Mother says religious, cult-like group could be at center of sudden disappearance of 2 Idaho teens

MONTEVIEW, Idaho -- Two teenagers went missing from eastern Idaho, according to local authorities. Their mother is saying a religious cult-like group could be at the center of their sudden disappearance.

She says she believes they left with members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), claiming the church may have brainwashed them.

Rachelle Fischer, 15, and Allen Fischer, 13, were last seen on the evening of Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Monteview, Idaho, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

The Idaho State Police issued an Amber Alert for the two teens.

Elizabeth Roundy, the children's mother and former FLDS member, told Salt Lake City ABC affiliate ABC4 she believes her children left with their older sister to fulfill religious obligations.

"Somebody stopped by the shop and took them," Roundy said.

Roundy left the FLDS five years ago.

The FLDS is a polygamist breakaway offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and its leader is serving a life sentence in prison.

"They [were] willing to go because they think that it's their salvation," Roundy said.

The church has been accused of hiding missing children in the past, according to ABC News.

Two dozen kids have vanished in 2023, all of whom are former members of the church.

Among those missing is the Fischer's older sister, Elintra.

At the time, parents believed the children were being taken back by the cult to fulfill a prophecy made by the church's leader, Warren Jeffs.

He claimed to have a revelation that children of the faith needed to become "pure" before entering the so-called "celestial kingdom."

"He wanted all the children, especially, to be consecrated back to the church," said former FLDS member Tonia Tewell.

Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence for sex crimes stemming from the church's practice of underage and polygamist marriages.

Authorities say 24 of Jeffs' 78 wives were underage.

Now, Roundy believes Jeffs' so-called prophecy could mean plans for mass suicide in the sect, and worries that two more of her children are in danger.

"You just never know what they're gonna be told to do," Roundy said. "It's just ridiculous. Just right out manipulation to see what they can get away with basically."

Rachelle and Allen were last seen wearing traditional FLDS clothing, police said. Rachelle was reportedly wearing a dark green prairie dress, while Allen was seen in a light blue shirt with jeans and black slip-on shoes.

Rachelle is 5 feet 5 inches tall, 135 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Allen is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, 135 pounds with longer sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.

Authorities believe they may be attempting to return to Trenton, Utah, where they previously lived, due to religious beliefs.

The children's older sister, Elintra Dee Fischer, now 18, was reported missing on January 1, 2023, and has not been located. Roundy told ABC News' "IMPACT x Nightline" in a 2023 interview, "I am positive that FLDS are hiding Elintra."

Roundy believes the case may connect to broader developments within the FLDS church. In 2022, Warren Jeffs, the sect's imprisoned leader, began issuing new "revelations," including one in June 2022 calling for children of ex-members to return to the fold, according to the messages, which ABC News obtained.

In 2023, ABC News attempted to reach the FLDS church through Helaman Jeffs, the son of Warren Jeffs, who had been issuing his father's "revelations," but did not receive a response. ABC News also wrote to Warren Jeffs in prison but did not hear back.

Warren Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting girls as young as 12 but continues to lead the sect from prison.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about Rachelle and Allen to contact their dispatch center at 208-745-9210.