There's hands sticking out of the top of
the trailer earlier. Let's see him.
>> How many other people are in the truck?
>> Any information I give can be.
>> How old are you?
>> 11. How old are you?
>> 12.
>> And you have to let him go.
>> No, ma'am. You're not going to decide
the outcome of this. We will decide and
we'll let you know how everything's
going to happen here. Okay. When
bystanders report a trailer carrying
young girls across Arizona, law
enforcement initiates a traffic stop
that unfolds unlike any other. But what
they don't yet realize is they've just
interrupted a criminal conspiracy
involving a self-proclaimed prophet.
>> 14-year-old, she had a ring on her
finger on her ring finger.
>> The following is based on official
police records. Please note that all
persons charged with a crime are
presumed innocent unless and until
proven guilty in a court of law on
August 28th, 2022. Dispatchers in
Flagstaff, Arizona receive an unusual
911 call.
>> 911, where's your emergency?
>> Hi, I'm currently at Silver Saddle and I
am watching all these people piling out
of a cargo trailer and they have kids in
there. Uhoh.
>> What's going on?
>> Oh, just people are getting kind of
fired up about it cuz there's kids
involved in this trailer. Okay.
Disturbance or anything?
>> Not yet.
>> Okay. We're getting the call in. Do you
know approximately how many people were
in that trailer?
>> A lot.
>> What's a lot? Like 5, 10, 20?
>> Probably eight. And there's kids. And
And it's got to be hotter than hell in
there.
>> Yeah. I got you.
>> Flagstaff police, Cookanino County
deputies, and Arizona Department of
Public Safety state troopers all begin
searching for the vehicle, quickly
locate it, and initiate a stop.
>> Little fingers coming out of the right
door in the trailer.
Do they have the driver out?
>> Yeah, the driver's over there. Okay.
>> Let's find out how many people he has in
this thing.
>> How many other people in the truck?
>> How many other people are in the truck?
>> Any information I give can and will be
held here. The driver is later
identified as 46-year-old Samuel
Baitman, who unbeknownst to him or the
officers at the scene, is already under
investigation by the FBI. According to
court records, Samuel Baitman is a
self-proclaimed prophet of the FLDS or
the fundamentalist Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. The records
reveal that after claiming himself to be
the successor of their former leader,
Warren Jeffs, Samuel began following in
his footsteps, amassing approximately 50
followers and over 20 quote wives, many
of whom are minors, mostly under the age
of 15. State troopers cautiously
approach the truck and are about to meet
several of the girls Samuel calls his
wives.
>> Let's walk up here real quick. Okay.
Open the driver's side door.
Hello,
Sergeant. The state troopers. How many
people do we have in here?
>> Okay.
Who else is in the How many people are
in the trailer? This woman is
24-year-old Naomi Bisteline, who holds
her phone with the camera facing
outward, seemingly recording the
interaction. According to court records,
she married Samuel in 2020, becoming
wife number 13. A trooper attempts to
open the front passenger door, but after
finding it locked, he knocks on the
window.
>> Hello.
>> How are you?
>> 4101's good. How many people are in the
trailer?
How many people are in your trailer?
Do you have ID on you?
Do you understand what I'm asking you?
How many people are in the trailer?
>> This woman would later be identified as
19-year-old Moretta Johnson. According
to the same court records, Moretta is
the daughter of one of Samuel's male
followers and was taken as his wife
while she was still a minor. The
documents reveal that in 2021, she had a
baby just 7 months after she turned 18,
meaning she almost certainly conceived
when she was 17.
>> Let's get everyone out of the car. Come
on out. Everyone out of the car.
Let's start taking them back to the
cars.
>> Have IDs?
>> No.
>> Come back.
>> Go. Start heading back there. Come with
me.
>> I'll come. Don't touch.
>> Just start walking back there. They
don't need to go in handcuffs. We just
need to get them out of
>> Naomi Moretta and the two juvenile girls
who emerge from the truck are taken to
stand away from the trailer as deputies
and troopers open the door.
Where are the hands? Let's see the
hands.
>> Let's get that other door open.
>> So, there's hands sticking out of the
top of the trailer.
>> Okay.
>> There's a curtain.
>> There's hands sticking out of THE TOP OF
THE TRAILER EARLIER. LET'S SEE THEM.
>> LET'S SEE YOUR HANDS.
>> THERE THEY ARE. They're in front
>> behind the curtain. Okay. Keep your
hands up for me. Go and walk out towards
me. Okay. Try not to slip. All right.
Just keep walking.
>> Is there anybody else inside the
trailer?
>> No.
>> Perfect.
>> Thank you guys. Just head back there.
>> According to court records, two FBI
informants gained the trust of Samuel
and his followers, and he allowed them
to film him and his wives as part of a
documentary. They first met Samuel when
he arrived from Colorado City in what's
described in court documents as a large
SUV packed with women and girls, the
youngest of whom was just 9 years old.
Though the authorities on scene are
unaware of this investigation, their
actions during this traffic stop will
soon ignite a chain reaction they could
have never anticipated. After Samuel is
informed he's being detained, he's read
his Miranda rights and placed in
handcuffs. The three girls from the back
of the trailer are brought to stand with
the others as a state trooper attempts
to learn their ages.
>> How old are you?
>> 14.
>> 14. How old are you?
>> 11. How old are you?
>> 12. You
How old are you?
>> Do I have to say?
>> How old are you?
How old are you?
>> You don't have to say.
>> You don't have to say or you just
following her?
>> I don't have to say.
>> Okay. Okay. And you?
after.
>> Okay. Well, we're going to identify each
and every one of you before we leave
today. Okay.
>> When the trooper notices that Naomi
still appears to be recording, he
instructs everyone to set their phones
on the hood of the vehicle. However, the
request doesn't go smoothly as Naomi
appears to try propping up her phone so
it can continue recording.
>> So, instead of playing games, let's just
put them there like I just asked you to.
I need you to write your first name,
middle name, last name, and a date of
birth. Like I said, I need to identify
each and every one of you.
>> The trailer is searched, ensuring no
occupants remain anywhere in hiding.
According to police records, the trailer
contains an empty baby stroller, a
couch, and a 5gallon bucket equipped
with a toilet seat. The trailer also
lacks air vents or any form of air
circulation, a serious concern in the
hot climate.
>> Does everyone have water? Is there
anyone like needing uh water or
anything? Are you guys
>> I need you guys to let us know.
>> Okay, we'll do that as soon as our
investigation is done here. Okay. Why
children are being transported in a
vehicle? We're getting calls about uh
hands sticking out of a vehicle, out of
the trailer. Um so that is why we're
contacting you guys because it is unsafe
for children to be riding in a trailer.
They're not properly seat belted and uh
we need to do an investigation and
figure out what's going on. Okay.
>> Do you have any questions?
>> Yeah. Isn't that legal in Arizona?
>> No, ma'am.
>> The trooper reassures each of them that
they are just conducting an
investigation and none of the women or
girls are in any trouble.
>> What about him?
>> At this point, he is detained right now.
>> Really makes me mad.
>> I understand that. But like he said,
once we do our investigation, we can
figure this out. We just need you guys
to give us your
>> You have to let him go.
>> No, ma'am. You're not going to decide
the outcome of this. We will decide and
we'll let you know how everything's
going to happen here. Okay.
>> Still, Naomi doesn't appear to
understand why Samuel is being detained
in the first place.
>> So, isn't it legal to ride in the back
of a truck in Arizona?
>> Not for a juvenile.
>> They have to be properly strapped in.
>> Where's your parents at?
Mom or dad? Legal guardian.
>> Mom's here in town.
>> Mom's here in town.
>> Yes.
>> Is this where you guys were going? Was
FSA.
>> But mom's in FAF?
>> Yes, she is.
>> Okay. Okay. And do we have a way to
contact mom for her?
>> Yes.
>> Okay. Do you have the phone number?
>> Yes.
>> Okay. Can you give that to me?
>> I don't have it very nice. It's on my
phone.
>> Okay. All right. We'll get it in just a
second.
So, does your mom know where you're at
right now?
>> Yes. Yeah.
>> Yes. Okay. Will you quit answering for
everyone else and let me talk to the
each and everyone? How old are you?
>> You can say on my
>> Okay. So, do me a favor. When I talk to
you, I'll talk to you. When I talk to
someone else, don't answer for them
unless you are legal guardian of them
and you have uh legal privilege to
answer for them. Okay.
>> Okay.
>> Thank you.
>> They are afraid of talking to
>> Oh, I they have no reason to be afraid
of me. The only reason I've had to keep
addressing you is because you keep
stepping in and I need to be able to
talk to each and every one of them.
Okay.
>> The one in the red dress he's talking to
>> is basically the ring leader. She
>> basically telling them all not to
>> from what I'm getting.
>> Um they gave an angel date of birth so
we can
>> she just kind of
>> that is you
>> realizing he won't be able to speak with
the girls freely while Naomi is present.
He decides to separate them. Moretta and
Naomi are moved away from the remaining
five juveniles who are each questioned
individually. One of the Cookanino
County deputies speaks with a
14-year-old girl who doesn't seem to
know where they're even heading.
>> You didn't know where you guys were
going to. You were just riding.
>> Well, I got invited to come.
>> You got invited to come? Who invited
you?
>> Your friends are are they here or
[snorts] Okay. You know what Chris is
trying to find out now too is are the
are they
willingly in this
>> like are they sister wives or are they
forced into here and stuff like that
>> yeah so that's the biggest thing right
now I mean there's nothing illegal
without riding in the trailer
>> you know so the juveniles offer
conflicting accounts of where they're
headed some say Phoenix Arizona while
another girl believes they're traveling
to Tucson
>> are you going down to the church
>> no we were staying down there for 3 days
>> 3
just for like a meeting.
>> Okay.
>> Something.
>> Okay.
>> The girl tells the trooper that her
mother is part of their group and is
traveling in a separate vehicle with
other adults. Another young girl
confirms this and explains the reason
they have yet to make themselves known.
>> Are they just going to continue or are
they going to stop and call you guys and
try and get a hold of you guys and ask
where you're at?
>> They already did. Oh, they
>> did.
Oh, okay. Okay. So if uh parents or
guardians do not come here, you have to
be uh released to child protective
services.
>> After speaking with each of the girls
separately, it becomes clear that not
all of them know exactly where they're
going, how long they'll be gone, who
they're meeting, or the purpose of their
trip, leaving the authorities uneasy.
Still, each claims to be traveling of
their own free will. After speaking with
Samuel, a DPS trooper shares what he's
learned with the others. are any of
these girls, are you a parent of any of
these ladies? And he's like, I'm not
saying anything. I said, we're trying to
we're trying to get this figured out. I
said, are you the parent of any of the
parents? And he goes, I'll tell you
this. He goes, I am not related to any
of them. Perfect. Okay.
>> But according to court documents, Samuel
once again attempted to take his own
daughter as a wife and even suggested he
would make her have a child. Once he
told her mother, however, she moved her
and her daughter out of the house and
got a restraining order against him.
While Naomi and Moretta wait apart from
the other girls, they realize they've
begun attracting attention from nearby
onlookers.
Dan
video.
After speaking with Naomi and Moretta,
the two women agree to start contacting
parents, but after convening with other
authorities. One detail leaves the
trooper convinced the girls are hiding
something.
>> Uh, so
14-year-old, she had a ring on her
finger on her ring finger. She had a
ring on her finger. They've all kind of
like hidden those. I mean, they're we we
know what's going on.
>> Yeah.
>> The trooper uses Moretta's phone to
contact her mother, Julia. According to
court documents, Julia has at least five
daughters, including two minors, all of
whom Samuel has taken as wives. Those
same documents reveal that the FBI
obtained recordings between Julia and
her husband, one of Samuel's followers.
In one of these recordings, an
investigator learned that one of Julia's
daughters expressed fears over becoming
pregnant at just 14 or 15 years old.
>> The male driver, do you know him?
>> Yes, Samuel Baitman.
>> Okay. I'm quite aware of him.
>> Okay. And and are you okay with uh your
daughter
going with him
>> under the circumstances? Yes.
>> Young girl has his picture on their
phone.
>> Maybe it's a massage.
>> Well, yeah. According to court records,
the FBI informants secretly recorded a
conversation between Samuel and three of
his wives, one of which was a minor,
wherein they recounted the story of what
they called the atonement, which
involved Samuel giving the girls to his
three male followers. Though the
recording was turned over to local law
enforcement, Samuel and his male
followers were not arrested. Now, the
authorities who have him in custody
discuss whether or not they have enough
information to secure a search warrant
for Samuel's phone. There can be
incriminating things on there, too,
because you got a 14-year-old girl with
a ring on her ring finger that is hiding
it. That girl took her ring off.
>> If if if anything, we can secure it in
evidence and then try to search warrant
on it, see if the judge will grant him.
>> Samuel's phone is confiscated and
secured, though they can't put it into
airplane mode without a PIN number,
which he refuses to provide. Hey,
Samuel. So, you're under arrest for
endangerment. Okay. Um, you're going to
go to the Cookanino County Jail right
down the street here in Flagstaff. Um,
anyone that uh uh
you would authorized as an adult to
drive their vehicle here
>> or that's coming. So, I believe some of
the parents
>> Naomi Naomi I think she's all
>> old enough. Yeah. Okay.
>> The three adult women who were traveling
separately from the group finally
arrived to take custody of the remaining
girls. They're later identified as Maria
Barlo Bine, Josephine Barlo Bine, and
Brenda Barlo.
>> So, who's related to who?
>> She's my daughter.
>> She's your daughter.
>> She is my daughter.
>> This one? Okay.
>> He asks for each of their IDs, which
they readily provide.
>> And uh
>> that's custody.
>> Yeah. I am sister.
>> Okay. And uh mom, where's mom at?
>> She is not here. I called her and she
said, "Yes, I gave you custody." Okay,
>> so I need to talk to her.
>> Okay, sounds good. That'll work, too.
And then
>> we just need to verify this.
>> According to court documents, Brenda is
also one of Samuel's adult wives along
with at least three of her biological
sisters.
>> Who are you taking custody up here?
>> These are my children.
>> Okay, these two.
>> Okay. According to court documents,
Josephine is also one of Samuel's wives
along with two of her minor daughters,
the youngest of which was taken as a
wife at just 9 or 10 years old. The
trooper lets the women know that once he
can confirm their identities, the girls
will be released.
>> Any questions for me?
>> What's the deal?
>> What's the deal?
>> Yeah, that's that's
>> okay. I'll explain this. So we started
getting calls, 911 calls about fingers
hanging outside the doors of trailers.
So you can imagine human beings in in a
locked trailer or in a closed trailer on
the roadway.
>> That is that is the reports we had.
>> So the concerned people were like, "Oh
my god, there's people being transported
in a trailer." Does that sound normal to
you
>> on the highway? Okay. But let me tell
you, at 75 m an hour, it's not safe.
Okay? Because if they're in an accident,
everyone in that trailer, which were
juveniles, all juveniles would be roll.
They could roll over. They could uh be
killed in an accident. Okay. That is
Does that not sound kosher to you?
Doesn't matter. Don't care about the
kids as much.
>> Of course, we care about
>> Okay. Well, understand where I'm coming
from. And where I'm coming from is I
have to deal with it on the highway and
I have to take care of the children and
notify parents when I have to tell the
parent that their loved one died. Okay,
do do you feel me now?
>> Okay, perfect. As long as we're on the
same page and we're not going to have a
problem. That is my job is to make sure
juveniles are taken care of because if
you're not going to take care of them,
we're going to step in and take care of
them. Okay.
>> Okay. I take care of her and I
>> Perfect. I just want to make sure we're
on the same page and where we're going
with this. Okay,
>> so he's under arrest. He's going to jail
>> and uh the children are going to be
released to their guardians.
>> And then uh an adult that is willing to
drive the vehicle. Okay. Okay,
>> that's where we're at right now. So hang
tight with us.
>> While running their information, the
trooper receives an unexpected call from
someone involved in the federal
investigation. Although it's unclear who
is on the other end of the line, the
caller asks whether Samuel Baitman is in
custody. The trooper confirms that he is
and brings them up to speed on the
situation. elders moms uh had major
attitude and uh didn't understand
anything that was going on and uh just
about lost it on her telling her these
little juveniles are in the back of a
enclosed in trailer with fingers
sticking out of the back and you have
the nerve to come here and think that
we're the problem. Uh I uh she by the
end of it I can tell you she shut up.
Some of the girls have uh his picture on
their phone. Um, and uh,
>> should he a prophet?
>> Okay. Okay.
>> No, no, he won't talk to us.
>> The caller requests that he take
photographs of all the women and girls
who were traveling with Samuel, and he
agrees to do so before hanging up. When
he returns to his cruiser, Samuel
attempts to downplay the danger of
traveling with the girls in the
unsecured trailer.
>> Yes, sir.
>> You know, it's almost okay to have a
diaper.
>> It is not okay. It is not okay to have
juveniles in the back of a trailer.
Okay, I have a lot of experience with
death and I can tell you in a bad
accident, there's no restraints in
there. All that all those items in that
trailer are going to fly around and
people are going to die. So, it's so
dangerous.
That is why juveniles are called
juveniles. They need guardians to make
good decisions for them. And if you are
going to be their guardian, you need to
make a good quality decision for them.
>> After speaking with one other parent and
confirming the women can legally take
responsibility for the minors on scene,
the trooper releases them. Before they
go, one of the adult wives, Brenda,
makes a bizarre request.
>> If he needs something, he can get it at
the jail. We have a nurse on staff.
>> You could ask him.
>> No, ma'am.
>> Could you like a message to get him some
kombucha and
>> some what? some kombucha.
>> What's that?
>> It's like um a fermented drink.
>> It's fine. We'll just get him out.
>> It's like just something that just helps
in the gut.
>> Okay.
>> And then
>> and it's and then he just has
>> he's more um the pain he just has his
back was totally
okay.
>> We just want to some way.
>> Yeah. I will relay that to the nurse at
the jail.
>> Following Samuel's arrest, the FBI
investigation took a major turn.
According to court documents, once the
family bailed Samuel out of custody, he
began to inquire about how to factory
reset his phone. According to the FBI
informant, the wives picked up a
shredder, which she assumed was to shred
the journals they kept. Court records
show that Samuel then began instructing
his wives to delete his signal account,
which he used to communicate with his
wives and followers. According to court
records, in September of 2022, Samuel
was arrested on warrants related to
destruction of records and an FBI raid
was executed at three of his residences.
The documents state that following this
raid, nine minor females were taken into
Arizona DCS custody until Naomi Beline,
Moretta Johnson, and another of Samuel's
adult wives successfully kidnapped eight
of them. On December 1st, 2021, all
eight missing girls were located in
Spokane, Washington in a vehicle being
driven by Moretta Johnson. During this
incident, one of the girls appeared
angry with authorities after learning
she may soon be returned to DCS custody.
>> We've had enough.
>> Okay. People have lied to us every
freaking step of the damn way.
>> Okay.
>> Okay. And so you guys are lying right
now. Every one of you. I doubt you've
ever told truth ever in your life. And
if you guys say you're not taking her
anywhere, I don't believe that.
>> I said before I said you guys will say
bye if they do. Okay. So,
>> I already let you let them know.
>> You guys want to say goodbye?
>> Bastard.
>> Okay.
>> Well, in my case, it's not such an
insult. It's a truth. So, have a CPS on
the way. evidence.
>> I'm still
>> following the raid, seized evidence
along with eventual testimonies from
many of Samuel's wives uncovered
horrifying details. According to court
records, multiple group acts took place
in motel involving Samuel, his wives,
the minor children, and his adult male
followers. The records describe at least
one group act that took place in 2020
involving Samuel, one of his male
followers, two of his adult wives,
Josephine and Naomi, and two minor
girls, then 17-year-old Moretta and her
little sister, who was just 14 years
old. Brenda was among the wives Samuel
had called to watch the quote sacred
ordinance, along with at least one other
minor girl. Per Samuel's instructions,
every participant was naked. The
documents also revealed that Samuel
required his male followers to perform
acts on him as quote an atonement for
their wicked deeds.
>> I hope you realize how wicked.
>> I'm very very sorry.
>> We didn't lie to you about to say
goodbye though. So
>> according to court records on April 1st,
2024, Samuel Baitman accepted a plea
deal, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
transport a minor for criminal activity
and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. He
received two 50-year federal prison
sentences to be served concurrently to
be followed by lifetime supervised
release. In exchange for testifying
against Samuel, several of his adult
wives were offered plea agreements that
reduced their charges and potential
sentences. According to court records,
in April of 2024, Josephine Barlo Bine
accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to
two counts of persuading or coercing
travel to engage in activity. She was
given two 180month sentences to run
concurrently, plus lifetime supervised
release. According to court records, in
February of 2024, Brenda Barlo accepted
a plea deal, pleading guilty to
conspiracy to commit tampering with an
official proceeding and was sentenced to
3 years in federal prison. She was
granted supervised release on August
14th, 2025.
In December of 2023, Moretta Johnson
accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to
misprion of a felony. And in August of
2024, Naomi Bistline accepted a plea
deal, pleading guilty to conspiracy to
commit tampering with an official
proceeding. Moretta and Naomi were each
granted a sentence of time served, plus
supervised release.