As dawn broke on June 5, 2002, Utahns tuned into the morning news, and saw every parent’s nightmare: a child in Salt Lake had been kidnapped.
Do you remember the day that Elizabeth Smart was found?
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Thousands of volunteers searched for her, to no avail. Parents all over Utah pulled their children closer and anguished for the Smart family.
The family posted billboards along I-15. They appeared on local and national news shows and even told their story on an episode of America’s Most Wanted. Many Utahns feared the worst, but Elizabeth’s family and supporters never gave up.
Most stories like Elizabeth’s do not have happy endings. As the months went by, Utahns went on with their lives, Elizabeth Smart was always in the back of their minds. Where was she? Who was responsible for her kidnapping? And…was she even alive?
White House photographer/Wikimedia
Elizabeth was recovered just 18 miles from her family home. She had been missing for nine long months, while she was held captive by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Ilene Barzee. Her life in captivity was horrific - Elizabeth told police about long months of torture that included rape, bondage and death threats.
Luckily, Elizabeth’s story goes far beyond her tragic kidnapping. Just a year after she was found, she met President George W. Bush right before he signed the PROTECT Act of 2003, which included many provisions to prevent kidnapping and assist law enforcement with investigating kidnappings.
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In 2011, she founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which educates children about abuse and helps support other organizations to stop human trafficking.
Elizabeth Smart is the recipient of many awards and has spoken around the world about her experience and to support the victims of abuse and the investigators who must find abusers and bring them to justice.
Two other books were written by Elizabeth’s father and uncle, and a made-for-television movie was made in 2003.
But this story isn’t about Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapping. It’s about one of the happiest days in Utah’s history - the day that every Utahn rejoiced in her safe recovery. It’s about a strong young woman who has dedicated her life to helping others. Fourteen years after Utahns heard the wonderful news that Elizabeth Smart was found alive, parents pull their children a little bit closer and tell them about a strong, brave young woman who came home to us.
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