Summary
Furness was an Idaho state senator and LDS church member who served for a time as a Mormon ward bishop.
As of 1971, Furness was bishop of the Terreton Ward in the Rigby, Idaho Stake.
In 1996, Furness pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual battery on a child.
He died in 2005.
Facts
Sources
- Names to Note - New Bishoprics,
- Prosecutors say they have taped confession from Furness,
- Senator Pleads Guilty To Sexual Battery,
- Rex Lyle Furness - obituary,
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1. Names to Note - New Bishoprics
Terreton Ward, Rigby Stake, Idaho: Bishop Rex Lyle Furness
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2. Prosecutors say they have taped confession from Furness
REXBURG, Idaho - Prosecutors say they have tape recorded what amounts to a confession by conservative Idaho state Sen. Rex Furness that he fondled his adopted granddaughter.
As they prepared for today's preliminary hearing on the sexual battery charges against the four-term Rigby lawmaker, Madison County prosecutors said Furness made the admission to a state attorney general's office investigator.
In addition, they say Furness also admitted paying the girl after one fondling incident.
Their claim was made during a probable cause hearing held by Madison County Magistrate Mark Rammell hours before Furness was charged on May 15. The hearing is not mentioned in the court file but was taped recorded.
Today's preliminary hearing will determine whether there is enough evidence to require Furness to stand trial on the felony charge. He has been free on bond since he was charged with fondling the girl on several occasions between July 1995 and April.
In the tape of the probable cause hearing, Prosecutor Sid Brown outlined the criminal investigation conducted by the state attorney general's office, which reviewed the case before Madison County filed charges.
Brown said that investigation found that Furness fondled his granddaughter on April 17.
On April 18, Brown said, the granddaughter contacted the attorney general's office to make a statement against Furness. After she was interviewed by investigators, she called Furness to ask him to stop touching her. In that conversation, taped by the state's investigator, Furness indicated he would stop, Brown said.
The state's investigator then interviewed Furness at the Jefferson County Courthouse on April 19. During that taped interview, Brown said, Furness confessed to touching his granddaughter and paying her.
Brown has declined comment. Furness attorney Blair Grover could not be reached for comment, and Furness has refused to comment on the case.
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3. Senator Pleads Guilty To Sexual Battery
Conservative state Sen. Rex Furness pleaded guilty on Monday to sexual battery on his adopted granddaughter, a crime he essentially confessed to this spring during an interview with a state investigator.
The 72-year-old Rigby Republican admitted fondling the breasts of his adopted teenage granddaughter during his arraignment in 7th District Court. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 9.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald said the plea ends Furness’s state Senate career, although it remained unclear whether he would officially resign from office or simply remove himself from the general election ballot. His term ends Dec. 1, and there are no formal legislative activities scheduled between now and then.
He was unopposed for re-election so the person selected by the Republican Legislative District Committee to replace him will all but be guaranteed a seat in the Senate.
A half dozen people in the heavily rural district have expressed interest in the job.
The only opposition can come from a write-in candidate.
Furness had been accused of fondling the victim on several occasions between July 4, 1995, and April.
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4. Rex Lyle Furness - obituary
Rex Lyle Furness, 81, died peacefully at his home in Grant, Sunday, April 24, 2005, after being diagnosed a short time ago with cancer.
He was born Nov.18, 1923, in Sugar City, to Tobias Furness and Lucy Ricks Furness. He graduated from High School in Sugar City in 1941. He attended the southern branch of the University of Idaho and Ricks College.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps Dec. 7, 1942, in Salt Lake City, and received navigational training in Lubbock, Texas. He was stationed in Norwich, England, where he served as a navigator. After six missions, he was assigned as lead navigator for his squadron in the Second Air Division. He led his squadron on deep penetration and oil target missions into Germany. On three occasions, he led missions of 1,000 bombers, each with a crew of 10 men. He was amazed that a little Idaho farm boy led that many men into combat by stars and a pencil. As a squadron navigator, one of his responsibilities was keeping navigation instruments in working order. After 25 missions he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was discharged as a first lieutenant in November of 1945.
After the war ended in Europe, he returned home and married [redacted by FLOODLIT] July 2, 1945, in the Logan Utah LDS Temple. He farmed in Terreton and Grant for many years. With his brother [redacted by FLOODLIT], they owned Furness Brothers Feed Co. in Terreton.
During his life, he was active in the LDS Church and gave much political and community service. He lived in Arizona with his wife for 18 months, where he served as manager of the Many Farms Co-op on the Navajo, Indian Reservation. He supported many charitable projects in his life, including several in Guatemala. For the past 21 years he traveled to Guatemala to carry out projects. His last trip to Guatemala was in February, where he worked on a project to obtain medical equipment for a hospital serving babies born with AIDS.
He felt his greatest accomplishments in life were his family.
[remainder redacted by FLOODLIT]
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