Where are Elizabeth Smart’s kidnappers now? Here’s what happened to Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzi

Main points

• In June 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped and held captive for nine months by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzi.

• After Smart was rescued in March 2003, Mitchell and Barji were arrested.

• Barji was released from prison in 2018, and Mitchell is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

In 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her home in Utah by self-proclaimed prophet Brian David Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzi. For nine months, the couple held Smart captive and subjected him to physical, sexual and emotional abuse before finally being rescued and reunited with his family the following year.

New Netflix Documentary, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, Looking back on the brutal crimes of Mitchell and Barji, Smart himself recounts in vivid detail.

With the doc now streaming, here’s a look at what happened to the pair and where they are now.

Who are Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzi?

Mitchell and Barji first met in 1985 at a therapy session as they were both going through divorces. Deseret News. Barji finds solace in Mitchell as she faces losing custody of her six children. Mitchell, meanwhile, was facing allegations that he abused two of his second wife’s children, according to CNN.

They married later that year, on November 29 (the same day Mitchell’s divorce became official). Barji later described the first year of their marriage as “hell”, although she told the court that their relationship eventually improved.

For a while, they lived a normal life. Mitchell worked as a die cutter, Barzi stayed at home and spent her time playing the organ, and both were deeply involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But as Mitchell’s behavior became increasingly erratic, he and Barji abandoned their old lives and began traveling the country to visit various Mormon landmarks. At the same time, however, Mitchell fell away from the church, and was eventually excommunicated for having seven wives in the belief that he was a prophet.

What did they do to Elizabeth Smart?

Mitchell first met the Smart family in 2001 while panhandling in downtown Salt Lake City and using the name Emmanuel (or Emanuel). The New York Times. Lois talks to him and gives him Ed’s business card. After a while, Mitchell did yard work at his house.

It was almost a year later, on June 5, 2002, that Mitchell returned. He broke into the house late at night, went into the bedroom shared by Smart and his younger sister, and kidnapped Smart. In the documentary, she said to Mitchell, “There’s a knife at my throat. Don’t make a sound. Get up and come with me.”

Mitchell led her through the nearby forest to a remote campground in the Uta Mountains, where a barge was waiting. Smart was forced to wear a religious dress and attend a ceremony where she was “married” to Mitchell. That night, Mitchell sexually assaulted her for the first time.

For nine months, Mitchell repeatedly sexually assaulted Elizabeth, controlled her, and denied her food as a way to control her. Smart later stated that Barji, who was present throughout her imprisonment, treated her as a slave and referred to her as a “handmaiden”.

“She’s a woman who had six children and could still conspire to kidnap a 14-year-old girl, and not only sit by her side while she was raped, but encourage her husband to continue to rape me,” Smart said at a 2018 press conference, according to ABC News.

What happened to Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzi?

The first real break in Smart’s case came in October 2002, a few months after Smart’s kidnapping. His younger sister, 9-year-old Mary Catherine, told her parents that she might be involved in Emmanuel’s kidnapping.

A sketch of the suspect was released in February 2003. Soon after, Mitchell’s relatives contacted the police, suggesting that Emanuel was actually Mitchell. Another family member shared photos of Mitchell, and they were featured America’s Most Wanted.

On March 12, 2003, someone saw the photos America’s Most Wanted A report of sightings of Mitchell walking with two women in Sandy, Utah. When the police arrived, they pulled Smart aside to speak in private. She confirmed that she was Elizabeth Smart and was soon reunited with her family.

As for Mitchell and Barji, they were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping. The New York Times.

Where is Wanda Barzee now?

In November 2009, Barji took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines. The New York Times. Part of the deal required her to cooperate with prosecutors in building a case against Mitchell, from whom she filed for divorce in 2004. In return, Barji was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

In 2016, Barji was transferred from a federal prison to a state facility to serve a separate sentence for trying to kidnap Smart’s brother, according to CNN. (About a month after Smart’s kidnapping, Barzee helped Mitchell try to break into Smart’s uncle’s house, although they failed.)

Barji was released from prison on September 19, 2018. In May 2025, she was arrested for violating her parole by visiting public parks, which she was not allowed to do as a registered sex offender.

The Elizabeth Smart Foundation commented on the arrest, saying, “It highlights how important it is to enforce sex offender registries, monitor release conditions, and evaluate people convicted of crimes like Barzee’s. It underscores why we must listen and focus our legal process on survivors.”

The statement continued, “Elizabeth Smart continues to express concern over the release of Wanda Barzi. Barzi’s violation affirms the need for continued reform to protect survivors and prevent further trauma. Also, it reminds us that solutions are possible when communities, leaders, and institutions work together with a shared commitment to doing good.”

Where is Brian David Mitchell now?

Mitchell went to trial in November 2010. According to court documents, his attorneys claimed he was not guilty by reason of insanity, but the court determined he was mentally competent to stand trial.

A month later, a jury found Mitchell guilty of kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity, and he was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In October 2025, Mitchell was arrested in Terre Haute, Ind., after an attack. was transferred out of the United States Penitentiary in He was first transferred to the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City and later to the Federal Correctional Institution in Lewisburg, Penn.

Where can I look? Abduction: Elizabeth Smart?

Abduction: Elizabeth Smart Now streaming on Netflix.

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