wanda barzee
Elizabeth's sister, Mary Katherine, 9 years old, the only witness, was threatened by this man not to say anything to anyone. But soon after they leave, she goes in and tells her parents that a man came in and took Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was initially taken up into the hills, actually overlooking the area where the Smart house is located. She was kept in a hole in the ground for approx. 1 week - and in that time Elizabeth could hear the search party's combing the hills, calling out her name -- they were so close, but in that setting, so far away. They would've had to stumble on exactly where Elizabeth was, to find her. The kidnapper was Brian David Mitchell. His wife, Wanda Barzee was an accomplice and assisted in the sexual assaults on Elizabeth by Mitchell from the first night of the kidnapping.
June 14th, 2002 The police in Salt Lake City initially accused the wrong guy, handyman Richard Albert Ricci, who last worked at the Smart home more than a year before the abduction, arrested on a parole violation unrelated to Elizabeth's disappearance. Ricci is questioned about the Smart case and is considered the top suspect. The police it seems, did not vigorously pursue any other leads. Elizabeth's sister Mary Katherine, gave the police her statement, as to who it was that kidnapped her sister. But the police, "already had their suspect" and dismissed her story. In the meantime, Ricci, held by the police, died while in custody, swearing the whole time that he had nothing to do with the kidnapping..................and still no sign of Elizabeth.
Brian David Mitchell, a homeless man, was hired by the mother Lois Smart, sometime in November of 2001, to do some work on the roof of their house for $5.00, at which time, Mitchell got to know the layout of the house and had met Elizabeth.
Mitchell and his wife loved to shop at the Wild Oats Market and were seen there often. Mitchell was known in Salt Lake City as "the preacher", a homeless man, frequenting shelters and panhandling on the streets of the city. Local people would avoid him because of his ideals and preachings, steming from his childhood and a father who's outlook was filled with sexual connotations, as portrayed in a book of poems written by his father Shirl V. Mitchell, called "Metamorphasis" A Poetic Autobiography. Sheril Mitchell was the author of volumes, of religious writings of 8 years called, "For the Infant God or Goddess" which may have contributed to his son's transformation into a "prophet"?
Brian Mitchell was brought up in the Mormon religion and became a self proclaimed prophet. He made his wife Wanda Barzee (a very smart and creative woman, but obviously also abused and brainwashed by Mitchell), write a "hand-written" proclamation, an introduction to the world of his coming as the prophet "Immanuel David Isaiah". His plan of "The 7 Jewels" depicting how he would surround himself with seven wives, etc., in essence condoning the abduction of Elizabeth and others to come.
After the abduction of Elizabeth Smart, the three even stayed, for awhile, in the apartment of David and Daniel Trotta, in a building at 355 East Broadway, which was only 1 block from the Salt Lake City police station. There were several sitings of Brian Mitchell, Wanda Barzee and Elizabeth in California, in Nevada and finally back again in Salt Lake City -- During this time, there was even an arrest of Mitchell using the name "Immanuel" in California on an unrelated charge and he was let go. There were pictures taken of the unusual looking threesome at a "get together" wearing their robes. The two women always had their faces covered, and a picture was taken of the three crossing a main intersection, because they looked so conspicuous. But, still no reference made to Elizabeth's abduction.
Months pass. On November 3, 2002, Elizabeth turns 15.
Elizabeth's parents Ed and Lois Smart and her Uncles Tom and David and the rest of the family, Mormons by faith, never gave up hope that Elizabeth was still alive. The story "hit close to home" of "Americas Most Wanted" show host, John Walsh. He aired and updated the story several times and finally because of the last airing on Elizabeth., the three were spotted by a viewer on March 12th, 2003, at a Burger King in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The police were summoned and Elizabeth was found with the very person that Elizabeth's sister Mary Katherine had described since June 5th, 2002, as the intruder who came into the bedroom that night and took her sister, she said his name was "Immanuel".........................But the police also spelled his name wrong........"Emanuel".......and found no connection to Brian Mitchell, until then.
While the Salt Lake City police and......that "FBI agent", were busy patting themselves on the back in front of the media, and making sure that the media had the correct spelling of their names and taking credit for the "capture and rescue" ----------- The consensus is that the police botched the investigation. They did not publicly apologize to Mary Katherine, for not believing her heroic and steadfast account of that horrible night, and in some way actually tried to take credit for how "Americas Most Wanted" and that viewer who spotted them, finally ended this little girls ordeal.
How do we measure bravery?
With her family by her side, Elizabeth, in a very humble note, say's "thank you for your love and prayers......................I'm Home!"
Source: http://www.brifoto.com/ELIZABETH%20SMART.html
