who took elizabeth smart and why

Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell, a self-styled religious “prophet,” with the help of his wife, Wanda Barzee, who believed his claims and actively participated in the crime. He targeted Elizabeth after doing odd jobs at the Smart family home, then abducted her at knifepoint in June 2002 and held her for about nine months.

Who Took Elizabeth Smart?

• The kidnappers were Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee.

• Mitchell had previously worked at the Smart home as a handyman and became familiar with the family and house layout.

• They took her from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah, while her younger sister was present but pretended to be asleep.

Why They Took Her (Their Motive)

Mitchell framed the kidnapping as a twisted religious mission, claiming he was commanded by God to take multiple young wives and saw Elizabeth as one of them. Barzee, deeply enmeshed in his beliefs, supported and facilitated the abuse and control.

Key elements of their motive:

• Mitchell viewed himself as a prophetic figure who should have “plural wives,” and Elizabeth was forced into a sham “marriage” shortly after the abduction.

• Control and sexual exploitation were central: she was repeatedly raped, starved, forced to drink alcohol, and subjected to ongoing psychological abuse to break her will.

• The religious language and rituals were used as a tool of domination, not genuine faith, to justify and mask what was fundamentally violent sexual exploitation.

What Happened During Captivity (Brief)

• She was taken to a hidden camp in the woods near her home, then later moved to California and back to Utah.

• She was often forced to wear robes and a veil in public so people would not recognize her, even when she was out among others.

• After about nine months, she was recognized and rescued in Sandy, Utah, not far from where she had originally been taken.

Legal Aftermath

• Mitchell was found competent to stand trial, convicted on federal charges including kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor, and sentenced to life in prison.

• Barzee pleaded guilty to her role in the kidnapping and abuse and received a lengthy prison sentence; she later expressed remorse in court.

Today and Ongoing Discussion

Elizabeth Smart has since become an advocate for survivors of kidnapping and sexual violence, speaking publicly, writing, and working through her foundation to support others. Her story continues to be revisited in documentaries and news features, including recent specials and true-crime coverage in the 2020s.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.