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(AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac, Pool)
PROVO, Utah (AP) -- The husband of Julianna Myers coached his bride to tell police she was kidnapped by her parents, who disapproved of their marriage, defense lawyers for the parents claim in a pending court motion.
The lawyers are asking a judge to let them introduce evidence that Perry Myers initially wasn't concerned that his bride was taken on a road trip on the eve of their wedding, but then suggested to police it was kidnapping or even a murder-suicide.
The defense says tapes of 911 calls Myers made when he reported Julianna missing will help show that charges against the parents were unsubstantiated.
Prosecutors oppose the use of 911 tapes at trial along with other alleged statements by Perry Myers.
"The evidence defendant seeks to admit has no relevance because it fails to prove or disprove that Mr. Myers pressured his wife and law enforcement officials into saying the victim was kidnapped," deputy Utah County attorney Curtis Larson responded in court papers.
Julia Redd, 57, and husband Lemuel Redd, 60, are accused of kidnapping their daughter on the eve of her wedding. A brief trip to buy religious garments for the ceremony in a Mormon temple turned into a long drive to Grand Junction, Colo., and a night in a motel in August 2006.
The parents' lawyers, Rhome Zabriskie and Jere Reneer, alleged Perry Myers told Julianna's sisters during the unfolding drama that their parents would "suffer legal repercussions for the rest of their lives."
The defense claims Perry huddled with Julianna after her return and coached her on describing the incident to police.
The lawyers argued that Myers was biased by his own "extreme attention-seeking behavior" in implicating the parents.
The trial is set to start Dec. 3.
Julianna and Perry Myers were married Aug. 8, 2006, three days later than planned, at the Salt Lake City temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her parents, who live in Monticello in southern Utah, did not attend.
Negotiations to settle the kidnapping case against the Redds broke down last spring.
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Information from: The Daily Herald
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
