Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell, a self‑proclaimed religious “prophet” who said he was taking her as a plural wife, but whose real motive was sexual abuse and control. He targeted her after briefly working at her family’s home and planned the crime to satisfy his delusional religious claims and desire to rape young girls.

Quick Scoop

Who kidnapped her?

  • The kidnapper was Brian David Mitchell, a street preacher in Utah who reinvented himself as a religious prophet named “Immanuel David Isaiah.”
  • His wife, Wanda Barzee, was his accomplice and helped him abduct and control Elizabeth during her nine‑month captivity.

Why was Elizabeth Smart targeted?

  • Mitchell had done odd jobs at the Smart home shortly before the crime and noticed Elizabeth, which gave him knowledge of the house and the family’s routines.
  • He later told Elizabeth she had been “chosen” as one of his first spiritual “wives” or “disciples,” framing the kidnapping as a religious mission.

What were his real motives?

  • In later accounts and interviews, Elizabeth has said Mitchell “just wanted to rape little girls,” indicating his religious story was a cover for sexual predation.
  • During captivity he repeatedly raped, starved, and threatened her, and forced her into a sham “marriage” ceremony soon after the abduction.

How did the kidnapping happen?

  • In the early hours of June 5, 2002, Mitchell broke into the Smart family home in Salt Lake City, held Elizabeth at knifepoint, and took her from the bedroom she shared with her younger sister.
  • He forced her to hike into a wooded encampment, where Barzee was waiting and where the abuse and coercive control began.

Aftermath and impact

  • Elizabeth was rescued nine months later after members of the public recognized Mitchell and Barzee walking with her, leading police to intervene.
  • Since her rescue, she has become a prominent advocate for child safety, abuse survivors, and prevention education, using her story to push for stronger protections and public awareness.

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