Where are Elizabeth Smart’s captors now? This is what happened to Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee

Key points

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

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

• Barzee 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 Barzee. For nine months, the couple held Smart captive and subjected her to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse before she was finally rescued and reunited with her family the following year.

A new Netflix documentary, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, looks back on the brutal murders of Mitchell and Barzee, recounted in vivid detail by Smart himself.

With the doc now streaming, here’s a look at what’s been up with the pair and where they are now.

Who are Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee?

Mitchell and Barzee first met in 1985 at a therapy session when they were both going through divorces, according to Deseret News. Barzee found comfort in Mitchell as she dealt with 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). Barzee later described the first year of their marriage as “hell”, although she told the court that their relationship eventually improved.

For a while, they seemed to live an ordinary life. Mitchell worked as a die-cutter, Barzee stayed home and spent his 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 Barzee gave up their old lives and began traveling the country to visit various Mormon landmarks. At the same time, however, Mitchell became estranged from the church, and his belief that he was a prophet destined to have seven wives eventually led to his excommunication.

What did they do to Elizabeth Smart?

Mitchell first met the Smarts in 2001 while they were in downtown Salt Lake City and was using the name Immanuel (or Emmanuel), according to New York Times. Lois talked to him and handed him Ed’s business card. At some point after that, Mitchell did yard work at their house.

About a year later, on June 5, 2002, Mitchell returned. He broke into the house late at night, entered the bedroom shared by Smart and her younger sister, and kidnapped Smart. In the documentary, she recalls Mitchell telling her, “I’ve got a knife to my throat. Don’t make a sound. Get up and come with me.”

Mitchell led her through the nearby woods to a remote campsite in the Utah mountains, where Barzee was waiting for her. Smart was forced to wear a religious robe and take part in 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, restrained her and denied her food as a way to control her. Smart later said that Barzee, who was present throughout her captivity, treated her like a slave and referred to her as a “handmaid”.

“This is a woman who has had six children and yet she could conspire to kidnap a 14-year-old girl and not only stand by her 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 Barzee?

The first real break in Smart’s case came in October 2002, a few months after Smart’s kidnapping. Her younger sister Mary Katherine, 9, told their parents she thought Immanuel might be involved in the kidnapping.

A sketch of the suspect was released in February 2003. Shortly thereafter, a relative of Mitchell’s contacted the police, suggesting that Immanuel was in fact Mitchell. Another family member shared photos of Mitchell, and they were featured on America’s Most Wanted.

On March 12, 2003, someone who had seen the photos on America’s Most Wanted reported seeing Mitchell in Sandy, Utah, walking with two women. When the police arrived, they pulled Smart aside to speak privately. She confirmed that she was Elizabeth Smart and was soon reunited with her family.

As for Mitchell and Barzee, they were arrested on suspicion of aggravated kidnapping, according to New York Times.

Where is Wanda Barzee now?

In November 2009, Barzee took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines, according to 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 exchange, Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

In 2016, Barzee was moved from federal prison to a state facility to begin serving a separate sentence for the attempted kidnapping of Smart’s cousin, according to CNN. (Barzee had reportedly helped Mitchell try to break into Smart’s cousin’s house about a month after Smart’s kidnapping, though they were unsuccessful.)

Barzee 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 crucial it is to enforce sex offender registries, monitor release conditions and evaluate people convicted of crimes like Barzee’s. It also underscores exactly why we need to listen to and focus survivors in our legal process.”

The statement continued: “Elizabeth Smart has continually expressed concern about Wanda Barzee’s release. Barzee’s violation affirms the need for ongoing reforms to protect survivors and prevent further trauma. At the same time, it reminds us that solutions are possible when communities, leaders and institutions come together with a shared commitment to do better.”

Where is Brian David Mitchell now?

Mitchell went to trial in November 2010. According to court documents, his attorneys argued that he was not guilty by reason of insanity, but the court determined that 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 transferred from the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., after he was attacked. 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? Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart?

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is now streaming on Netflix.

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