| Elizabeth Ann Smart | |
|---|---|
Smart (center) and her mother with George W. Bush at the signing of the PROTECT Act of 2003 |
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| Born | November 3, 1987 Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University (B.M.) |
| Religion | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Parents | Ed and Lois Smart |
| Website | |
| The Elizabeth Smart Foundation | |
Elizabeth Ann Smart (born November 3, 1987) is an American female activist and contributor for ABC News. She first gained widespread attention at age 14 when she was kidnapped from her home and recovered nine months later.
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Elizabeth Ann Smart was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Ed and Lois Smart. She has four brothers and a sister and is the second-oldest child in her family.[1][2]
Smart was abducted from her bedroom on June 5, 2002, at age 14. She was found nine months later on March 12, 2003, in Sandy, Utah, 18 miles from her home, in the company of Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Ileen Barzee. Her abduction and recovery were widely reported and were the subject of a made-for-TV movie and non-fiction book.
On October 1, 2009, Smart testified to being threatened, tied, and raped daily while she was held captive.[3]
On November 16, 2009, Barzee announced she would plead guilty to assisting in the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, as part of an agreement with prosecutors.[4] On May 19, 2010, Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. As part of a plea deal between the defense and federal prosecutors, federal Judge Dale Kimball gave Barzee credit for seven years that she already has served, the U.S. attorney in Utah said.
On March 1, 2010, Mitchell was found competent to stand trial for the kidnapping and sexual assault charges in federal court by judge Kimball; his trial began on November 8, 2010, and on December 10, 2010, the jury found Mitchell guilty on both counts. On May 25, 2011, Mitchell was sentenced to two life-terms in federal prison.[5]
On March 8, 2006, Smart went to Congress to support Sexual Predator Legislation and the AMBER Alert system, and on July 26, 2006, she spoke after the signing of the Adam Walsh Act.
Smart attended Brigham Young University (BYU), studying music as a harp performance major. In May 2008, she traveled to Washington, D.C., where she helped present a book, You're Not Alone, published by the U.S. Department of Justice, which has entries written by her as well as four other recovered young adults.[6][7][8]
In 2009, Smart commented on the kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard, stressing that dwelling upon the past is unproductive.[9] On October 27, 2009 Elizabeth spoke at the 2009 Women's Conference in California hosted by Maria Shriver, on overcoming obstacles in life.[10]
On November 11, 2009, Smart left to go on her Mormon mission in Paris.[11][12] Smart returned temporarily from her mission in November of 2010 to serve as the chief witness in the federal trial of Brian David Mitchell. After the end of the trial she returned to France to finish her mission. She finished her mission and returned to Utah in the spring of 2011.[13]
Smart was one of four women awarded the Diane-von Furstenberg Award in March 2011.[14] The award included a $50,000 prize which Elizabeth Smart will use to start a foundation, The Elizabeth Smart Foundation aimed at helping young people avoid or recover from violent events.
On July 7, 2011 it was announced that she would be a commentator for ABC News, mainly focusing on missing persons.[15][16]
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