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SALT LAKE CITY — One of four Utahns indicted by a federal grand jury with conspiring to illegally transport a 5-year-old girl to live at a religious compound in Missouri made her initial appearance in court on Tuesday.
Kristine Merrill, 53, of Murray, pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. A judge allowed her to be released from custody under certain conditions. A jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 21.
Initial hearings have yet to be scheduled in Utah for Kimberly Dell Davidson-Drolet, 53, of Murray; her son Jaxson Davidson, 30, of Washington, Washington County; and Dallas Davidson, 23, also of Washington, who prosecutors say are all in custody in Missouri.
On Aug. 7, a federal grand jury charged Davidson-Drolet, "a noncustodial mother, her sister and others with kidnapping after allegedly taking a child from Utah to live at a religious compound in Missouri," according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Salt Lake City. "Drolet went through great lengths to avoid apprehension and formed an elaborate plan to take the child out of Utah."
From about Jan. 10, 2023, through June 27 this year, the four "would and did seize, confine, inveigle, decoy, kidnap, abduct and carry away" Davidson-Drolet's daughter, even though none of the four has custodial rights, according to charging documents.
Davidson-Drolet belongs to "a religious cult that is related to" the Fundamentalist LDS Church, according to court documents. "This group also provided assistance to the defendant in avoiding apprehension and providing housing and support while the defendant was wanted in the state of Utah. The defendant also holds sovereign citizen beliefs that propose the federal and state courts have no jurisdiction over them."
Davidson-Drolet and her former husband have been embroiled in a contentious divorce and custody battle for several years, according to Utah court records. The father was granted full custody of their 5-year-old daughter in February 2023, according to state court records, but had not had contact with her or Davidson-Drolet since Jan. 9, 2023.
In December, Davidson-Drolet was charged in 3rd District Court with custodial interference, a third-degree felony. Cellular data collected by police showed Jaxson Davidson's phone traveling through Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri.
Federal charges further state that on Jan. 23, Davidson-Drolet and Jaxson Davidson were in Missouri.
"Drolet left her cellphone at her apartment in Utah so that she could not be tracked, and she purchased a black burner flip phone. Merrill took possession of Drolet's cellphone and concealed the cellphone from law enforcement," according to charging documents. "During the drive to Missouri, Drolet and Merrill communicated via phone calls, providing details of their trip and location to Merrill.
"Drolet mailed letters back home to her other children in Utah through her sister Merrill in order to conceal Drolet's location. In a letter dated March 28, 2023, Drolet stated her leaving Utah was not a panicked decision or impulse and that she had been planning her flight for 14 months. Drolet further stated she had changed her and (her child's) names and reiterated the plan had been in place for over a year," the charges continue.
Drolet and Dallas Davidson talked about sending new phone cards and to use them starting July 1, according to the charges, which also note that Davidson-Drolet and others utilized "pre-paid cellular phones that were rotated regularly to prevent law enforcement interception." Davidson-Drolet also allegedly said in a text message that she felt safe in Missouri because "they don't participate in extradition" and she "had been discussing plans to flee to Thailand."
Prosecutors further allege in federal court documents that Merrill received money "via Zelle from Drolet and continued to regularly deposit money into Drolet's (bank) account to cover recurring bills assisting her with hiding her location."
"When questioned by local law enforcement, she indicated that she had destroyed Drolet's cellphone and indicated that she did not know the whereabouts of Drolet and the child, despite knowing that they traveled to Missouri to reside in a religious compound run by their brother," court documents state.
Other court documents indicate that the compound in Missouri — where the girl was "located and recovered" — is run by Davidson-Drolet's brother-in-law, Paul Dean. During her initial court appearance in Missouri, Davidson-Drolet told the court "she does not consent to the proceedings and refuses to be sworn," according to court documents.
She also declined to be identified by the name Davidson-Drolet, according to court records. But the court confirmed her name during an "identity hearing" on July 22.
