit a conventional case of kidnapping, the parents’ actions were irrational and highly inappropriate. I suspect that prosecutors want a settlement that will deter possible future instances without imposing an overly-harsh sentence.
December 7, 2006 at 10:52 am
Peter,
I am not basing my analysis of her maturity level upon news reports. I am basing it upon her actions. This young woman has taken advantage of every opportunity to go on TV and talk about this episode with her parents. She has been on the morning TV shows and has given numerous interviews with reporters. Someone who loves and cares about their parents just does not do something like that even if she feels it necessary to move forward with pressing charges.
John,
I have heard many explanations of what the true meaning of the question is. I tend to take it at face value given that it also highlights how we are treating our family members in non-abuse situations.
December 7, 2006 at 4:44 pm
There’s a lot being left unsaid in the media.
There are three sides to this story. The young woman’s, her parents’, and the truth.
I’ve seen how some abusive parents and dysfunctional families operate. Things can get really really weird, and it’s unfair to make judgements until you know all the facts.
The kidnapping on the part of the parents indicates that they _may_ have inflicted long-standing emotional abuse, or at the minimum, they may have been overly controlling of their daughter.
The kidnapping _may_ have been the final straw that caused the daughter to lash out for many prior years of unrighteous dominion.
Or, it may not have been a kidnapping at all, and could have been something else, which the daughter misrepresented in order to take advantage of them, and she’s the one who’s being manipulative and controlling here.
Unless you know the “back story,” there’s no point in even trying to assess what’s going on. Everything is pure speculation.
A lot of times, children don’t know that their family is abusive or dysfunctional, until they grow up and learn that “normal” families don’t behave the way their’s did.
December 8, 2006 at 11:52 pm
So, if a crime is perpetrated on you by your parents, they’re not supposed to face consequences? Whether they like her husband or not, it doesn’t matter. She loves him, and she married him. She is testifying against her parents, so if her husband is such an awful man, I’m sure she’ll have no problem testifying against him as well.
Not all houses are homes, and not all parents make good decisions, and not all parents are good at parenting. They need to accept that she is an adult now, and she is LEGALLY ENTITLED to make her own decisions, regardless of how they feel.
One can only hope she’ll protect her offspring from these toxic controlling sociopaths.
December 9, 2006 at 9:11 pm
Ahh, Jennifer–one of the bride’s maids I presume? Look. You clearly didn’t read my post or my follow up comment, where I said:
So, please spare me your self-righteous lecture about choices and consequences. Perhaps what you should do is re-read the post, and then try again.
December 10, 2006 at 12:36 pm
What is wrong with most of you? Just because they are her parents does not mean they have a right to forcibly try to change her mind about her own decisions. They have already admitted that they forced her on the trip and forced her to stay with them and that they just don’t like him, so that is why they did not want her to marry him. By the way, a similar thing happened with one of her sisters. Her parents are very controlling and only want them to do what they want.
It amazes me that so many of you can say that these are her parents, how can she do this to them? How could they do this to her?? Would you defend them for any and all kinds of abuse? physical? emotional (ok, obvously yes on the emotional as this does constitute emotional abuse). Why is it ok for these parents to not respect her and her feelings and decisions? Are theirs the only ones that count? She is an adult and can make her own decisions. They had NO right to try to change her mind.
Taking her away long enough to miss her wedding is not just a trip for shopping. And by the way, they did not need a gun, knife, etc. Threat of force by any means is all that is needed. If she felt threatened in any way, that is what matters.
January 29, 2007 at 3:00 pm
I think the first point to all those who don’t understand is that one does not need to be forcibly taken with a weapon for it to be a kidnapping. The act of forcibly detaining and taking a person is defined as kidnapping. The parents have even admitted that they restrained her at one point when she refused to get back in the car by grabbing her hair and pulling her wrists (See 1/29/07 broadcast of Dr. Keith Ablow on Fox). The fact that she did not scream for help is irrelevant. It is arrogant to presume how one “should” act in a situation like that. This is a case of extreme distress where the normal thought process is thrown out the window. It’s easy to say how one should act in retrospect, but how many times do we look back on something we’ve done and wonder why we acted in such a way. Remember, hindsight is always 20/20.
Allow me to draw a parallel: A woman is being raped. She says stop one time only but does not fight back. Because she submitted to the rapist, does that put her at fault? Did she do the wrong thing by not screaming, punching, or biting?
Fear and stress can be paralyzing. Before you attack this woman, remember three key points:
1. She is the victim.
2. While they may try to rationalize the event, the parents do not deny the fact they used force and took her against her will.
3. The state can pursue criminal charges without the consent of the victim. Remember that in a criminal trial it is referred to “The State of (insert appropriate) v. (insert appropriate).”
You may not agree with how this woman acted in the situation she was placed, but that does not make her wrong. I do not presume that she is telling the truth and her parents are wrong. I am open to either possibility. I’m only judging this on its merits, not my personal feelings.
Either way, let’s wait for all the facts to come to light before condemning this woman.
September 3, 2007 at 9:31 am
The parents were completely in the wrong. If they don’t like the fiance, fine, but kidnapping may be just a little extreme, don’t you think? I think the daughter shouldn’t necessarily testify against her parents, but at the same time, it would be extremely hard to let them get away with something like that.
December 1, 2010 at 12:59 pm
family counseling is sometimes needed because you cannot solve all your problems “;,