In 2002, multiple media companies reported false rumors about Elizabeth Smart Death. She was only 14 years old when she was kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home by Brian David Mitchell.
Elizabeth works as an American Child Safety Activist and ABC News Commentator, and two weeks ago, she celebrated her 20th anniversary of being rescued after a tragic kidnapping incident.
Elizabeth Smart Death Hoax: Kidnapping & Rescue
On June 5, 2002, Elizabeth Smart, a young girl of 14, was kidnapped from her bedroom in her family’s Salt Lake City residence at knifepoint.
Over nine months following her abduction, Elizabeth Smart was subjected to daily rape, physical restraint, and persistent death threats should she dare to escape.
Numerous media companies and magazines fabricated false reports of Elizabeth Smart Death for several months, without any basis, solely to attract public attention and generate revenue.
Additionally, people reluctantly started believing Elizabeth Smart Death hoaxes, creating controversies and theories involving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On March 12, 2003, Elizabeth Smart was successfully rescued by Police officers from a public street in Sandy, Utah, located 18 miles (29 km) away from her home.
Abductors Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Ileen Barzee were identified by witnesses who had seen them on an America’s Most Wanted episode.
As part of a deal with prosecutors, Wanda Ileen Barzee admitted to aiding in the abduction of Elizabeth Smart and pleaded guilty on November 16, 2009.
Federal Judge Dale A. Kimball handed down a sentence of 15 years in federal prison to Wanda Ileen Barzee on May 19, 2010.
As a result of negotiations between the defense and federal prosecutors, Wanda Ileen Barzee was given credit for the seven years she had already spent in custody as part of a plea deal.
On the other hand, Brian David Mitchell was found competent to stand trial for charges of kidnapping and sexual assault, found guilty on both counts and subsequently sentenced to two life terms in federal prison in May 2011.
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Elizabeth Smart Family Details
Elizabeth Ann Smart, an American Journalist, and Activist, was born to Edward “Ed” and Lois Smart on November 3, 1987, as the second-oldest child and is presently 36 years of age.
When Elizabeth Smart and Matthew Gilmour were both serving as missionaries in the Paris Mission, they met and fell in love. They became engaged after a year of dating in January 2012.
After tying the knot in a private ceremony at Laie Hawaii Temple on February 18, 2012, Elizabeth Smart and her husband Matthew Gilmour welcomed three children, born in 2015, 2017, and 2018 respectively.
Talking about her educational background, she went to Bryant Middle School and East High School. She later pursued her education at Brigham Young University, earning a Bachelor of Music in harp performance.
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Elizabeth Smart In Activism And Media Coverage
Smart gave a speech about overcoming life’s challenges at the 2009 Women’s Conference Maria Shriver in California hosted on October 27, 2009.
She established the Elizabeth Smart Foundation in 2011 to prevent, recover, and advocate against sexual assault, bringing hope to the victims to end their exploitation and victimization.
Smart received the Siena Medal award from Theta Phi Alpha National Fraternity in July 2012, the organization’s highest honor given to a non-member.
In support of HB 286, a bill that proposed an optional curriculum for child sexual abuse prevention training in Utah schools, Smart testified before the Utah State House of Representatives in February 2014.
Elizabeth Smart served as an Executive producer for the Lifetime movie The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story in 2023, which tells the story of Kara Robinson’s abduction by Richard Evonitz.
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