Two Missing Sisters Found Freezing In Storage Unit In Utah As Self-Proclaimed “Prophet” Is In Custody

Two sisters, 4-year-old Hatti and 8-year-old Dina, and their brothers went missing from their Utah home on September 13, 2017. The kids live with their mother, Micha Coltharp, who has legal custody of them after her recent divorce. The siblings were initially believed to have been taken by their “fundamentalist” father, John Coltharp.

The boys were found during a raid of a suspected polygamist compound in Iron County, Utah. They were with their father’s parents and Micha’s family feared that Coltharp might have given the girls to a self-proclaimed ”prophet”, who he practices cult-like activities with.

The girls were found alone in a building outside the town of Lund on Monday night. They were freezing cold and are now moved to a local hospital for medical evaluation. Their grandfather, Steve Sobel, confirmed the news to CBS Denver and said that the girls were found in a “storage receptacle.” A local reporter tweeted that the girls were “safe but very cold.” Sheriff’s Department in Iron County Utah said it was doubtful the children would have survived the night.

The suspect, Samuel Shaffer, was taken into custody. Their father, John Coltharp, was already in custody.

h/t: cbsnews