It appears the cases against a Spring City man accused of kidnapping his own children and marrying the young daughter of a cult leader are headed for trial. Because of the number of witnesses and the volume of evidence collected in the case against John Coltharp, Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels asked Judge Marvin Bagley to set a 3-week trial. Coltharp’s attorney, Paul Frischknect, indicated his client is willing to go forward with a trial, even though it means his children will appear on the witness stand. Daniels indicated he has a solid case, all witnesses are on board if there is a trial, and he intends to hold Coltharp responsible for his actions. Both Daniels and Frischknecht said an offer has been presented to Coltharp to settle the case, but he has declined to accept it at this point. The trial is set to begin July 9.
In a related case, Samuel Shaffer appeared by video from Cedar City for an initial appearance on six charges, including two counts of sodomy on a child, child bigamy and obstruction of justice. Shaffer and Coltharp are members of the Knights of the Crystal Blade, a doomsday religious cult that believes in child marriage. Coltharp was arrested in Sanpete County on December 1, 2017 when he refused to tell law enforcement officers where his children were. Shaffer was arrested December 4 when an Amber Alert was issued and the Coltharp children, along with two of Shaffer’s daughters, were located in Lund, Utah.
