The Smart Finale
On June 5, 2002, a 14 year-old girl named Elizabeth Smart went missing in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was kidnapped out of her bed in the middle of the night while her younger sister watched.
Nine months later, Elizabeth Smart was found by police with her kidnappers Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Ileen Barzee. Smart was dressed in a disguise and did not reveal her identity to police right away. Once her identity was confirmed, Mitchell and Barzee were arrested.
Brian David Mitchell had been previously hired by the Smart family to do some handy-work around their house. He went by the name Immanuel and was named by Elizabeth Smart’s sister as her kidnapper.
Both Mitchell and Barzee were charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, and burglary but were declared unfit to stand trial due to mental incompetence. That ruling has since been overturned.
On November 17, 2009, Wanda Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in prison for her part in kidnapping Smart.
One year later, on November 8, 2010, the case against Brian David Mitchell began.
Mitchell claims to be a very religious person. His faith is loosely based on Mormonism. He believes that an angel named him “Lord and Master over all religions” and he took the name Immanuel. Mitchell wrote a manifesto entitled “Book of Immanuel David Isaiah I” which outlined all of the revelations he had as well as the commandments that he was given. In this manifesto, he was commanded to take multiple wives. This is believed to be the reason that he took Elizabeth Smart.
Smart has spent three days this week testifying against her captor. Smart claims that Mitchell and Barzee used both force and religion to manipulate her while she was in captivity. She claims that while in captivity, Mitchell raped her daily and forced her to drink alcohol, take drugs, and view pornography. If Mitchell is convicted of the crimes, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
