Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of abduction and rape. Reader discretion is advised.
On June 5, 2002, an unknown man kidnapped 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her house in Salt Lake City, Utah. Reports indicated that a man named Brian David Mitchell abducted the young girl and took her to a nearby campsite. Mitchell’s wife, Wanda Barzee, was waiting for them at the site. Smart’s sister, Mary Katherine, played an important role in getting the culprits behind bars because she saw Mitchell taking her sister away. Subsequently, police arrested the duo and charged them on several counts, including aggravated sexual assault. The court found them guilty and sent them to prison.
ABC News mentioned that Brian David Mitchell entered Elizabeth Smart’s room and took her away while holding a knife to her neck. The outlet stated that he threatened to murder her and her family if she made any noise. He then took her to the nearby campsite and raped her frequently. Meanwhile, BBC reported that he would give her drugs and alcohol to lower her resistance. According to Smart, Barzee never helped her and encouraged her husband to commit heinous acts, including sexual assault.
It would take authorities almost nine months to catch Elizabeth Smart’s abductors, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. Per ABC News, in March 2003, Mitchell, Barzee, and Smart were returning to Salt Lake City from California when police stopped them for questioning. One of the police officers recognized Smart from a sketch shared on the popular show America’s Most Wanted. As a result, police took Mitchell and Barzee into custody while Smart reunited with her family. Both accused went to trial and were found guilty.
Mitchell received a life sentence, while the court sent Barzee to 15 years in prison. However, in September 2018, the Utah Department of Corrections released Wanda Barzee from prison.
Where is Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper Wanda Barzee now?
In September 2018, CNN revealed that one of Elizabeth Smart’s abductors, Wanda Barzee, had been released from prison. The publication stated that the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole “credited” her for the time served, pulling up her release date. Additionally, CNN reported that Barzee’s original release date was in 2024. ABC News stated that the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole “miscalculated” her prison time. In its statement, the board clarified that Barzee didn’t get out early. Instead, they released her because she served her time.
“This is not an early release or a discretionary release. On September 19, Ms. Barzee will have spent 15 years in custody, which is the maximum amount of time allowed by her state conviction and sentence. Ms. Barzee cannot legally be held in the Utah State prison beyond the length of her sentence,” ABC News reported while citing the board’s statement.
At the time, the board also noted that Wanda Barzee would be on supervised release for five years. Moreover, she cannot have any kind of contact with Elizabeth Smart and her family and also registered herself as a sex offender. According to the National Sex Offender Registry, Wanda Barzee lives in Salt Lake City.
Upon her release, Elizabeth Smart requested the authorities to reconsider their decision because Barzee posed a threat to the community. While addressing a press conference, Smart noted that Barzee did “appalling” things during her captivity and was still a threat to the public. She added, “I know the depths of her depravity.” In an interview with CBS News, Smart said that Barzee didn’t seem apologetic for her behavior.
There are several documentaries on Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapping on several platforms. Titles like Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography and The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart dive deeper into the case and provide in-depth details. Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography is available to stream on A&E, while The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart is available on YouTube.
