ELIZABETH SMART KIDNAPPER MITCHELL JAILED FOR LIFE

BRAVE Elizabeth Smart warned her kidnapper her would be damned to eternity during a dramatic showdown in a Utah courtroom Wednesday. Smart--now 23--was snatched from her Salt Lake City bedroom in June 2002 by Brian David Mitchell, 57. Mitchell pleaded guilty to kidnapping and sexual assault. He kept her prisoner in a sinister, remote mountain lair where she was tethered her to a cable strung between two trees. She was raped daily and sometimes four times a day. Elizabeth was also made to drink and do drugs. In
March 2003, Mitchell was busted and her ordeal came to an end when someone recognized him from a police sketch. With him was his wife Wanda Barzee...and Elizabeth Smart.

She told him yesterday:  "I know exactly what you did. I know that you know what you did was wrong. You did it with full knowledge. You took away nine months of my life that can never be returned, but in this life or next, you will have to be held responsible for those actions, and I hope you are ready for when that time comes."
Barzee, 65, testified that hubby believed God wanted him to take multiple young wives by force in a sex-driven battle to restore polygamy to the Mormon church. Bye Bye Dickhead.
MORE ON ELIZABETH SMART

ELIZABETH SMART WILL SPEAK AT SENTENCING

SPEAKING UP

KIDNAP victim Elizabeth Smart is planning to speak during the sentencing hearing for her kidnapper Brian David Mitchell.
As a 14-year-old Smart was taken from her home at knifepoint raped her and held her captive for nine months by Mitchell and his wife Wanda Ileen Barzee.
He was found guilty of federal kidnapping and unlawful transportation charges in December and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Throughout most of the case, Smart maintained a dignified silence but now she says her goal is to not only speak for her case, but also for other victims.
"I hope it gives others hope that they can speak out and not be scared to face their captor," Smart told KUTV.

Once the sentencing hearing is over, Smart hopes to continue work as an advocate for children and victims of crime, especially kidnapping.
She has started the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and her first goal is to get the RADkids program in public schools. RAD, which stands for "Resist Aggression Defensively," teaches kids specific techniques to get away from would-be attackers.
She will also complete two more semesters at Brigham Young University before graduating with a degree in music after which she is thinking about possibly pursuing a career as an attorney to help crime victims further.

ELIZABETH SMART 'NOT DAMAGED' LAWYERS CLAIM

"SURVIVOR"

KIDNAP victim Elizabeth Smart is a "survivor" who wasn't "significantly psychologically damaged" by her abduction defense lawyers have astonishingly claimed.
Brian David Mitchell's attorney's made the amazing claim in a four-page court filing, in an effort to persuade a judge to give him a lighter sentence.
At age 14, Elizabeth Smart was snatched from her bedroom at knife point in 2002. She was held captive by Mitchell, a homeless street preacher, and his wife Wanda Barzee for nine months.
Mitchell forced her to "marry" him in a polygamous union.
But despite the horrific nature of the crime his lawyers claim she
hasn't suffered more than other victims of similar crimes.
Defense attorney Robert Steele told Fox 13: "Even though there is extreme conduct on my client's part, Ms. Smart overcame it. Survived it. Triumphed over it. These are all words used by her and the government." 
Smart's furious father, Ed, agreed that his daughter was a survivor and called claims are "outrageous," and clearly a legal maneuver, the station reported..
He said: "I thank the Lord that Elizabeth is doing so well and that she's able to move beyond this," Smart said. "But the bottom line comes down to, Mitchell has a significant problem. I truly believe that if he got out again, that he would do the same thing."

Elizabeth Smart Kidnap Suspect (Brian David Mitchell) Ousted from Court

Elizabeth Smart endured a living Hell at the hands of Evil personified, Brian David Mitchell. I just hope the man gets what he deserves and maybe a little bit more.

CBS News reports that after Singing Hymns, Brian David Mitchell Was Moved to another Room to Remotely Watch Jury Selection

The man accused of the 2002 abduction of Elizabeth Smart was kicked out of a federal courtroom Monday for singing hymns as jury selection for his trial got under way. U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball tolerated about a half-hour of Brian David Mitchell's soft hymns before ordering Mitchell to be taken to another room in Salt Lake City's federal courthouse to watch Monday's proceedings by remote video.

Kimball also rejected Mitchell's request to don the robes he was wearing when he was arrested with Smart in March 2003, nine months after the girl vanished from her bedroom. Mitchell faces federal charges of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines. He could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

Smart was 14 when she was kidnapped at knifepoint from her home on June 5, 2002. She was recovered nine months later after a motorist spotted her walking the streets of a Salt Lake City suburb with Mitchell and his now-estranged wife, Wanda Eileen Barzee.

More details here

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