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Canyon scare charges likely

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Canyon scare charges likely

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The security guards responsible for the ambush of 38 trespassers at St. Anne’s retreat likely to face charges.
Canyon scare charges likely
By Phil Jensen
Staff writer

The Cache County Attorney’s Office said today criminal charges most likely will be filed against three men who allegedly ambushed two groups of thrill-seeking teen-agers Friday, tied them up and terrorized them.

The charges could range from misdemeanors to felonies and will focus on assault, said Cache County Attorney Scott Wyatt.

“There is a very high probability that will file criminal charges against these guys,” Wyatt said this morning. “The initial reports are pretty incredible.”

Wyatt said the actions of the three at the old St. Anne’s retreat 8 miles up Logan Canyon apparently went far beyond legal limits.

Wyatt said his office would likely decide on the charges and issue warrants by the end of the week.

The attorney’s office is waiting for sheriff’s deputies t9o finish taking statements from nearly 40 teen-agers, the three men and others. Wyatt said he wants to read all the statements before determining charges.

“They’ve only given me the initial reports,” Wyatt said. “I haven’t seen any statements at all. But as soon as they are collected we will make a decision.”

Wyatt said St. Anne’s is a local haunted house on private property and what happened when the carloads of youngsters got there is almost unbelievable.

“It’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen,” Wyatt said.

The kids should not have done what they did because they were trespassing but that doesn’t justify the reactions of these guys,” Wyatt said. “Overkill is a good way to describe it.”

“The kids told authorities the gate was open or partially open when they walked through and were ambushed by three shotgun-wielding men.

In the first incident, before dawn Friday, six boys and two girls were ambushed on the grounds by the men who fired at least one shot over their heads, then marched into a lodge, handcuffed and tied neck to neck by ropes, the teen-agers said. They told sheriff’s deputies who arrived nearly two hours later that the men shouted obscenities at them and threatened to kill them and hide their bodies.

The teen-agers were handcuffed in official police cuffs and taken by squad cars by four deputies to the sheriff’s office where they were interrogated and released. Some were given citations for trespassing, a Class C misdemeanor similar to a traffic ticket.

The three men were not arrested.

The second larger group of about 30 boys and girls, unaware of what happened in the earlier incident, said they were accosted by the same men as they walked through what they said was an open gate late Friday night.

They said they were ordered into an empty swimming pool, handcuffed with plastic flexible ties and also bound by ropes, neck to neck. They said they were told that if they moved the ropes would tighten, trigger an explosive and their heads would be blown off.

One boy said he was knocked unconscious by a billyclub and a girl complained that she was fondled.

About 40 parents confronted sheriff’s deputies outside the station Saturday after demanding action.

Parents told reporters they were angry at the non-action of the Sheriff’s Office for allowing a repeat Friday night of the incident early that morning and thus placing minors in danger.

Wyatt said he has not interviewed John Jeppson, identified as the oldest of the three men at St. Anne’s and the lead watchman who was armed from time to time with a shotgun, pistol, knife and billyclub.

When told Jeppson was still living at St. Anne’s, Wyatt said, “Good, then he can stay put so we can serve him with a warrant.”

The property owner said he allowed Jeppson to live there in exchange for fixing up the place and knew nothing of the other two men or of Jeppson’s alleged actions Friday.

Legends have lured generations to site

Legends surrounding St. Anne’s have provided a thrill to Cache Valley youths for generations.

Middle-aged people, including prominent members of the local community, remember when they were kids, too, and they drove up Logan Canyon with nerves of steel to get the wits scared out of them.

They were drawn at Halloween time by stories of hosts, including one of a nun emerging from the forest and followed by two red-eyed Dobermans.

“It’s been a place where everybody’s been. I remember when I was there,” said Shannon Demler, a Logan attorney.

People around town are laying bets that just about every old-time Cache resident went to scary St. Anne’s in the October darkness at one time or another.

The compound 8 miles up the canyon on the right started as a lodge and cabins in the 1920s and was converted into a Catholic retreat. It was eventually sold by the Catholic Church and has changed hands several times.

The property, with a Yellowstone-type lodge that has a rock fireplace and winding stairs, also includes several sleeping cabins and the famous swimming pool which still abounds with frightening stories.

It is commonly known today as the “nunnery.”

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Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, FOLK COLL 32

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Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the USU Libraries Special Collections and Archives, phone (435) 797-2663.

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Utah State University Folklore in the news collection, 1973-2012, FOLK COLL 32
http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv04849
St. Anne's Retreat

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http://digital.lib.usu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16944coll20/id/17
SCAFOLK032Bx003Fd07Item0008.pdf

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Canyon scare charges likely
By Phil Jensen
Staff writer

The Cache County Attorney’s Office said today criminal charges most likely will be filed against three men who allegedly ambushed two groups of thrill-seeking teen-agers Friday, tied them up and terrorized them.

The charges could range from misdemeanors to felonies and will focus on assault, said Cache County Attorney Scott Wyatt.

“There is a very high probability that will file criminal charges against these guys,” Wyatt said this morning. “The initial reports are pretty incredible.”

Wyatt said the actions of the three at the old St. Anne’s retreat 8 miles up Logan Canyon apparently went far beyond legal limits.

Wyatt said his office would likely decide on the charges and issue warrants by the end of the week.

The attorney’s office is waiting for sheriff’s deputies t9o finish taking statements from nearly 40 teen-agers, the three men and others. Wyatt said he wants to read all the statements before determining charges.

“They’ve only given me the initial reports,” Wyatt said. “I haven’t seen any statements at all. But as soon as they are collected we will make a decision.”

Wyatt said St. Anne’s is a local haunted house on private property and what happened when the carloads of youngsters got there is almost unbelievable.

“It’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen,” Wyatt said.

The kids should not have done what they did because they were trespassing but that doesn’t justify the reactions of these guys,” Wyatt said. “Overkill is a good way to describe it.”

“The kids told authorities the gate was open or partially open when they walked through and were ambushed by three shotgun-wielding men.

In the first incident, before dawn Friday, six boys and two girls were ambushed on the grounds by the men who fired at least one shot over their heads, then marched into a lodge, handcuffed and tied neck to neck by ropes, the teen-agers said. They told sheriff’s deputies who arrived nearly two hours later that the men shouted obscenities at them and threatened to kill them and hide their bodies.

The teen-agers were handcuffed in official police cuffs and taken by squad cars by four deputies to the sheriff’s office where they were interrogated and released. Some were given citations for trespassing, a Class C misdemeanor similar to a traffic ticket.

The three men were not arrested.

The second larger group of about 30 boys and girls, unaware of what happened in the earlier incident, said they were accosted by the same men as they walked through what they said was an open gate late Friday night.

They said they were ordered into an empty swimming pool, handcuffed with plastic flexible ties and also bound by ropes, neck to neck. They said they were told that if they moved the ropes would tighten, trigger an explosive and their heads would be blown off.

One boy said he was knocked unconscious by a billyclub and a girl complained that she was fondled.

About 40 parents confronted sheriff’s deputies outside the station Saturday after demanding action.

Parents told reporters they were angry at the non-action of the Sheriff’s Office for allowing a repeat Friday night of the incident early that morning and thus placing minors in danger.

Wyatt said he has not interviewed John Jeppson, identified as the oldest of the three men at St. Anne’s and the lead watchman who was armed from time to time with a shotgun, pistol, knife and billyclub.

When told Jeppson was still living at St. Anne’s, Wyatt said, “Good, then he can stay put so we can serve him with a warrant.”

The property owner said he allowed Jeppson to live there in exchange for fixing up the place and knew nothing of the other two men or of Jeppson’s alleged actions Friday.

Legends have lured generations to site

Legends surrounding St. Anne’s have provided a thrill to Cache Valley youths for generations.

Middle-aged people, including prominent members of the local community, remember when they were kids, too, and they drove up Logan Canyon with nerves of steel to get the wits scared out of them.

They were drawn at Halloween time by stories of hosts, including one of a nun emerging from the forest and followed by two red-eyed Dobermans.

“It’s been a place where everybody’s been. I remember when I was there,” said Shannon Demler, a Logan attorney.

People around town are laying bets that just about every old-time Cache resident went to scary St. Anne’s in the October darkness at one time or another.

The compound 8 miles up the canyon on the right started as a lodge and cabins in the 1920s and was converted into a Catholic retreat. It was eventually sold by the Catholic Church and has changed hands several times.

The property, with a Yellowstone-type lodge that has a rock fireplace and winding stairs, also includes several sleeping cabins and the famous swimming pool which still abounds with frightening stories.

It is commonly known today as the “nunnery.”

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