Who is Merrianne Jessop: Everything you need to know about Warren Jeffs’ youngest wife

Who is Merrianne Jessop: Everything you need to know about Warren Jeffs’ youngest wife

The story of Warren Jeffs, a former leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS Church), stands out among controversial figures. His marriage to his youngest wife, Merrianne Jessop, is central to his story. Their relationship is characterised by numerous intriguing aspects illuminating the complexities of patriarchy and cultic movements.

Merrianne Jessop
Merrianne Jessop and Warren Jeffs before his arrest. Photos: @kwinklerdawson, @queengrowlithe on Twitter (modified by author)
Source: UGC

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Who is Warren Jeffs' 12-year-old wife? Merrianne Jessop is renowned as the youngest wife of the notorious cult leader and the founder of the FLDS Church, a polygamy-centred subgroup of the Mormon church founded in 1930. Authorities discovered that Warren had entered a "celestial marriage" with two minor girls, including Merrianne Jessop.

Merrianne Jessop's profile summary

Full nameMerrianne Jessop
GenderFemale
Date of birth3 July 1994
Age29 years old (as of 2023)
Zodiac signCancer
Place of birthUnited States of America
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityWhite
ReligionChristianity
Height in feet and inches5'7"
Height in centimetres170
Weight in pounds110
Weight in kilograms50
Hair colourStrawberry blonde
Eye colourBlue
MotherBarbara Jessop
FatherMerril Jessop
Sexual orientationStraight
Marital statusMarried
HusbandWarren Jeffs
Famous asWarren Jeffs' youngest wife

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Who is Merrianne Jessop?

Merrianne was born on 3 July 1994 in the United States of America, meaning she is 29 years old as of 2023. She is an American citizen of white ethnicity.

Merrianne Jessop
Warren Jeffs in court during his trials. Photo: Trent Nelson-Pool
Source: Getty Images

Who is Merrianne Jessop's mother? Her mother is Barbara Jessop, and her father is Merril Jessop. Her mother was Merril's third and favourite wife. Before he died on 28 February 2022, Merrianne's father had six wives and about 54 children.

Merrianne's father relocated her and the rest of her family to Longing for Zion Ranch in Texas in 2003 when she was nine years old. The goal was for Warren Jeffs, the church's new head, to train Merrianne to be a "heavenly comfort woman."

What happened to Merrianne Jessop?

On 27 July 2006, Merrianne's parents and two of her siblings accompanied her to the temple. There, she was permanently and eternally bound to Warren Jeffs. Warren had already married Merrianne's three nieces, 11 sisters, and one aunt.

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After his father, Rulon T. Jeffs, passed away in 2002, Warren assumed leadership of the FLDS Church. At 18, he was appointed principal of Alta Academy, a school for FLDS students. The prominent role allowed the young man to dominate the young females, who would later become his victims.

Merrianne Jessop
Warren Jeffs (C) is held by two Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department SWAT officers during his extradition hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court at the Regional Justice Centre. Photo: Ethan Miller
Source: Getty Images

Most of his crimes allegedly occurred at the Yearning for Zion Ranch (YFZ) Ranch, initially run by Merrianne's father, Merril. In 2005, Warren Jeffs was placed on the FBI's Most Wanted List after forcibly marrying two adolescent girls to adult men. He was arrested in 2006, and in 2011, the authorities found him guilty of abusing two minors and sentenced him to life in prison.

Merrianne, who was 12 years old at the time of her marriage, was one of the minors. The other minor was Veda Keate, who married Warren when she was 14. When the authorities invaded the ranch, Veda was already a mother. A DNA test confirmed that Warren was the child's biological father.

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Where is Merrianne Jessop now?

Due to the cult's extreme secrecy, little is known about the whereabouts of all of Warren Jeffs' spouses. After Warren's arrest, the authorities placed Merrianne in foster care before granting her cousin Naomi Johnson Carlisle guardianship. However, in August 2009, she allegedly returned to the YFZ Ranch in Texas.

FAQs

  1. Who is Merrianne Jessop? She was Warren Jeffs' youngest wife.
  2. How old was Merrianne at the time of her marriage to Warren Jeffs? She was only 12 years old. The two tied the knot in July 2006.
  3. Who is Merrianne's father? His father was Merril Jessop, a one-time overseer of the YFZ Ranch.
  4. How many wives did Warren Jeffs have? Before his imprisonment, he had 78 wives.
  5. Who was Warren Jeffs' favourite wife? His most-liked wife was Naomie Jessop, Merrianne's older sister.
  6. What is Merrianne Jessop's age? She is 29 years old as of 2023. She was born on 3 July 1994.
  7. What happened to Warren Jeffs' youngest wife? After his arrest, Merrianne was placed under the guardianship of her aunt but later returned to the YFZ Ranch in Texas.

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Merrianne Jessop is widely recognised as Warren Jeffs' youngest wife. She was married to Jeffs at the tender age of 12. The girl was later rescued from the child abuser, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011.

Yen.com.gh recently published an article on Beatrice Jean Howard-Gabel. She is the daughter of American celebrities Bryce Dallas Howard and Seth Gabel.

The young girl hails from a family of famous people in the entertainment industry, as her grandfather is the iconic Ron Howard. Beatrice loves movies and is a huge fan of Jurassic World, a film in which her mother features.

Source: YEN.com.gh

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