A Utah father is being held without bond on multiple felony charges of aggravated child abuse and child torture after a near-fatal mountain hike with his three young children left them all hospitalised, one with a life-altering stroke.
Police Encounter Reveals Disturbed State of Mind
Newly uncovered police documents shed light on Micah Smith's mental state just one week before the catastrophic October expedition. On October 4, Cottonwood Heights officers found the 32-year-old pulled over in his white GMC Sierra truck, which lacked a license plate.
Smith admitted to having no insurance, driver's license, or valid plate. When questioned by police, he stated he was not sober and revealed he was undergoing a severe personal crisis. "I'm going through a really hard time. Can't even believe my wife's cheating on me," he told officers, according to the report.
He claimed he was looking for the Lone Peak trailhead to go hiking but denied any suicidal intentions. Despite also insisting he had no plans to harm his wife or her alleged lover, police confiscated several firearms from his vehicle, including a handgun and an AR-15 rifle, due to concerns over his mental wellbeing.
The Fateful Hike That Ended in Rescue and Arrest
Just one week later, on October 11, Smith embarked on a hike with his children—aged two, four, and eight—along the Broads Fork Trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The family was reported missing after failing to return, becoming stranded overnight in near-freezing temperatures.
Search and Rescue teams located them the following morning. All three children were suffering from severe hypothermia, with the two youngest boys found unconscious. The four-year-old, Ezra, required 25 minutes of CPR after being found 'lifeless' and later suffered a stroke in hospital, necessitating emergency surgery to remove part of his skull.
Charging documents reveal that despite his eight-year-old daughter Ember begging to turn back, Smith refused. A storm then drenched the children in freezing rain, hail, and snow. During the ordeal, Smith was engaged in a text argument with his estranged wife, Samantha, who pleaded with him to bring the children down to safety.
Aftermath and Legal Repercussions
Smith was arrested in late November and is currently held at the Salt Lake City Metro Jail on multiple felony counts. He faces a court hearing on January 6. In a motion for pre-trial detention, Salt Lake City District Attorney Sim Gill characterised Smith's actions as "extremely selfish," noting he was ill-prepared for the hike with minimal supplies.
The family's life has been upended. Smith and Samantha, 29, are now divorcing. In a subsequent domestic incident at an Airbnb in November, Smith allegedly threatened his wife with a hatchet, leading to further charges of misdemeanour assault.
Samantha Smith maintains a daily vigil at her son Ezra's bedside in Primary Children's Hospital, while Smith was reportedly removed from the hospital in November for interfering with his son's treatment.
