why did they kidnap elizabeth smart

Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell, a self-proclaimed religious prophet, who claimed he was commanded by God to take her as a plural “wife,” exert power over her, and sexually abuse her; his actions were driven by delusional religious beliefs, a desire for control, and sexual violence, not by any legitimate or rational motive. His wife, Wanda Barzee, assisted him, helping plan, facilitate, and maintain the abduction and abuse over nine months.

Quick Scoop

• The kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, saw himself as a prophetic, religious figure and believed he was divinely instructed to kidnap young girls as additional “wives.”

• Elizabeth, at 14, was taken from her bedroom at knifepoint in June 2002 and held for about nine months, during which Mitchell repeatedly raped, starved, and controlled her, with Barzee’s active participation.

• Mitchell’s real driver, as Elizabeth has emphasized, was power and domination: he “thrived on the feeling of control” and used religious language as a cover for exploitation.

What Was Their Motive?

From court records and Elizabeth’s later accounts, several overlapping motives emerge:

• Religious delusion and “revelation”
  • Mitchell framed the kidnapping as a commandment from God, saying Elizabeth was chosen to be his plural wife and part of a future “kingdom.”

* He talked about taking more young girls in the same way, suggesting a pattern he intended to repeat.

• Power, control, and sexual violence
  • Elizabeth has said Mitchell’s primary desire was power, not faith; he used rape, starvation, threats, and humiliation to keep her compliant.

* He forced her to drink alcohol, take drugs, and view pornography, led her around on a tether, and continuously threatened to kill her or her family if she resisted or tried to escape.

• Psychological and criminal history
  • Mitchell had a history of instability, manipulative religious behavior, and prior criminal conduct; experts at trial described serious mental illness and antisocial traits.

* Barzee shared and reinforced his apocalyptic religious worldview, helping validate his “revelations” and actively participating in the abuse.

How Did They Justify It To Themselves?

Mitchell and Barzee wrapped their actions in a distorted religious narrative, but this was a justification, not a legitimate excuse:

• Mitchell claimed God commanded him to “seal” Elizabeth to him as a wife and that she should be “grateful” for her role, twisting spiritual language to normalize rape and captivity.

• He performed a sham “marriage” ceremony and used scripture fragments and doomsday rhetoric to rationalize keeping her isolated and obedient.

Elizabeth has been clear in interviews and documentaries that these justifications were part of the abuse itself—religion used as a weapon to maintain fear and dependency.

Legal Outcome And How Society Viewed Their Motive

• Mitchell was convicted on federal charges in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison; the court ultimately found he was competent and accountable despite mental illness.

• Barzee pleaded guilty in 2009 to federal and state charges and later was released from prison in 2018, a decision that drew strong public criticism, including from Elizabeth.

• The case is widely seen today as an example of:
  • Extreme child sexual abuse and coercive control masked by pseudo-religion.

* How predators exploit vulnerability, ideology, and fear to trap victims even when they are sometimes taken into public spaces.

If You’re Asking From A Safety Perspective

If the question “why did they kidnap Elizabeth Smart” is partly about how to stay safer or understand risks:

• Experts emphasize that most such kidnappings are about power and sexual exploitation, not random “stranger danger” myths, and often involve someone with a history of boundary violations or escalating behavior.

• Elizabeth now works through the Elizabeth Smart Foundation to promote prevention education, survivor support, and programs that teach kids and families about grooming, coercion, and how to seek help.

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