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06/15/2022
As a young girl, my mom always told me not to talk to strangers, as everyone's parents probably did. I decided to make this the first case I document because well... it's probably one of the most popular cases of kidnapping of all time. I've basically memorized this case by this point. I've watched videos and documentaries about this case and I believe everyone should know about it, to show that it's important to be careful when letting people you don't know into your home.
This all happened in 2002. Britney Spears was probably playing on the radio and the news about her breakup with NSYNC star Justin Timberlake was headlining magazine. Elizabeth Smart is a 14 year old girl from Salt Lake City, Utah. She was sleeping peacefully in the bedroom she shared with her younger sister on the night of June 5th when a man held a knife at her neck and told her to "be quiet or I'll kill you". He then forced her out of bed and took her to the outskirts of Salt Lake City.
The man was Brian David Mitchell, a man who claimed to be a religious preacher. Religous preacher my fucking ass but okay. He had worked on the Smart's roof for a day and raked leaves claiming to be called "Immanuel" and he took a 'special liking' to Elizabeth. Mitchell also belived he was an angel who was destined to battle the antichrist. He said that Elizabeth was one of the many virgin brides he would "collect" to help him defeat this so-called antichrist.
They resided in this camp like tent, where Brian declared 14-year-old Elizabeth as his "wife". Although he already had a wife, an old hag called Wanda Barzee. Listen if my man told me he wanted another wife, I would kick him in the face wearing stilletto heels but Miss Wanda over here was like "Sure!! Let me help you kidnap her!!" At this camp, Mitchell raped Elizabeth multiple times to "consumate on the eyes of God." Elizabeth explained in her testimony,"[Wanda Barzee] eventually just proceeded to wash my feet and told me to change out of my pajamas into a robe type of garment. And when I refused, she said if I didn't, she would have Brian Mitchell come rip my pajamas off. I put the robe on. He came and performed a ceremony, which was to marry me to him. After that, he proceeded to rape me." Mitchell repeatedly raped Elizabeth, sometimes multiple times a day, forced her to look at pornographic magazines, and regularly threatened to kill her. He often forced her to drink alcohol and take drugs to lower her resistance, and both starved her and fed her garbage. Elizabeth's abuse was facilitated with the assistance of Barzee, whom Elizabeth would later refer to as the "most evil woman" she had ever met.
Elizabeth lost nine months of her life while being held captive. She accompanied her captors in public on various occasions dressed head-to-toe in white robes and went largely unrecognized by those she came in contact with. In October 2002, Elizabeth's sister Mary Katherine suddenly realized that the abductor's voice was that of an unemployed man the family knew as "Immanuel" whom the family had hired for a day to work on the roof and rake leaves. The police were skeptical because of the short time "Immanuel" had worked for the family, the long time that elapsed, and the short time Mary Katherine had heard the abductor's voice; however, the family had a sketch artist draw "Immanuel" face from their descriptions, and in February this drawing was released to the media; it was shown on Larry King Live and America's Most Wanted. The drawing was recognized by relatives of Mitchell, who gave police contemporary photographs of him.
On March 12, 2003, Mitchell was spotted with a woman and a girl in Sandy, Utah, by two separate couples who had seen photos of Mitchell on the news.The woman was Wanda Barzee, and the girl was Elizabeth Smart—disguised in a gray wig, sunglasses, and veil. Both couples reported their recognition of Mitchell to the Sandy Police Department, which immediately dispatched police officers to the location. Elizabeth was recognized by the officers during questioning, who then rescued her and arrested Mitchell and Barzee.
Elizabeth proceeded to be a girlboss and became an advocate for missing persons and victims of sexual assault, and a commentator for ABC News. I won't even say what happened to her captors, but I do hope they rot. :)
