Latest news with #ElizabethSmart
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Where Are Elizabeth Smart's Kidnappers Now? Here's What Happened to Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee
Elizabeth Smart's life was forever changed when she was abducted in the middle of the night by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. During the early morning hours of June 5, 2002, Mitchell broke into the Smart family's Salt Lake City home and snatched then-14-year-old Elizabeth from her bed. Mitchell — who claimed to be a religious prophet named Immanuel — and his wife Barzee then held the teenager captive for the next nine months, with Mitchell repeatedly raping Elizabeth while Barzee watched on. As Elizabeth endured this terrifying ordeal, her missing persons case captivated the nation and her family never lost hope that she would be rescued. 'We always knew that if Elizabeth was alive it would be a miracle,' her uncle Tom Smart told PEOPLE. 'But we always believed that the miracle was very, very possible. And sure enough, it was.' On March 12, 2003, Elizabeth and her kidnappers were spotted walking in Sandy, Utah. Despite being dressed in a disguise and giving police a fake name, Elizabeth was ultimately saved by authorities and reunited with her family — while her kidnappers were taken into custody. About a week later, Mitchell and Barzee faced charges of aggravated kidnapping, burglary and sexual assault, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the more than two decades since her abduction, Elizabeth has managed not just to survive the traumatizing experience — but thrive in spite of it. With a focus on sharing survivors' stories, Elizabeth is an accomplished author, TV correspondent, motivational speaker, philanthropist and victims' rights advocate. In her personal life, Elizabeth wed Matthew Gilmour in 2012; the couple are parents to three children together. So where are Elizabeth Smart's kidnappers, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, now? Here's everything to know about the husband-and-wife who abducted the Utah teenager and their lives today. Mitchell and Barzee first met in the mid-1980s at a group counseling session in Salt Lake City run by the Mormon church, The New Yorker reported. At the time, Mitchell's marriage to his second wife, Debbie, was falling apart amidst allegations that he had abused Debbie's two younger children from a previous marriage, according to CNN. Meanwhile, Barzee alleged in court that she was in the process of ending a 20-year abusive marriage while also losing custody of her six children, per CNN. The two were married within nine months of their first meeting, on Nov. 29, 1985 — the day Mitchell's divorce was finalized, Deseret News reported. In the following years, Mitchell worked as a die cutter at O.C. Tanner, while Barzee stayed home to practice and study the organ. Both were active members in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But by the mid-1990s, all of that changed when Mitchell quit his job and stopped paying taxes, according to CNN. The couple sold off all their possessions and began living off the land, panhandling to get by as they hitchhiked across the country. During this time, they also distanced themselves from the Mormon church and began to wear religious robes, as Mitchell had become convinced he was a prophet who was to have seven wives. Mitchell first encountered the Smart family and their Utah home in November 2001, PEOPLE previously reported. Lois Smart met Mitchell while he was panhandling on the streets of Salt Lake City. At the time, she gave him $5 and an offer to do some roofing work on the family's home — an extension of kindness that was not uncommon for Lois and her husband Ed, who were Mormons. Mitchell returned to the family's Salt Lake City home months later with sinister intentions. On the night of June 5, 2002, the self-proclaimed prophet cut a hole in the Smart's kitchen screen and entered the bedroom that Elizabeth shared with her younger sister, Mary Katherine. He then abducted the 14-year-old Elizabeth at knifepoint. 'He placed his hand on my chest and then put the knife up to my neck,' she said in federal court in October 2009. 'He told me to get up quietly and if I didn't then he would kill me and my family.' Mitchell then forced Elizabeth to march three miles through the woods to a makeshift camp where Barzee was waiting. Elizabeth was changed into a robe and wed to Mitchell in a pseudo-ceremony performed by the religious zealot himself. Mitchell then raped Elizabeth for the first time. Over the next nine months, Mitchell raped Elizabeth up to four times per day and kept her tethered to a tree with a cable when he was not assaulting her. Barzee not only witnessed everything but also did nothing to stop it, Elizabeth later revealed. 'She would encourage him to rape me. She would sit next to me. The side of her body would be touching me while he was raping me,' Elizabeth said during a September 2018 interview with CBS This Morning. 'There were no secrets. She knew what was going on.' In July 2002, seven weeks after Elizabeth was taken, Mitchell attempted to abduct Elizabeth's cousin, 18-year-old Jessica Wright. Mitchell allegedly cut through Wright's bedroom window screen and attempted to enter her room using a chair he placed below the window — similar to how he had broken into Elizabeth's home, according to ABC News. However, in Wright's case, Mitchell fled when the family dog began barking. 'When I heard that, I thought they were trying to get a companion for Elizabeth,' her uncle David told PEOPLE in March 2003. 'We were like, 'No question, she's alive.' ' Elizabeth later revealed in her 2018 book, When There's Hope: Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up, that Mitchell had attempted to kidnap another girl while she was in captivity. According to Elizabeth's recollection, Mitchell began looking for his 'next wife' and searched local churches for young girls. He befriended a Mormon family in El Cajon, Calif., and after learning they had a young daughter, selected her as 'his next victim,' Elizabeth wrote. One night, Mitchell left their campsite dressed in dark clothes and with a knife in hand to kidnap the young girl. However, his plan was foiled when he entered the home and was alarmed by a man snoring. The sound compelled Mitchell to leave and abandon his plans to take the young girl. 'I know most people consider snoring a health risk or an annoyance, but in the case of this young girl, it saved her life,' Elizabeth wrote. The road to rescuing Elizabeth — and catching her captors — got its first break in October 2002, when Elizabeth's sister Mary Katherine told her parents she remembered who had taken her sister. Mary Katherine revealed it was the worker she knew as 'Immanuel,' and Ed knew immediately it was the man who had worked on their roof, PEOPLE previously reported. Based on Mary Katherine's recollections, a police sketch of Mitchell was revealed in February 2003. Following the police sketch, Mitchell's sister came forward and provided photos, which were then featured on a February episode of America's Most Wanted. Additional photos of Mitchell were shown for a second time on the program in March. On March 12, 2003, two separate couples who had seen America's Most Wanted spotted Mitchell walking around Sandy, Utah, with two females and called 911, PEOPLE reported at the time. When they were approached by police officers, Elizabeth — who was disguised in a gray wig and sunglasses — claimed her name was Augustine Marshall. At the police station, Elizabeth eventually confirmed her identity and was reunited with her family, while Mitchell and Barzee were arrested on suspicion of aggravated kidnapping, The New York Times reported. Due to delays, mental evaluations and competency hearings, it took nearly eight years for Barzee and Mitchell to be brought to trial for the kidnapping of Elizabeth. In November 2009, Barzee pleaded guilty to kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor in a deal with prosecutors, The New York Times reported. As part of her plea deal, Barzee also agreed to cooperate in the case against her estranged husband, Mitchell. (Barzee filed for divorce in November 2004, per the outlet.) In exchange for her guilty plea and cooperation, Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, according to The New York Times. 'I am so sorry, Elizabeth, for all the pain and suffering I have caused you and your family,' Barzee said in court. 'It is my hope that you will be able to find it in your heart to forgive me.' Mitchell's trial began in November 2010, and his defense tried to argue he was not guilty by reason of insanity, but was found competent to stand trial, per The Seattle Times. In December 2010, a jury found Mitchell guilty of kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity, The New York Times reported. He was sentenced to life in prison. After getting arrested by Utah authorities in March 2003, Barzee spent the next several years in custody when she pled guilty in November 2009. She was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for her role in Elizabeth's abduction, but received credit for time served. In 2016, Barzee was transferred from a federal prison to a Utah state prison to begin serving her separate one-to-15-year sentence for the attempted abduction of Elizabeth's cousin, NBC reported. However, in June 2018, Barzee's attorney requested that she receive credit toward her state sentence for her time spent in federal prison. Utah parole officials initially denied that request and set Barzee's sentence to run until January 2024. But the parole board unexpectedly reversed that decision in September 2018 — ruling that, after 'further review and advice from legal counsel,' Barzee's time spent in federal prison, as well as in a state hospital and jail, must be credited toward her current term. The news left Elizabeth 'surprised and disappointed,' she revealed in a statement at the time, per KSL. 'It is incomprehensible how someone who has not cooperated with her mental health evaluations or risk assessments and someone who did not show up to her own parole hearing can be released into our community,' Elizabeth said in her statement. During a press conference, Elizabeth urged the parole board to reconsider their decision. 'I do believe she's a threat,' she said about Barzee. 'I believe that she is a danger and a threat to any vulnerable person in our community, which is why our community should be worried.' Barzee was let out of prison on Sept. 19, 2018, and began five years of federal supervised release. She was first placed in a halfway house before moving into an apartment in Salt Lake City near an elementary school, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Following her early release, Elizabeth spoke out about how she refused to let the past affect her present happiness. 'I'm not gonna let these people or this woman stop me from living the life that I want to live, and that's how I still feel,' she said. Most recently, in May 2025, Barzee was arrested for violating her parole. She allegedly visited parks in Salt Lake City, which she is restricted from doing due to her status as a registered sex offender. A spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police (SLCP) told PEOPLE that "detectives developed information." Barzee was later released on judicial orders and the SLCP will continue monitoring the situation, requiring her to do weekly check-ins. While Barzee was released early from prison, Mitchell has been serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole since being convicted in 2010. Mitchell is currently an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute, a high-level security federal prison in Indiana, per its inmate directory. With Mitchell behind bars, Elizabeth revealed she does not spend much time thinking about the man who permanently altered the course of her life over two decades ago. 'They're not people that I think of regularly,' she told PEOPLE about her captors in September 2024. 'I guess every now and then, part of me wonders how you could get to a point where you would think it's okay to kidnap a young girl.' Mitchell, she added, 'should never get out' of prison. 'I just think no matter what, if he got out, he would be a danger if not to me than to another young girl,' Elizabeth said. 'I think he will always pose a threat.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Elizabeth Smart Breaks Silence After Kidnapper Is Arrested Again
is speaking out after one of her kidnappers, Wanda Barzee, was rearrested earlier this month over a parole violation. According to NBC News, she is no longer in custody. Barzee, 79, is said to have visited at least two parks, which she is not permitted to do as a registered sex offender. The kidnapping victim, who was abducted by andBarzee at the age of 14 and held until her rescue almost nine months later, took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday, May 8, to address Barzee's arrest and send her thanks to "the Salt Lake City Police Department for their quick and appropriate response." In a selfie-style video uploaded to the social media platform, Smart explained that the park is 'a place where she is legally barred from going, because she's a registered sex offender.' 'Her justification was that she was commanded by the Lord, which unfortunately is very familiar to me and is probably the most concerning thing," Smart continued, "because that's how they justified kidnapping me.' She said 'this incident confirms exactly why' she's been so vocal with her concerns surrounding Barzee's initial release from prison. That said, she was very grateful to the members of law enforcement who dealt with the matter, stating that 'They handled the situation with a trauma-informed approach, which means so much to me personally." 'When authorities take these situations, these violations seriously, it sends a very powerful message that survivor safety matters," she added. "My case received so much attention but the sad truth is that most survivors never see their perpetrators arrested, let alone convicted." She took the opportunity to address policy makers, "urging" them to "view this as a reminder that sex offender registries and release conditions exist for important reasons." Next:
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Wanda Barzee, kidnapper of Elizabeth Smart, charged after claiming she was ‘commanded by God' to enter public park illegally
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Wanda Barzee, the woman convicted of kidnapping then 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart with her husband in 2002, was arrested and booked into jail on May 1, according to court records. She was charged today, May 9, for the alleged crime. On May 1, Barzee, 79, was booked into jail for allegedly violating Sex Offender Registry requirements by visiting parks in Salt Lake City. Brent Weisberg, spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police Department, said detectives arrested her at her home without incident. She was officially charged today, May 9, in Salt Lake County with two counts of violation by sex offender of protected area (class A misdemeanor). Documents say she told police she went to Liberty Park to feed ducks in early April because 'she was commanded to by the Lord.' Barzee allegedly also admitted to visiting Sugarhouse Park. RLEATED: Elizabeth Smart Foundation releases statement and video addressing Barzee arrest Barzee became a registered sex offender after she was convicted for her involvement in the kidnapping and rape of Smart. She served 15 years in prison before being released in 2018. At the , Elizabeth Smart asked the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole not to release her, saying she was a danger, but officials said Barzee had served her sentence and there was nothing to keep her in prison. She was on probation for five years after her release and was required to participate in a mental health program. According to Utah law, registered child sex offenders are prohibited from going to areas where children congregate — such as parks and schools. Offenders convicted of violating this law are subject to a class A misdemeanor charge, which can be punished with up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. In a three minute long video posted to the Foundation's Instagram page, Elizabeth Smart addresses the recent arrest of Barzee and the justification that Barzee used, which Smart says is a reminder of her past and a warning of the risk Barzee poses to the community. Here is the full statement from the Elizabeth Smart Foundation: We are deeply troubled by Wanda Barzee's recent actions. She entered public parks in Salt Lake City, which she is legally barred from due to her status as a registered sex offender. Barzee's justification that she was 'commanded by the Lord' is a reminder of her past and a warning of the risk she poses to the community. This incident highlights how crucial it is to enforce the sex offender registry, monitor release conditions, and evaluate individuals convicted of crimes like Barzee's. It also emphasizes exactly why we must listen to and center survivors in our legal process. We want to thank the Salt Lake City Police Department, and Chief Redd, for their responsible handling of this incident. Their professionalism, attentiveness, and trauma-informed approach speak to their commitment to survivor-centered practices. At the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, we believe in a future where all survivors of sexual violence are heard, believed, and supported—and where systems are built not just around legal technicalities, but around true justice. Many survivors live without justice for the harm done to them, and their perpetrators are never arrested. We often say for survivors of sexual violence and exploitation, we have more of a legal system than a justice system. But, we also believe in the possibility of change. We are building that change by promoting survivor-informed policies, expanding education and prevention programs, and working with law enforcement, communities, and survivors to create a safer, more compassionate world. Elizabeth Smart has continually expressed concern over Wanda Barzee's release. Barzee's violation affirms the need for ongoing reforms to protect survivors and prevent further trauma. At the same time, it reminds us that solutions are possible when communities, leaders, and institutions come together with a shared commitment to do better. We urge policymakers, justice officials, and the public to take incidents like this seriously—especially in cases that are not as widely publicized as Elizabeth Smart's. There is an urgent, broad need for reform. Survivors deserve to live without fear. They deserve to thrive. Together, we can build systems that not only protect them but also uplift them. Elizabeth often remembers advice that her mother gave her after she was rescued. She said, 'Don't you let them steal one more second of your life. Not one more second! You be happy. You move on.' Elizabeth is pleased to report that she is indeed happy, and lives a fulfilling life with her family, and does not live in fear of her captors. Rule banning off road vehicles in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area overturned Petiton started to bring the 'town' back to SLC's Japantown Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Mass as details emerge of how conclave votes coalesced Pope's brother answers burning local question: Chicago White Sox or Cubs fan? Sweat out the toxins and revive with SWTHZ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
06-05-2025
- Fox News
Convicted Elizabeth Smart kidnapper flashes huge smile in new mugshot for Utah's sex offender registry
One of Elizabeth Smart's convicted kidnappers, Wanda Barzee, was seen in a new mugshot on Utah's Sex Offender Registry, smiling from ear to ear. In Utah, sex offenders are required to register twice a year, once on their birthday and then six months later to the date, according to Utah law. Nearly 20 years after her conviction for holding Smart captive for nine months, Barzee, 79, was arrested on May 1 after she allegedly violated sex offender restrictions. She was arrested at her Salt Lake City, Utah, home on Thursday after she allegedly visited at least two parks, which she is prohibited from doing as a registered sex offender, according to reports. WANDA BARZEE, ONE OF ELIZABETH SMART'S CAPTORS, ARRESTED ON ALLEGED SEX OFFENDER VIOLATION Under Utah law , sex offenders are forbidden from entering certain "protected areas" where children are likely to be present, which include public parks, schools, and playgrounds. During her arrest, Barzee said "she was commanded to by the Lord" to go to Liberty Park and that she liked to go there to "sit on benches and feed ducks," according to Fox 13 Salt Lake City . The outlet reported that Barzee also admitted that God had "commended" her to go to Sugar House Park as well. Barzee is now required to do weekly check-ins after her arrest for allegedly visiting parks in Salt Lake City, which she is restricted from doing due to her status as a registered sex offender. CHILD ABDUCTION SURVIVOR ELIZABETH SMART WARNS OF 'TERRIFYING TERRITORY' FOR TODAY'S KIDS In 2002, Barzee and her husband, Brian David Mitchell, kidnapped then-14-year-old Smart at knifepoint and held her captive for nine months. Mitchell forced Smart into a polygamous "marriage" and raped her almost daily. Smart was rescued when a couple recognized her as she was walking through Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City, with Barzee and Mitchell. Initially, out of fear, Smart denied her identity when questioned by police, but later admitted that she was the missing teen. Barzee and Mitchell were then arrested. It was "America's Most Wanted," which aired an episode about Smart's 2002 abduction, that led to her being recognized by a couple, who spotted her walking with her captors. After several hearings, Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in prison for aggravated kidnapping. She received the sentence after cooperating with the FBI and the state of Utah to convict Mitchell, who was sentenced to life in prison. Smart later testified how she was drugged, tied to a tree and raped as often as four times a day, People Magazine reported. If she dared to cry for help, her family would be murdered, Mitchell warned her. During her ordeal, Smart insisted she never gave up hope that one day she would be found. KIDNAPPING SURVIVOR ELIZABETH SMART ON EMPOWERING KIDS FROM PREDATORS: 'DON'T BE AFRAID TO PRACTICE SCREAMING' "Coming back and being with my family was everything I dreamed of while I was being held kidnapped," she previously told Fox News Digital. "All I wanted was to make it home, feel love again, feel safe again. I wanted to gain the courage, as cliché as it sounds, to follow my dreams. These weren't extravagant dreams. I wanted to go to high school, get my driver's license, go to prom, go on a first date, go to college, get married, have a family." In 2018, Barzee was released from prison and placed under five years of federal supervision in addition to being registered as a sex offender. She was ordered not to contact Smart's family. Sex offenders cannot be within 1,000 feet of a victim's residence if a victim-requested restriction is in place, according to the Utah Legislature. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Smart is a married mother of three, but her story is far from over. She is a child safety activist who regularly speaks on behalf of missing and exploited children. She's also partnering with "America's Most Wanted" to serve as a guest speaker for an episode of "America's Most Wanted: Missing Persons." Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Elizabeth Smart's Kidnapper Wanda Barzee Smiles in Recent Sex Offender Registry Photo: Here's Why She Went to Prison
Wanda Barzee, who was convicted of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart and holding her captive for 9 months, is listed on Utah's Sex Offender Registry Barzee is seen smiling in her most recent sex registry photo, which all offenders are required to update On May 1, she was taken into custody after violating her parole Wanda Barzee, the woman who helped hold Elizabeth Smart captive for nine months, is on Utah's Sex Offender Registry — and it appears that she couldn't be happier about it. Barzee, 79, is seen beaming at the camera in an updated mugshot for the sex offender registry, which provides information to the public, law enforcement agencies, businesses and other entities about sex offenders in the state and is publicly available online. Those on the registry in Utah are required to check in twice a year - once on their birthday and then again exactly six months later. At those check-ins, they may take new photographs if their appearance is markedly different. Barzee is now required to do weekly check-ins after her arrest for allegedly visiting parks in Salt Lake City, which she is restricted from doing due to her status as a registered sex offender. Related: Kidnapper Who Held Elizabeth Smart Captive for 9 Months Arrested After Police Say Sex Offender Visited Salt Lake City Parks "Detectives developed information that Barzee had allegedly visited at least two parks in Salt Lake City, including Liberty Park and Sugar House Park, in violation of state law," Brent Weisberg, a spokesperson for the department, told PEOPLE. Barzee was later released on judicial orders. However, the SLCP said it will continue to monitor this situation moving forward as part of a joint effort with other agencies. "While the criminal prosecution in this matter remains our priority, our SLCPD social workers and crisis intervention detectives will continue utilizing our co-response model to help ensure that appropriate resources and safety plans are made available as the case progresses through the justice system," Weisberg was initially arrested with her husband, Brian David Mitchell, in 2003 after they kidnapped Smart in 2002 and held her captive for close to a year, moving between rundown houses and abandoned campsites in Utah and the San Diego area. During the time that Smart was held captive, she was subjected to near-daily sexual assaults by Mitchell. Smart discussed Barzee's participation in the assaults, saying she would encourage her husband and often be present while the teenager was being abused by Mitchell. Related: The Family of Kidnapped Teen Elizabeth Smart Speaks in a 2003 PEOPLE Cover Story: Read It Here The public was alerted to Mitchell and Barzee's identities after Smart's sister, who witnessed the kidnapping, recalled that the man whose voice she heard that night was the same man who had previously been hired to do work at the family's home. Photos of Mitchell and Barzee then ran on America's Most Wanted around the same time the two started appearing in public with Smart, leading to a person recognizing the pair and contacting authorities. Despite being arrested in 2003, Barzee did not stand trial on federal charges until 2009 and state charges until 2010. Before that, she had been deemed mentally unfit, and in 2006, a judge in Utah signed off on forcibly medicating Barzee in hopes that she might be competent to stand trial. That seemed to work, and in 2009, she entered a guilty plea to federal charges of kidnapping and enticement of a minor. She also struck a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to testify against Mitchell at his state and federal trials. In 2010, she entered a guilty plea to aggravated kidnapping in Utah. Barzee then went to Texas, where she served out her federal sentence until 2016, at which time she returned to Utah. Two years later, Barzee was released from prison, having gotten credit for the seven years she spent in custody before both her sentences. That release date came as a surprise to Smart, who said in interviews at the time that she had not anticipated Barzee would be released from prison until 2024. In a 2018 interview with CBS This Morning, Smart alleged that Barzee still worshipped Mitchell. She told Gayle King that prison sources allegedly informed her that Barzee still carries around a "book of revelations" that Mitchell wrote while posing as a Christ-like religious figure. "Hearing that she's still carrying that around and still holding onto me, holding onto that. I find that very discomforting," Smart said. "I think that she is a danger because, clearly, she hasn't let it go. "She is still a big threat, and not just to me but to the public in general," Smart said of Barzee. "I mean, to any person who's vulnerable out there." If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People
