The most horrifying
secret I uncovered while researching the Eve Bennet crime thrillers was
Babyland, the infant graveyard where Warren Jeffs’ FLDS cult members buried
their babies. Lack of maternity, infant care, and inbreeding led to much higher
baby deaths than the national average. It’s heartbreaking and was absolutely preventable.
The unmarked
graves for children with severe birth defects and the story behind them made my blood boil. The FLDS midwife, Aunt Martha, and her husband, Uncle Fred, also
ran the Babyland cemetery. When a child with severe genetic issues could no
longer be cared for by parents, the midwife picked them up and these babies disappeared.
Aunt Martha and
Uncle Fred were never prosecuted. He died in his 90s but she is still alive. Investigative
journalists and ex-FLDS members feel these babies should rest in peace in their unmarked, dirt covered mounds in Babyland. As a retired homicide detective, I disagree.
The horror needs to be a national story as our country moves toward Evangelical
Christian Nationalism, white misogyny, and pure race ideology. Child marriage
and polygamy laws are or have been decriminalized in many states. Incest and
child rape are a hidden secret of unconscionable victimization in our country.
It’s time the guilty face their crimes and victims have closure.
These children never knew peace.
And they never will if their story remains buried.
I explore the
topic of Babyland and more, in ONLY GIRL ALIVE Eve Bennet Book 1 available by
Bookouture Hachette 1/13/2023. Check it out here.
For an
eye-opening and more in-depth article on Babyland and used as part of my
research, click here.