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Wanda Barzee, who held Elizabeth Smart captive for nine months in the early 2000s, was arrested in Utah for visiting at least two parks, authorities said, which violated sex offender conditions.
By Olivia Evans May 04, 2025 3:07 PM | Updated 1 minute ago
Elizabeth Smart Marks 21st Anniversary of Kidnapping Rescue
Wanda Barzee is facing legal trouble again.
Over 20 years after the 79-year-old kidnapped then-14-year-old Elizabeth Smart in 2002 and held her captive for nine months, Barzee was arrested May 1 in Utah for visiting at least two parks, which she cannot do as a registered sex offender.
Barzee was booked on one count of violating her terms as a sex offender in Utah, according to online booking records viewed by E! News.
Brent Weisberg, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake City police, told NBC News that Barzee had allegedly visited Liberty Park and Sugar House Park last month. According to the Utah State Legislature, registered sex offenders cannot be in public parks, which are considered a “protected area."
According to online booking records viewed by E! News, Barzee was released from police custody May 2 on a court order. She had previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping and unwarranted transportation of a minor in 2009 for the kidnapping of Smart, according to a statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigations at the time. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2010, but was released in 2018.
Her husband, Brian David Mitchell—who, Smart testified in 2009, raped her daily amid her captivity—is currently serving a life sentence for interstate kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor.
Barzee’s arrest comes a little over a year after Smart, now 37, reflected on her abduction last March.
Salt Lake County Sheriff's Department/Getty Images
“It will always be a reminder that miracles happen and that there are dreams that come true and that good things are abundant in this world,” Smart said in a TikTok video at the time, celebrating the anniversary of the day of her kidnapping. “It really is a reminder that life is good and that dreams really do come true and that we should never ever give up."
She added, “No matter where you are at, I hope you find happiness.”
(E! News and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.
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