Where is Brian David Mitchell now? Disturbing story behind Elizabeth Smart doc

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Netflix’s documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart focuses primarily on the Smart family’s perspective, keeping Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee as secondary figures. However, before the kidnapping, Mitchell and Barzee displayed concerning behaviors and beliefs that hinted at their future actions.

Kidnapped is a new documentary telling the shocking story of Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 5, 2002, when she was just 14 years old.

Elizabeth’s family and the police searched for her for nine months without success. It wasn’t until her sister, Mary Katherine, who was nine years old at the time, remembered a crucial detail that the people responsible were finally found.

Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, were religious extremists who called themselves Immanuel and Hephzibah. They were arrested after Elizabeth was discovered alive, ending her months-long ordeal of captivity and abuse.

Where is Brian David Mitchell now?

Mitchell is 72 years old and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, having been convicted in 2011. He was recently held at the highly secure federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, but has since been moved.

I was really shocked to read back in October 2025, through WFIU/WTIU News, that he’d actually been moved from the prison after being attacked. It was scary to hear he’d been hurt!

Mitchell’s serious crimes, including the sexual assault of a child, have made him a target for attack. After an assault in May, he was moved to a special, highly restrictive unit within the facility and has been largely isolated ever since.

Several months after the initial incident, another attack allegedly occurred within the same location. Mitchell’s case has gained significant attention because of both the extensive search for Elizabeth and the disturbing details of his offenses.

The Netflix documentary details how Mitchell and Barzee abducted Elizabeth and kept her imprisoned in a tent in the woods, where Mitchell repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

Elizabeth testified in court, describing the horrific daily abuse she suffered. She explained she was starved, sexually assaulted, and forced to consume drugs and alcohol. When she tried to resist, she was threatened with death.

Mitchell was the primary offender, but Barzee helped him commit the crimes. Both Barzee and Elizabeth were made to wear white robes, and Mitchell falsely presented himself as a prophet receiving divine visions.

After his arrest, questions about whether he was mentally able to participate in his trial caused several postponements. The trial finally began in 2010, and in 2011, he received a life sentence with no possibility of parole. Prosecutors emphasized his lack of regret for his actions as a key reason for the severe punishment.

In court documents submitted before the sentencing, prosecutors told the judge that the defendant’s past behavior demonstrates he poses a threat to public safety. They argued a life sentence is essential to prevent him from committing future crimes.

The defendant has a history of re-offending, and his lack of remorse suggests he’s likely to harm children again. Therefore, he should not be released back into the community.

A life sentence is a fair and fitting punishment in this situation. The details of the kidnapping clearly support this decision, and learning more about the defendant’s past only strengthens the judge’s reasoning.

The warning signs before Elizabeth Smart’s abduction

Looking back, it’s pretty disturbing to learn about Brian David Mitchell before he became “Immanuel David Isaiah.” Turns out, he had a long record of being unstable, acting inappropriately with people, and getting increasingly obsessed with extreme religious beliefs. It’s like, all the warning signs were there long before anyone knew his new name.

Private investigator Charles Montaldo detailed Mitchell’s history, revealing he was born on October 18, 1953, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was one of six children, raised by his Mormon parents, Irene and Shirl Mitchell.

Neighbors described the family as unusual but generally kind, though there were concerns about the parents’ actions. Specifically, it was reported that when Mitchell was eight years old, his mother, Shirl, allegedly used explicit images from a medical textbook to explain sex to him.

When he was 12 years old, his father reportedly left him stranded in an unknown location, forcing him to find his way home as a supposed life lesson. Later, Mitchell became increasingly withdrawn, and during high school, he was arrested for a disturbing act involving a young child.

This caused conflict within the family, and Mitchell became increasingly withdrawn. He stopped attending high school and began using drugs and alcohol.

Mitchell moved away from Utah at 19 and quickly married Karen Minor after she became pregnant. They had two children, Travis and Angela, but their relationship eventually fell apart, leading to a dispute over who would care for them. Ultimately, Mitchell moved with the children to New Hampshire.

In 1980, a reunion with his brother led to a turning point in his life. He moved back to Utah, gave up drugs, and rejoined the Latter Day Saints church. It was during this time that he married his second wife, Debbie Mitchell.

Debbie already had three daughters when she met Mitchell, bringing their total number of children to five. They later had two more children together. However, over time, their relationship became difficult because of Mitchell’s actions.

Travis and Angela were placed in foster care, and Mitchell and Debbie divorced in 1984. Debbie claimed Mitchell was controlling and abusive, and that his fascination with Satan deeply troubled her.

She claimed Mitchell had sexually abused their three-year-old son. While doctors couldn’t confirm the abuse, the Department of Children and Family Services required all future visits with his children to be supervised.

He later faced accusations of sexually abusing one of Debbie’s daughters over four years. Debbie reportedly informed the LDS church about the abuse, but church leaders allegedly advised her to withdraw her complaint.

Right after his divorce became final, Mitchell married Wanda Barzee, a woman who already had six children. While she’d previously left her children with her former husband, some of them eventually came to live with Mitchell and Wanda after they married.

Mitchell’s behavior became increasingly unpredictable, leading to his family leaving him. His stepson reported that Mitchell confessed to shooting his dog. By the 1990s, Mitchell had changed his name and began claiming to be a prophet.

Meaning behind Immanuel David Isaiah & manifesto 

Mitchell chose the name Immanuel David Isaiah, drawing inspiration from the Bible. “Immanuel” means “God with us,” “David” symbolizes the king chosen by God in Israel, and “Isaiah” represents a prophet known for his messages of both judgment and hope.

Barzee also received a new name: Hephzibah Eladah Isaiah. “Hephzibah” comes from the Bible and means “my delight is in her,” and “Eladah” means “God adorns.”

The couple’s insistence on calling themselves special titles fueled their false belief that the man was a messenger of God and the woman was his devoted follower. They were a familiar sight in Salt Lake City, known for preaching, asking for money, and wearing white robes.

Before Elizabeth Smart disappeared in 2002, Mitchell created a 27-page document that would later become known as ‘The Book of Immanuel David Isaiah’ and was widely shared by the media.

The Deseret News published the complete transcript from the Associated Press. It’s written in a complicated, almost biblical style and presented as if it’s a direct message from God. Throughout the text, Mitchell portrays himself not only as a prophet, but as someone specially chosen and with significant authority.

The document consistently asserts it was written by God, beginning with grand statements like, “Listen, all people of Earth… it is I, the Lord God… speaking to you,” and then presenting Mitchell as God’s selected messenger.

In other writings, he states that God appointed him – Immanuel David Isaiah – to be a guiding light and a source of renewal for the people, effectively positioning himself as superior to established religious authorities.

The text repeatedly criticizes established churches, governments, and societal norms, portraying them as corrupt, evil, or manipulated by deceptive leaders. It predicts an approaching period of reckoning and encourages readers to distance themselves from contemporary life.

Okay, so this guy Mitchell, he’s not just teaching weird stuff, he’s straight-up advocating for polygamy. It’s seriously creepy because he actually planned this, and it started with kidnapping Elizabeth! He basically told his follower, Hephzibah – who he clearly idolizes – that she needs to bring seven other women into their… home. It’s messed up, honestly. Like, this isn’t just a belief system, it’s a blueprint for taking multiple wives, and he started it with a crime.

The document shows that Mitchell held strong, delusional beliefs and a controlling worldview well before June 2002, revealing a pre-existing pattern of thought.

These convictions played a role in the judge’s decision. As Carlie Christensen, the US Attorney for Utah, stated, a life sentence was a fitting and much-needed outcome for the community, the Smart family, and especially Elizabeth.

Judge Christensen stated that Mitchell’s serious crimes and likelihood of repeating them justified the severity of the sentence. He also acknowledged that while the sentence wouldn’t lessen the suffering Elizabeth endured during her nine months of captivity, it was a necessary outcome.

She added that a life sentence offers some justice for Elizabeth and guarantees Brian David Mitchell will never be able to harm anyone in such a terrible way again.

Where is Wanda Barzee now?

Wanda Barzee, who is now 80, seems to still be living in Salt Lake City. She was released from prison in 2018, but was arrested again last year for breaking the rules of her sex offender registration.

Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper, Wanda Barzee, was arrested for breaking the rules of her sex offender status. Her mugshot, which showed her smiling, was released as part of Utah’s sex offender registry. This raised concerns among the public, given her history and 2002 guilty plea.

— unumihai Media (@unumihaimedia) May 3, 2025

Barzee actively participated in the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, assisting Mitchell in holding her captive, hiding her, and controlling her during the ordeal. She later admitted guilt to the kidnapping charge.

She agreed to testify against Mitchell in exchange for a plea bargain, which resulted in a 15-year prison sentence. Barzee was released on parole in September 2018.

In 2010, LouRee Gayler, one of Barzee’s daughters, shared a disturbing account of her childhood on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She called her mother a “monster” and claimed Barzee had once convinced her to eat her pet rabbit.

Because of her conviction, Barzee is listed on Utah’s Sex Offender Registry. In May 2025, she was arrested for reportedly going to a park close to her Salt Lake City home, which broke the rules of her registration.

Utah law requires registered sex offenders to report their status twice a year. However, following her recent arrest, Barzee is now required to check in with authorities every week.

According to police spokesperson Brent Weisberg, detectives learned that Lori Vallow Daybell, also known as Barzee, reportedly visited at least two Salt Lake City parks – Liberty Park and Sugar House Park – which broke the law.

You can now watch the Elizabeth Smart story, ‘Kidnapped,’ on Netflix. If you’re interested in other true crime cases, check out articles about ‘The Secrets We Bury,’ the cancellation of ‘To Catch a Predator,’ and the current whereabouts of Tyria Moore.

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2026-01-21 17:54