Where is Elizabeth Smart now? New Netflix documentary revisits her chilling kidnapping
The chilling abduction story of Elizabeth Smart is back in the spotlight, thanks to Netflix's recent release, 'Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart.' Directed by Benedict Sanderson, the documentary recounts Elizabeth's horrific ordeal after being kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home in 2002 and rescued nine months later. While the documentary is generating significant buzz, many viewers are left wondering what Elizabeth is doing these days.
In the two decades since her rescue, Elizabeth has focused on family and advocacy. She married Matthew Gilmour in 2012, and they have three children. Through the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, she promotes victim support, abuse prevention, and empowerment programs like 'Smart Defense' and 'Smart Talks'. Elizabeth has also testified before Congress, supported legislation, including the AMBER Alert and Adam Walsh Act, and expanded her mission to self-defense education after a 2020 assault. She has authored two books, 'My Story' and 'Where There's Hope', as per CNN.
Notably, Elizabeth was abducted at knifepoint from her Salt Lake City home on June 5, 2002, while her 9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine, witnessed the event. Reportedly, Mary recognised the kidnapper's voice and later alerted their parents. Police tracked her scent with a bloodhound, but it was lost on the street, leaving her family devastated, as per Today. During the search for Elizabeth, police initially questioned her father, Ed Smart, and his brothers, leaving Ed "overwhelmed to the point that I was shaking" and discouraging some from helping the search.
When no evidence implicated the family, investigators focused on Richard Ricci, a contractor with a criminal past who had a dispute with Ed. Ricci denied involvement, and an attempted break-in at a relative's home occurred while he was in jail. Ricci died of an aneurysm in prison before Elizabeth was found. Weeks after the abduction, Mary recalled the name Immanuel, linked to the man's voice. The girls had met him months earlier while he preached in Salt Lake City, and he had worked at the Smart home. Lois Smart had once given him money and Ed's number when she saw him begging.
After the family released his sketch on 'America's Most Wanted', a man contacted Tom Smart, suggesting the sketch resembled his brother-in-law, Brian David Mitchell. Reportedly, Elizabeth had several close encounters with escaping before her rescue. While in Salt Lake City with Brian Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, she was almost detected at a library. They were also spotted at a nightclub in similar robes. At one point in the woods, Elizabeth heard searchers calling her name, but Mitchell threatened to stay quiet.
She later convinced Mitchell to return to Utah, and on March 12, 2003, a tip led police to spot her. Elizabeth was separated from her captors and identified by authorities. Elizabeth's ordeal continued as the legal case against her captors lasted until 2010. Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and sexual assault, while Barzee received 15 years, with credit for seven already served, and was released in 2018 despite Elizabeth's pleas for reconsideration. In May 2025, 79-year-old Barzee was arrested for visiting Salt Lake City parks, violating restrictions tied to her sex offender status.
