Wanda Barzee, the woman who helped kidnap and imprison Elizabeth Smart in 2002, has appeared in a new sex offender registry photo, smiling despite recently being arrested for violating the terms of her parole.
The updated image shows the 79-year-old grinning at the camera during a routine check-in for Utah’s Sex Offender Registry, where those listed are required to report in twice annually. Barzee’s latest arrest on May 1 has now prompted weekly check-ins after she allegedly visited parks in Salt Lake City — a violation of her parole terms as a registered sex offender.
Authorities say Barzee was spotted at Liberty Park and Sugar House Park, areas she’s prohibited from entering. “Detectives developed information that Barzee had allegedly visited at least two parks,” said Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Brent Weisberg. 
Although she was briefly released under judicial orders, police say her actions remain under investigation. The SLCPD has pledged continued surveillance and social services support through its co-response model, which includes mental health intervention alongside law enforcement.
Barzee’s criminal record stems from her role in the abduction and abuse of then-14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, whom she and her husband, Brian David Mitchell, kidnapped in 2002. The couple held Smart captive for nine months, frequently moving between makeshift camps in Utah and California.
During captivity, Smart endured repeated sexual assaults by Mitchell, with Barzee reportedly complicit — often encouraging or facilitating the abuse.
Despite being arrested in 2003, Barzee was not tried until years later due to concerns about her mental competency. In 2006, a judge ordered her to be forcibly medicated, and by 2009 she entered a guilty plea to federal charges of kidnapping and enticement of a minor. She later pled guilty to state charges of aggravated kidnapping in 2010.
Barzee served part of her sentence in Texas before returning to Utah. She was unexpectedly released in 2018, having been credited for time already served — a decision Elizabeth Smart publicly condemned.
Smart later told CBS This Morning that she had been informed by prison sources that Barzee still idolized Mitchell and carried a “book of revelations” he wrote, portraying himself as a Christ-like prophet.
“She is still a big threat,” Smart said. “Not just to me, but to the public in general.”
Barzee’s recent arrest reignites public concern about her mental state and risk to community safety, especially among vulnerable populations.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, help is available. Text “STRENGTH” to 741-741 to reach a trained crisis counselor.
