Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart

Elizabeth Ann Smart waskidnapped at age fourteen on June 4, 2002, by Brian David Mitchellfrom her home in the Federal Heights neighborhood of Salt Lake City,Utah, United States. She was held captive by Mitchell and his wife,Wanda Barzee, on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, and later, in SanDiego County, California. Her captivity lasted approximately ninemonths before she was discovered in Sandy, Utah, approximately 18miles (29 km) from her home.

Smart was abducted from her home atknifepoint by Mitchell, while her younger sister, Mary Katherine,pretended to be asleep. Mitchell, who claimed to be a religiouspreacher, held Smart at a camp in the woods with Barzee, where herepeatedly raped her. During her captivity, Smart accompanied hercaptors in public on various occasions dressed head-to-toe in whiterobes and went largely unrecognized by those she came in contactwith.

Since her abduction, Smart has gone onto become an advocate for missing persons and victims of sexualassault. Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in 2010for her role in the kidnapping and abduction, although she wasgranted early release on September 19, 2018, for previouslyuncredited time served. Extensive disputes over Mitchell'scompetence to stand trial lasted several years before he was deemedmentally capable in 2010, though he was diagnosed by forensicpsychologists as having antisocial and narcissistic personalitydisorders. Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison without thepossibility of parole in 2011.

Backgrounds of the kidnappers

One of Smart's abductors, Brian DavidMitchell, was born on October 18, 1953, in Salt Lake City, Utah, thethird of six children in a Mormon family. His mother was a teacherand his father was a social worker. In order to teach Mitchell aboutsex, his father reportedly showed his adolescent son explicit photosfrom a medical journal, and, in order to teach him aboutindependence, he would drive Mitchell to unfamiliar parts of SaltLake City, and drop him off, leaving him to find his way home.

At age 16, Mitchell exposed himself toa child, and was sent to a juvenile hall. At nineteen, he marriedand had two children with Karen Minor, who was three years youngerthan him, making her 16 years old at the time of their marriage.After their divorce, Minor was awarded custody of both children,after which Mitchell temporarily fled with the children to NewHampshire. He resided in New Hampshire for two years, where hejoined a Hare Krishna commune. Mitchell had a history of drug andalcohol abuse in his adult life; upon returning to Salt Lake City, hewas inspired to seek sobriety by his brother, who had recentlyreturned from a mission. In Salt Lake City, Mitchell had twoadditional children with his second wife, Debbie, who herself hadthree children from a previous marriage. Debbie alleged thatMitchell was abusive during their marriage, and they divorced in1984. After their separation, Debbie alleged that Mitchell hadsexually abused their three-year-old son; the claim could not bemedically confirmed, but Mitchell's future visitations with hischildren were ordered to be supervised by the Division of Child andFamily Services. One of Debbie's daughters from her previousmarriage would later claim that Mitchell had sexually abused her forfour years.

On the day Mitchell and Debbie'sdivorce was finalized, he married Wanda Elaine Barzee (b. November 6,1945, in Salt Lake City), a then-forty-year-old divorcee with sixchildren. Barzee had a troubled relationship with her children; oneof her daughters would later refer to her as a "monster,"and she would also claim that when she was a child, Wanda fed her petrabbit to her for dinner. Together, Mitchell and Barzee were activelyinvolved in the LDS Church. Eventually Mitchell began going by thename "Immanuel," claiming to be a prophet of God whoexperienced prophetic visions. For this, he was excommunicated fromthe church. Barzee began going by the name "Hephzibah,"and the two would panhandle and preach in downtown Salt Lake City. Mitchell presented himself in an image that was akin to the image ofJesus, dressing in white robes and tunics, and growing a beard.