“Everything would flourish more if this thing was turned into something good,” said Decker, who escaped from the FLDS five years ago. “That’s my main goal.”
Decker, 31, has occupancy of the property while she raises funds to purchase it. The mansion is big enough for public events and to house ex-FLDS members transitioning to the outside world, she said.
With its secretive history and proximity to Grand Canyon and Zion national parks, the house should attract inquisitive tourists, Decker said.
“We could do tours upstairs,” she said, “and the middle floor, where the kitchens and the conference rooms are, could be used for events, a restaurant and a gift shop.”
Decker spent several months at the mansion while Jeffs, who was once on the FBI’s most wanted list, eluded police. Their marriage was not considered legal, and she is planning to wed her fiance next month.
Properties belonging to the sect were held in a trust that was established in the 1940s so that members could benefit from its shared assets in line with their religious beliefs. The state of Utah seized the trust in 2005 and is selling back its assets to FLDS members and ex-members.
