Mother of two missing teens thinks they were snatched to be sacrificed by religious followers linked to jailed polygamist Warren Jeffs
Elizabeth Roundy says her son, Allen Larand Fischer, 13, and her daughter, Rachelle Leray Fischer, 15, disappeared Sunday night
An Idaho mother fears her two missing children may have been taken as part of a chilling religious prophecy that instructs followers to return children to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so they can die and be resurrected as “pure” beings.
Elizabeth Roundy, a former member of the polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group, says her 13-year-old son, Allen Larand Fischer, and 15-year-old daughter, Rachelle Leray Fischer, disappeared Sunday night while she was attending a family Bible class.
When she returned home around 9 p.m., the teens were gone.
“My children asked if they could go down to the shop to get on the Internet… so they could watch videos while I went to the class,” Roundy told EastIdahoNews.com. “I allowed them to do it, and that wasn’t very smart of me. I let them go down there, and when I came back to get them, they were gone. Somebody came by the shop and hauled off with them.”
Roundy said she believes the abduction was carried out by members of the cult-like group, including her older daughter, 18-year-old Elintra Dee Fischer, who vanished under similar circumstances in 2023 and has not been heard from since.
She also suspects the children’s father, Nephi Fischer, may be involved, she told EastIdahoNews.com.
After relocating to Idaho, she spent 18 months in a custody battle with her ex-husband. In 2021, she was granted full custody of their three children. Since then, Roundy claims Fischer has repeatedly attempted to regain custody.
This is not the first time a child has disappeared from Roundy’s home. In January 2023, her daughter Elintra, then 17, was reported missing. Roundy believes Elintra, now 18, may have played a role in the latest disappearance.
“I believe they were watching and waiting for the right moment,” she said. “I’ve seen their vehicles driving by, even past the shop where the kids disappeared Friday night.”
An Amber Alert was issued Monday, and tips have been coming in from across the country.
Investigators initially believed the teens may have been taken in a gray Honda or Hyundai sedan with Utah plates, but Jefferson County authorities now say they have no confirmed information about a suspect vehicle.
“Wherever they are, they’re in hiding,” Roundy said. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re still close by, waiting for things to settle before moving them again.”
Roundy described her close relationship with Allen and Rachelle, especially in recent months. Allen often slept on a couch in her room, and Rachelle, who experiences frequent nightmares, regularly shared a bed with her mother. The family had recently taken a trip to a water park in northern Idaho.
“I’m kicking myself for letting them go like I did,” Roundy said. “I’ve stayed right with them for years, always watching. I let my guard down for a couple of hours.”
Her concern is heightened by recent FLDS teachings, including a 2022 “revelation” from imprisoned FLDS leader Warren Jeffs directing followers to “consecrate and return their children to the church by any means necessary” and prepare them to become “pure” by dying and being resurrected. Jeffs arranged child marriages between men in the cult and underage girls, and is serving a life sentence for child sexual assault.
“It’s terrifying,” Roundy said. “The things they told us to do when I was still part of it were erratic and manipulative. You never know what they’re capable of.”
Rachelle, who has blue eyes and brown hair in braids, was last seen wearing a dark green prairie dress. Allen has sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a light blue shirt, jeans, and black slip-on shoes resembling Crocs.
“I’m very concerned about their well-being, and of course, I’m missing them very badly,” Roundy said. “I’m heartbroken they’re gone.”