The woman who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart decades ago and held the 14-year-old captive for nine months was arrested on Thursday, May 1, 2025, for violating the terms of her probation. Wanda Barzee, 79, was found to have visited Liberty Park and Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is a direct violation of her probation as a registered sex offender. She is not supposed to be at any community parks, but when asked why she went, she claimed “she was commanded to by the lord.”
The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart
On June 5, 2002, Barzee and her husband, Brian David Mitchell, kidnapped Elizabeth Smart at knifepoint from her home in the Federal Heights neighborhood of Salt Lake City. They held her captive for nine months and repeatedly raped her. Elizabeth Smart moved around with them, living in run-down homes and various campsites in Utah and San Diego before a witness saw them and called the police.
Barzee pleaded guilty in 2009 and, a year later, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, she was released on parole in September 2018 after only serving 9 years. According to Utah authorities, her sentencing was miscalculated, and she spent well over what she needed to. As for Barzee’s husband, he was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of rape and the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart.
When Barzee was Released
Elizabeth Smart, now in her 30s, is married with children. When Barzee was released in 2018, Smart spoke out, expressing outrage. She disagreed that Barzee served less time and demanded that she be sent to a mental health facility instead of roaming the streets free. Smart said Barzee “saw me as her slave. She called me her handmaiden. She never hesitated to let her displeasure with me be known.”
To make matters worse, the parolee chose to rent an apartment near an elementary school after she was released. Elizabeth Smart wrote a statement that read, “Every possible caution and protection should be taken when it comes to protecting our children. Whether a person is deemed a current threat or if they have a history of child abuse, neglect, sexual violence, etc., prudent measures should be taken, including housing them as far away as possible from schools, families, and community centers.”
What is Next
The parks Barzee visited are reportedly less than 10 miles from her home in Salt Lake. Since her release on Thursday, she has been ordered to call authorities once a week, attend court hearings, and not commit any criminal acts. Her excuse of being “commanded by the lord” to “sit on benches and feed ducks” is a sorry one. She is likely to be arrested again the next time she is “commanded” to violate her parole conditions.
