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Gail’s sentence stunned members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who were in the courtroom. One of her daughters ran out of the courtroom and was heard weeping in the hallway.

There was no such reaction to Brandon’s sentence, which was read out just before his former wife’s. The judge found that Brandon was more culpable because he initiated the removal after receiving a phone call from FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs who declared that the girl “belongs to me.”

Photo by Jeff McIntos / THE CANADIAN PRESS

While Pearlman noted that fundamentalist Mormon girls are taught from birth that they must obey their fathers, husbands and the male priesthood authorities, it didn’t excuse Gail Blackmore’s actions.

She went with her husband and daughter across the border, went to an interview with Jeffs before the meeting and attended the marriage ceremony.

Beyond that, not only did she express no remorse when she was interviewed for the sentencing report, the judge said she was non-committal when asked if she would aid in the removal of another child for the same purpose.

“I can’t talk about that,” she said. “I decline to provide any more information.”

The judge also took another unusual step.

He accepted the evidence of another of the Blackmore’s daughters who was 16 when she was whisked across the border and married a few months after her sister’s marriage at 13.

Instead of laying new charges and holding another trial, he found that to be an aggravating circumstance and based the pair’s sentences what they did to the second daughter as well.