Disclaimer: Article contains mentions of kidnapping and rape. Readers are advised to exercise caution.
Elizabeth Smart Reflects on Her Dramatic Rescue | Nightline
On June 5, 2002, an unknown man abducted 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Reports state that a man named Brian David Mitchell abducted the young girl and took her to a nearby campground. Mitchell's wife, Wanda Barzee, was waiting for them at the location. Smart's sister, Mary Katherine, was instrumental in bringing the perpetrators to justice, as she witnessed Mitchell taking her sister. Police subsequently arrested the duo and charged them with several charges, including aggravated sexual assault. The court found them guilty and sent them to prison.
ABC News reported that Brian David Mitchell entered Elizabeth Smart’s room and led her away while holding a knife to her neck. The outlet claimed that he threatened to kill her and her family if she made a sound. He then took her to a nearby campsite and repeatedly raped her. Meanwhile, the BBC reported that he gave her drugs and alcohol to lower her immune system. According to Smart, Barzee never helped her and encouraged her husband to commit horrific acts, including sexual abuse.
It would take authorities nearly nine months to catch Elizabeth Smart's kidnappers, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. According to ABC News, Mitchell, Barzee and Smart were returning to Salt Lake City from California in March 2003 when police stopped them for questioning. One of the 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 was reunited with her family. Both suspects went to trial and were found guilty.
