A man accused of physically and sexually abusing children, as well as marrying one, asked to withdraw his guilty plea.
Samuel Shaffer, the original prophet of a fundamentalist Mormon offshoot preparing for the end of the world, said he was not in his right mind when he pleaded guilty.
Shaffer made his request in a Feb. 27 letter to to 5th District Judge Matthew Bell. The letter came six days after he entered guilty pleas for first-degree felony child rape and second-degree felony child abuse. He would serve a minimum of 25 years in prison.