The woman who participated in the notorious kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart has been arrested again, displaying an unsettling grin in her latest mugshot. Wanda Barzee, now 80, was taken into custody for violating the conditions of her sex offender status, sparking renewed attention to one of America's most disturbing abduction cases.
The Disturbing Arrest and Mugshot
Barzee, who conspired with her husband Brian David Mitchell in the 2002 kidnapping that captivated the nation, appeared remarkably cheerful in her updated photograph for the Utah Sex Offender Registry. The convicted criminal wore a pink sweater as she flashed a broad, eerie smile, with laugh lines clearly visible on her face. Her messy white hair partially covered the wrinkles on her forehead.
This isn't the first time Barzee has appeared happy in official photographs. Her previous registry mugshot similarly showed her beaming with wide eyes while wearing a black coat. The cheerful expressions stand in stark contrast to her original 2003 mugshot, where she appeared almost shocked with long, gray hair.
Violation of Sex Offender Conditions
Authorities confirmed that Barzee violated her sex offender status in May by visiting two parks. Under Utah state law, sex offenders are prohibited from entering or being near public places such as schools and parks. This violation risked sending the 80-year-old back to prison.
Barzee had been released from a Utah state prison in 2018 after serving just 15 years for her role in the nine-month kidnapping of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart. Her release required registration as a sex offender, with strict conditions about where she could go.
Elizabeth Smart's Powerful Response
Following news of the arrest, Elizabeth Smart took to her foundation's Instagram page to share her thoughts. The now-37-year-old advocate revealed that Barzee's justification for visiting the parks "is that she was 'commanded by the Lord,' which unfortunately, is very familiar to me and is probably, the most concerning thing because that's how they justified kidnapping me."
Smart expressed that she had been vocal about her concerns since Barzee's release, which she described as 'incomprehensible' at the time. She stated that this recent incident "confirms exactly why" she had those concerns.
Smart thanked officers for their swift response, noting: "When authorities take these situations, these violations seriously, it sends a very powerful message that survivor safety matters."
She urged policymakers and justice officials to view the incident as a reminder that "sex offender registries and release conditions exist for important reasons."
The Horrific 2002 Kidnapping
The original crime occurred in 2002 when Mitchell, a street preacher, climbed through an open window into Smart's Salt Lake City bedroom and held her at knifepoint. The 14-year-old was held captive for nine months, during which Mitchell performed a mock wedding ceremony before raping her for the first time.
Smart was tied up with steel cables in a dugout filled with mice and spiders to prevent escape. She testified in 2009 that she was forced to take drugs and drink alcohol, and was raped daily - sometimes as often as four times daily. Throughout this ordeal, Barzee stood by while Mitchell raped her and even encouraged him to continue the heinous acts.
The teenager was finally rescued after a couple recognized Mitchell and Barzee from an episode of America's Most Wanted as they walked down the street with her.
From Victim to Advocate
Smart admitted that after returning home from the traumatic kidnapping, she "didn't want to speak about what happened with anyone" and wanted to "hide those nine months away, and pretend they didn't happen."
Now a married mother-of-three, Smart has transformed into a powerful advocate for women and children's safety. She has written a book about her harrowing ordeal and helped create a Lifetime movie and documentary about the crime and her life.
She shared that while she knew intellectually the kidnapping wasn't her fault, "My heart still felt embarrassment and shame over the vast amounts of sexual abuse I experienced." Smart explained that at the time, she didn't know anyone else who openly shared they had been raped or violated, and no one explained the difference between sexual abuse versus enthusiastic consenting intimacy.
Concluding her message about Barzee's recent arrest, Smart remembered her mother's advice after she was freed - not to let the nine months of captivity hold her back. "Although this situation has arisen, I refuse to live my life in fear," Smart declared. "I refuse to allow anyone to stop me from living."
