Who is Elizabeth Smart and what happened to her? Details explored ahead of America's Most Wanted: Missing Persons on Fox
Elizabeth Smart, a survivor of one of America’s most widely publicized abduction cases, will feature on America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons on Fox. In 2002, Smart was kidnapped at knifepoint from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah, by Brian David Mitchell, a self-proclaimed religious prophet, and his wife, Wanda Barzee.
Over a nine-month captivity, she endured repeated assaults before being rescued after a public sighting, according to multiple sources. Now 37, Elizabeth has transformed her traumatic experience into a platform for advocacy.
Ahead of the launch of America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons, Smart’s appearance highlights her ongoing mission to support families of missing individuals. The new event series, hosted by Harris Faulkner, will see Smart working alongside crime experts to bring more attention to unresolved cases.
Her involvement draws from personal history and emphasizes the need for public awareness and participation to help reunite families.
At just 14, Elizabeth Smart was abducted at knifepoint from her Salt Lake City home and spent nine months in captivity
In June 2002, Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped at knifepoint from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. Brian David Mitchell, a street preacher who had once briefly worked at the Smart household, abducted her while her younger sister pretended to sleep.
For the next nine months, Elizabeth endured captivity under Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, in remote encampments outside Salt Lake City and later in California.
Smart was kept chained, starved, and s*xually assaulted repeatedly during this time. Despite public sightings, including at a local library where a detective briefly questioned her, Elizabeth Smart was often disguised with robes and veils that made her difficult to recognize.
Elizabeth was finally located in March 2003 while walking alongside Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee in Sandy, Utah. Her rescue came after viewers recognized Mitchell from a segment aired on America’s Most Wanted, leading to police intervention.
How public vigilance helped lead to Elizabeth Smart’s rescue
Elizabeth has credited public vigilance for her eventual recovery. She emphasized how awareness efforts, such as missing posters, public pleas, and television coverage, played a crucial part.
The original America’s Most Wanted broadcast featuring sketches and descriptions of Mitchell helped alert bystanders, ultimately leading to Smart’s identification and safe return.
In later reflections, Elizabeth Smart pointed to the overwhelming attention her case received as a critical factor. As she told Fox News Digital, cited in a report in Fox News on April 27, 2025,
“I think about how my case was solved, and it came down to just how aware people were of my story.”
Her experience directly connects to her current involvement with America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons, where she now contributes to raising visibility for other missing persons cases.
Life after captivity and continued advocacy
Following her rescue, Elizabeth Smart focused on rebuilding her life while turning her experience into advocacy work. As noted in coverage by multiple sources, she founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, authored memoirs such as My Story, and began speaking out on issues of child safety and exploitation.
She also worked closely with John Walsh and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, participating in events like the Rose Garden ceremony when the AMBER Alert legislation was signed into law.
Today, Smart continues her advocacy as part of America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons on Fox. The new three-week event series, hosted by Harris Faulkner, brings together experts to analyze missing persons cases while urging public assistance.
Smart’s journey is a reminder of how public engagement can make a difference. As she told Fox News, families deserve answers and reunions, and through renewed visibility, more cases may end with hopeful outcomes.
Elizabeth Smart’s participation highlights her resilience and ongoing commitment to helping families still searching for their loved ones. Her experience remains a cornerstone example of why platforms like America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons continue to be important today.
Stay tuned for more updates.
