On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home in the middle of the night. She was missing for nine months. What everyone didn’t know was that she had been right there the whole time.
Background
Elizabeth was born in 1987. She was the second-born child in a family with six children. Her father, Ed, worked as a real estate agent and mortgage broker, which allowed the family to live in a comfortable neighborhood. She lived a relatively sheltered life. Her family were devoted members of their local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elizabeth spent her time playing her harp and excelling in school.
Brian David Mitchell, Elizabeth’s kidnapper, was raised in the Latter-day Saints church as well. However, his childhood was not the best. His father exposed him and his siblings to sexually explicit material at a very young age. As a teen, Brian exposed himself to a child and was later arrested. When he became an adult, Brian had two marriages that ended in divorce, amid accusations of abuse. He began to be consumed by religious delusions, renaming himself “Immanuel” (a prophet whose divine power allowed him to take multiple wives).
His first wife, as “Prophet Immanuel,” was Wanda Barzee. She was another member of the Latter-day Saints church who had an unstable upbringing. She also struggled with mental health issues growing up. When she and Brian met, she quickly became enthralled in Brian’s visions. Wanda discarded her husband and six kids and went off to become “Immanuel’s” first wife.
The two moved to outdoor camps and worked odd jobs. A year before the kidnapping, in 2001, Brian was working on the Smarts’ house when he noticed Elizabeth and believed that she was to become one of his wives. This obsession led to the events of June 5, 2002.
What Happened
In the early hours of June 5, 2002, while the sky was still dark, Brian cut the window screen to Elizabeth’s room, which she shared with her younger sister. Once he entered the room, Brian held a knife to Elizabeth’s throat, threatening her not to make any commotion; if she did, he would kill her sister. Through all of this, her sister, Mary Katherine, awoke but pretended to stay asleep. After watching her sister leave with Brian, Mary Katherine dashed to her parents’ room to explain what she saw.
Brian had taken Elizabeth to nearby mountains, where he and Wanda had a concealed camp. Wanda took Elizabeth into a tent and clothed her completely, getting her ready for “Emmanuel” to seal their marriage. This “sealing” was his raping of Elizabeth. This became a routine over the months she was under his control. Brian and Wanda kept Elizabeth under strict orders, trying to brainwash her into their ways.
Throughout the nine months she was missing, Elizabeth seemed to disappear into thin air. Elizabeth was only 14 when she was taken. Her parents immediately launched a massive campaign to find their daughter. It would take them nine months before they saw her again.
Investigation
The investigation into Elizabeth’s disappearance was extensive. Authorities questioned family members, neighbors, and anyone with access to the house.
Richard Ricci came under the authorities’ radar after they learned he had worked for the Smart family and had a criminal record. Although Ricci was arrested on unrelated charges, he remained a suspect. He later died of a brain aneurysm while in custody in August 2002.
It was not until five months later, in October, that Mary Katherine remembered exactly who the man was that took her sister. She recalled that the man’s voice she heard that night belonged to ‘Emmanuel.’ After authorities released a sketch of the man to the public, his relatives soon confirmed that ‘Emmanuel’ was, in fact, Brian Mitchell.
In the months leading up to Elizabeth’s rescue, Brian and Wanda moved her between various makeshift camps in Utah and California. During this time, Brian’s behavior became increasingly erratic. In early 2003, Brian and Wanda brought Elizabeth back to Salt Lake City, where Brian began allowing her to go out in public, provided she wore veils and wigs to conceal her identity.
On March 12, the three were spotted by several people in Sandy, Utah. Citizens who saw them recognized Brian as the man from the news reports. Police approached the group, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Elizabeth identified herself to the officers. After nine long months, Elizabeth was finally reunited with her family.
Brian and Wanda were both charged with kidnapping and sexual assault-related crimes. Brian was known to disrupt court proceedings with religious proclamations and refusing psychiatric evaluations. This lead to years of competency hearings that delayed his trial. In 2010, Brian finally stood trial after being declared competent. Elizabeth testified in greta detail about her abduction and nines months spent in captivity. Brian was convicted of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Wanda finally accepted a plea deal in 2009. She admitted guilty to kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but credited with time served. She was released in 2018, though she was arrested again in 2025 for violating her parole.
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