Reporter
tdunn@gcnewsgazette.com
They are separatist not terrorists. The religious group in LeVita Township wants the message known they are not seeking revenge.
Grayson County has been living in fear and the police presence has been increased after the suicide of LeVita Township leader Richard Dugan this past Tuesday. Rumors are flying everywhere that the remaining members of the separatist group left on "the hill" will terrorize the town.
Dugan's widow, Laura Dugan, invited the News-Gazette to the hill because she was hoping to let people know they have no plans for revenge.
When the News-Gazette arrived, Laura Dugan waved and beckoned to come up on the hill. At her feet were two small dogs that at first looked like puppies.
There were no armed guards at the gate, there were no gun barrels poking out of windows. The community was quiet, peaceful and seemingly very poor.
"There is no one coming," said Laura. "There is no one coming to get revenge. We don't have to do anything. Why should we? The Lord will hold them responsible for this. They will have to face their maker some day."
Richard Dugan's demise, or King Richard, as LeVita Township members refer to him, will leave a significant void in the community on the "Hill."
"He was a good man, he would give you the shirt off his back," said Laura, also known as Lou. "We called him King Richard because the Lord made him king of this hill."
Lou says Dugan was never comfortable with the title of "King", but it was simply something members of the community called him. He was also referred to as a prophet, she added.
"Now one of the Lord's prophets is gone," she said.
Dugan may have been king of the LeVita Township, but it very certainly wasn't a wealthy community. The poverty of the LeVita Township is apparent when driving into the gated community. Members live in old, worn-out trailers.
The trailer nearest the gate was the home of head of security, Claude "Rob" Abston and his common law wife, Mertle Temple. The home was old and worn but it was neat and clean. In one corner of the kitchen was a gas stove used to cook. There was no refrigerator.
With no electricity there was not a need for a refrigerator, instead there are coolers filled with ice.
Because there is no county water LeVita members carry water from the bottom of the hill and they travel to the truck stop in Glendale to shower.
In the yard is an old-fashioned washing machine with a crank that rings out the clothes after they are washed. The clean clothes are then hung on a clothesline to dry.
Rob and Mertle came to Grayson County with Lou and Richard in 1990 from Wayside Christian Mission in Louisville. They arrived with two buses, a camper and a van.
They parked these vehicles and years later dragged dozens of old trailers to this hilltop where they are cut off from society in many ways. And their isolation is truly by their choice.
"We just want to live in peace," said Rob. "Anyone is welcome to live with us but we just ask one thing. We ask that they live by our beliefs."
Despite the tall tales about the Township bristling with weapons, there was not a single gun in sight even though Rob had said they had one .22 rifle they used to hunt.
With less than a dozen people living on the hill and five of those in jail, the isolation is somewhat overwhelming and the sheer frugalness of LeVita Township's lifestyle was apparent.
Despite the obvious hardships, no one complained. "Sure, I would like to have running water and other things," said April, mother of the only children on the hill, "but this is where my husband is. This is where we belong."
Her husband, Michael Boutte, along with the other four members of the group that were arrested when their leader took his life, is currently being held on a $1000 cash bond at Grayson County Detention center.
The remaining members of the township just can't seem to understand why the community is so afraid of them.
"We have never been harsh people. We have never been violent people," Lou said. "We never had any trouble with the police until this. They do not understand us, that is why they are afraid of us."
In fact, Lou says they don't often have visitors from outside the community, except for politicians. That's a different story.
"When it is time to vote they all come and want Richard to get everyone to vote for them."
Other than that she says they have almost nonexistent contact with public officials.
"We would like to have water and we tried to get it but the money disappeared," said Lou. "We have asked the county for water but they don't listen to us," she repeated," They just want us to go away."
The LeVita Township follows the beliefs of Sabbatarians. Sabbatarians believe that Saturday is the Sabbath day and in Mosaic Law. They believe in the first five books of the Bible, all written by Moses. They celebrate the seven holy days written about in the first five books of the Bible. No work is done on the Hill from sundown on Friday until Sunday.
For some people in the Grayson County community, the furor and fear about Richard Dugan and the LeVita Township is simply astounding.
Tracy Dennison of Community Action has worked with Richard and his family for years and was surprised to hear Dugan took his life on the first of May.
"I would have never expected it from him," said Dennison. "He always seemed so in control.
"My first contact was when the tornado hit Grayson County. We got them a generator and were able to provide them with some trailers that had been donated. They gave adequate housing to the families."
"As a community partner I have had contact with them over the years and have never feared going up on the Hill, " added Dennison.
Sheriff Rick Clemons advised, "Through the years there have been calls in reference to LeVita Township and King Richard. But to my memory none have been at the felony range."
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