Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart Essay Example

Elizabeth Smart was a young girl at the age of fourteen who was kidnapped from her home on June 5, 2002. The kidnapping took place in Salt Lake City; Utah and she was held captive for nine months before she was found. Once Elizabeth Smart was found and she grew from this traumatic point in her life, she became an advocate for missing people and victims of sexual assault. Brian Mitchell and Wanda Brazee were sentenced to prison for their horrible actions. Elizabeth now lives in Park City, Utah with her husband and kids and is making a difference in so many people's lives. The kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart and her perspective changed her and many other victims of kidnapping and sexual assault. Although Elizabeth is now in life is extraordinary, her recovery has profound effects on her development as a person. 

The kidnapping took place in the early hour on June 5, 2002. Elizabeth Smart shared a room with her nine-year-old sister Mary Katherine who was a witness during the investigation. During the kidnapping of Elizabeth, Brian Mitchell held Elizabeth at knifepoint while Mary Katherine pretended to be asleep, but she was watching it unfold right in front of her eyes. One Brian and Elizabeth had left at four o'clock in the morning, Mary Katherine hurried to her parents' room to tell them what had happened but, according to In touch Weekly, “Two hours after that, she went to her parents and said, “Elizabeth’s gone” — and her parents, Ed, and Lois, immediately assumed she was having a bad dream,” They realized shortly after that the screen on the window had been cut with a knife and the dream became reality. That reality had lasted a long excruciating nine months long. Those long months eventually ended on March 12, 2003; Elizabeth was found alive only 18 miles from her house. Brian Mitchell and Wanda Brazee was finally charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated burglary. This was not all Brian and Wanda had for them, more was on their way for them.  

On July 26, 2005, Brian Mitchell was deemed unfit for trial one year after Wanda Brazee was deemed unfit for trial. After four more excruciatingly painful years of hearings after hearings, Barzee pleads guilty on the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. According to the Biography of Elizabeth Smart, shortly after Brazee pleads guilty Brian Mitchell is now deemed competent for trial. While Brazee received her 15-year sentence for the kidnapping and sexual assault of Elizabeth and the attempted for Elizabeths’ cousin, Mitchell's trial began on November 1, 2010. During the trial, Smart now can tell her story about what went on during her kidnapping in 2002. Barzee takes the plea deal and testifies against Mitchell during the trial. According to the Biography of Elizabeth Smart, Barzee explains the "revelation" that drove her husband's desire to abduct girls until he had 350 wives,” On December 10, 2010, Mitchell was convicted and finally on May 25, 2011, he was sentenced to life in prison. During these exceedingly long 6 years Elizabeth Finally got her justice and was able to grow into who she is not as a person.  

Elizabeth Smart made her recovery and turned into an amazing journalist and activist in helping people who were sexually assaulted as well as kidnapped. By Elizabeth being a journalist, it raised awareness to sexual assault victims as well as kidnapping, she also dove deeper into other cases such as her own. Elizabeth is continuing to change many people's lives and changing the world day by day. She used her recovery and created a platform for people like her who went through something similar. According to the Nicki swift article about Elizabeth Smart, Elizabeth launched the “Elizabeth Smart Foundation” which teams up with groups such as the Internet Crimes Against Children task force to help prevent human trafficking, while also offering educational support to students about violent and sexual crimes. Elizabeth is continuing to change many people's lives by giving them hope of knowing they are not alone, and they can speak out about it.  

Going through a traumatic experience such as sexual assault or kidnapping, such as Elizabeth Smart and many other people, causes many mental and physical issues. And, according to Scholarly Journals, “Kidnapping is one of the most psychologically damaging crimes of all.” People who have been sexually assaulted and or kidnapped take years to recover and a lot of times, some never fully make that recovery. It is extraordinary that Elizabeth was able to take her trauma and turn it into a meaningful way to help others get the help they need and be able to prevent what happened to herself.  

In conclusion, Elizabeths’ story is quite extraordinary. Elizabeth took her pain and trauma and made a platform for other victims of sexual assault and kidnapping to speak up against it. It is fascinating how during the time of Elizabeths’ recovery, we were able to grow with her and give that support for her and other people who went through a situation like this. Elizabeths’ platform gave people a sense of not feeling alone and that they can get through this. Elizabeths' story is continuing to change peoples’ lives for the better and giving them the help, they need.  

Make citations for these 

Ott, Tim. “Elizabeth Smart: A Complete Timeline of Her Kidnapping, Rescue and Aftermath.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 1 June 2021, https://www.biography.com/news/elizabeth-smart-timeline-story. 

The Psychological Impact of Kidnapping - Scholarly Journals. http://www.scholarly-journals.com/sjsre/publications/2016/March/pdf/Akwash.pdf. 

Szabo, Sarah. “Where Is Elizabeth Smart Today?” NickiSwift.com, Nicki Swift, 23 Aug. 2021, https://www.nickiswift.com/23026/elizabeth-smart-today/. 

“Elizabeth Smart.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 20 Apr. 2021, https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/elizabeth-smart.