A woman who was convicted of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart more than two decades ago has been arrested for violating her sex offender probation.
Wanda Barzee, who along with her husband Brian David Mitchell abducted 14-year-old Smart in 2002, was accused of illegally visiting Liberty Park and Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The 79-year-old claimed that God encouraged her to visit the parks, sit on the benches, and feed the ducks, according to KUTV.
Court records revealed that Barzee was not permitted to visit parks due to her sex offender status.
Barzee’s probation terms included weekly check-ins with authorities, attending court hearings, and refraining from committing any criminal offenses.
The two parks she visited were located less than 10 miles from her Salt Lake City residence.
In 2002, Barzee and Mitchell abducted Smart from her bedroom at knifepoint. Smart was raped on a regular basis and held captive by the couple in various locations.
Smart was eventually rescued after nine months when a bystander spotted them in Sandy, Utah, and alerted the police.
Mitchell received a life sentence for raping and kidnapping Smart, while Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2010. However, she was released five years early in 2018 due to a miscalculation by Utah authorities.
During her supervised release, Barzee was required to undergo mental health treatment and was prohibited from contacting Smart’s family.
Smart, now a married mother, expressed her outrage at Barzee’s early release and advocated for her placement in a mental health facility instead of being free.
She described Barzee as seeing her as a slave and referred to her as a handmaiden. Smart also raised concerns when Barzee rented an apartment near an elementary school after her release.
Smart emphasized the importance of protecting children from individuals with a history of child abuse or sexual violence by keeping them away from schools and community centers.
