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Sam Penrod reportingA man who has become a figure in the disappearance of missing teenager Kiplyn Davis is heading to federal prison. A judge just pronounced the sentence against Rucker Leifson today.
The judge just ordered Leifson to spend the next four years in federal prison. That was after he ruled that Leifson's perjury in the grand jury case involving the disappearance of Kiplyn Davis did impact investigators' abilities to solve the case.
Leifson pleaded guilty to one count of perjury against him last Fall. Today an FBI agent testified he tried to get Leifson to speak with him concerning the Kiplyn Davis case, but Leifson refused. That's when he was issued a subpoena before the grand jury in 2005, which led to the perjury indictment against him.
Kiplyn Davis' parents, who were present in the courtroom, called the sentence another step in solving their daughter's disappearance.
"We've got another one behind bars that we feel had something to do with the disappearance of Kiplyn, and so it was sort of a happy moment but a sad experience knowing that we still don't have Kiplyn back. But at least justice is still getting served," said Richard Davis, Kiplyn's father.
The judge also ordered Leifson immediately into custody, and he was handcuffed in the courtroom and taken away by federal marshals.
There is no parole in the federal system, so it is likely that Leifson will spend almost all of the 48 months to which he was sentenced today behind bars.
Also, the search of Spanish Fork Canyon for possible remains of Kiplyn Davis was called off over the weekend. Authorities are only saying they now believe they were given false information on a possible burial site.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
