Polygamist and Wife Give Up Parental Rights
A prominent polygamist and his wife have surrendered their parental rights to two teenage daughters whose abuse allegations triggered a lengthy custody battle with the state.
The girls, 17 and 14, are in foster care and have expressed a desire to be adopted.
Their parents, John Daniel Kingston and Heidi Mattingly, signed orders relinquishing their rights to the teens. The couple has nine other children, all of whom are in Mattingly’s custody.
“Our family believes in the principle of personal choice,” said Kingston, who is believed to have 14 wives with more than 100 children.
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