San Angelo, USA - It was the call for help that launched one of the largest raids on a religious compound in U.S. history.
But on Monday, a Child Protective Services attorney asked for the case involving a 16-year-old known as "Sarah," who claimed sexual and physical abuse at the hands of her husband, to be dropped.
The state has all but declared the call a hoax after the phone number was traced to a Colorado woman with a history of pretending to be an abused child. The Texas Department of Public Safety even withdrew its arrest warrant against Dale Barlow, alleged husband and Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints sect member.
But CPS has not confirmed whether it thinks "Sarah" is real or not, saying that the call didn't force the removal of 463 children, and that what the agency found — which has yet to be truly revealed — did.
Early Monday, CPS attorney Gary Banks asked that the case of "Baby Jessop," naming Sarah as the mother and Barlow as the father, be dismissed.
"We're not saying that the child doesn't exist, but at this time we don't believe she's in our custody," Banks said.