The Kidnapping and Incredible Survival Story of Elizabeth Smart
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- Опубліковано 10 січ 2021
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I absolutely HATE when people say...”I would have done this”, “I would have done that”... until you’re in a situation like this, you have NO idea what “you would do”. Plus and probably the most important detail is, she was a child. For fuck sake.
Exactly. She was only 14 years old!!
Exactly!
Exactly! And the thing is, she survived. If she had done something differently, she may have died. SHE DID THE RIGHT THING. I can’t stand it when people say that either, she did what she did to survive and she was successful
Exactly Im currently the age she was and I would be too scared to breathe
I think some people have no imagination. They simply can't understand the energy that stress uses up. She needed that energy to stay focused and keep alive. You cannot guarantee the seemingly most obvious escape route would work out so she would have just been hauled back, punished by being restricted and tied up again, with the added stress that your family will suffer. That strain would be too much for an adult let alone a child. Most successful kidnap escapes come from the captor earning trust. I think she is remarkable. I'd have been shouting my mouth off.... probably wouldnt have survived the first day.
My mom was part of the search team for Elizabeth. She gets particularly angry when she hears people blame elizabeth for being kidnapped like? how do you...blame a child? people are wack.
Did she have a relationship with Elizabeth or did she have a relationship with the family?
How could people be so rude
They blame girls/ woman for anything bad that happens to them!!
@@maddyoop4452 No, no relationship. It had just been very wide spread by then and she felt bad for the family. She had kids of her own by then and really felt for the family and what they were going through.
@@kayIee480 people are very accusatory and will point out anything that you’ve done as a reason for why something happened to you. It’s quite sad.
I just cannot believe how many times police have failed this girl. Heartbreaking
Agreed, unfortunately it happens a lot
Unfortunately another case of Law Enforcement not doing their jobs correctly! I wonder why they didn't have a dog smell her clothing and then the dog could have followed her trail in the woods
Yeahh …. But when the cop was standing right in front of her face and simply asked her to take off the mask . She didn’t , she failed her self ! And then when they actually found her and she wouldn’t tell them who she was , she failed her self again! I think she likes being with them .
@@rayallen4489I agree with you on some points but saying she wanted to be there is disgusting
So true some cops don't know how to do there jobs
I live in iraq and when some one, especially a child is kidnapped, the police would set up check points every 3 miles or so, they would stop every single car and check in side, they would even st up check points close to people's houses. And this is done right away no time wasted. A while back 2 kids were kidnapped, they found them two hours later. I understand that people don't want any one looking inside their car or home, but if it can help find a missing person then it should be done, that's just my opinion.
That’s really good. In my country (Afghanistan) kids don’t get kidnapped often, unless their parents are rich. Kids play outside all day in night. They don’t care about rockets or bullets. Life goes on. But if some kid does get kidnapped, it’s the son of a powerful person, and the police don’t care. People have to search themselves. That’s why many Afghans dislike the police. And that’s why they trust Taliban. The Taliban would bang on every door until they find the kid. And when they found the kidnapper, they would execute them.
I live in Spain and when someone kidnaps a child it upsets the whole country because it’s very rare.
@@bruh-wc1gs it’s always interesting how different countries operate. And, what you said definitely brings a lot of things into perspective.
This case was years ago (victim is a grown married mother now) but we now have Amber Alerts, where every person in the entire country gets an immediate alarm notification on their phone, tv, on highway signs, etc giving all info they have so not only are all police looking, but every citizen in aware and looking as well;. Best case is when they have license plate, or even car description, where car is almost always seen & reported very quickly.. Kidnapping by strangers are pretty rare. Most US kidnappings are done by one of the child's parents, when they lose custody, or do not want to share custody with other parent. They do not return the child and try to run off.
@@betsybabf748 I know I was living in the US for along time. The US has alot of laws that prohibits police from looking in people's cars, in iraq they can look and it's helps alot, like I said when a kidnapping is reported the police set up check points righ away and drivers cooperate.
So this dude kidnaps Elizabeth, then proceeds to try and kidnap her cousin, who was also the same age as her....
How the hell did the police not think this was connected?
Right these have got to be the dumbest cops.
Police didnt know that he tried to kidnap her cousin. It was much more probable that somone due to bad publicity would pull of a fucked up joke like that. Ther was NO EVIDENCE these accidents were connected
run away pacman! They are not dumb
@@supremesenpai8932 brian literally tried going through the window, same as what happened to elizabeth. they also didn’t want to release the police sketch, and don’t forget about the detective, and also didn’t believe elizabeth’s sister???? what do you mean they aren’t dumb? they’re AWFUL in this case
cockroach crew he tried going therw the window. Its not rare that the burglers try getting into the house threw a window. The detective should have pushed harder but elizabeth should have said something and not make him think everything was alright. Also the police didnt belive the sister at first
It blows my MIND that this family tried to help that man, and in return he kidnapped their daughter.
I like ur profile pic. Cute mask!
Disgusting (him not the family)
Beware of wolf in sheep clothing.
That's why you should be careful overextending your arm when you're trying to help a drowning person, as sometimes, that one person you're helping can pull your arm enough to break it, or enough to pull you down and use you as their life buoy.
It may sound rude, but we should all be careful who we are trying to save.
@@LARULES100
Well said my friend, well said indeed
Imagine being such an incompetent police department that a little girl solved the case before you did. This is by far the worst show of police work I've ever seen. They didn't even try.
Just leaves you shaking your head. Mary-katherine was a witness but only an audio witness. It was dark and she kept her eyes shut. She realized she had heard the voice before but could not place it. She could not tell the police who it was, but she could tell them who it was not. She said it was not the accused Ricci. She was ignored.
Lovely cat BTW.
Honestly the more I watch true crime the more police consistently seem incompetent
@@alishawamboldt1477 9/10 true crime cases, the police only helped the situation get to the state it ended.
She did not solve the case. She just remembered that she have seen the man.
@@farahjichi4617 ....so she remembered who did it? Found the culprit? That's quite literally solving the case
I hope every officer that worked on that case feels some form of guilt. There was so much that went wrong because of them and their incompetence.
Exactly why officers need more than, what is it, 9 months of training? Ridiculous!
@@summerbrooke8569
The police in Germany have like 4 years of schooling and they are very good. I think we, (our, US police) should take notes. There are a few other countries that have really good policing.
After she was recovered, the city police gave a news conference and announced "we have Elizabeth back etc" basically spoke as if they were responsible for the return. No guilt or admission of failure here. They did nothing that found her. The case became a icon of police failure and arrogance.
it’s so ridiculous how useless they always are in these cases!! even when the victim and perpetrator are right in their faces how tf do you just let them go? because he “looks” trustworthy, gtfoh
the us honestly have one of the dumbest police departments
THE FAMILY SOLVED THIS CASE NOT THE POLICE
Typical
Ikr 😕
the family and the community 👏🏼
Factssss
But the police are the one who found ger
“How stupid do y’all wanna be?”
Cops: yes
Why is this so true...
LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO "YES"
Lmfao
You got 1k wow...
So so true!?!! Why did they hire anyone back then
As a survivor myself, what has gotten me through is “if its not consensual its not losing your virginity”
@@infinite5164 Pretty sure Maddy is saying that she was also sexually assaulted, and that the thought that has helped her is that rape can't take your virginity.
@@infinite5164 virginity is an important thing to some victims, you should be more respectful
@@georgia5813 I ain’t being disrespectful. When you get raped you want to focus on your mental health and try to get it better, getting raped is a lot worser than closing your virginity…
@@infinite5164 As georgia said, virginity is important to some people, and the thought that they lost theirs to rape can worsen the trauma. So you are absolutely being disrespectful by being dismissive of that, as well as other people's attempts to help out such people
@aust r it doesn’t ❤️ stfu
The day she was found, I remember my mom unrolling the window as she drove down the street to pick us up from elementary school and shouting “They found Elizabeth Smart!!” We lived just a couple cities from Salt Lake and the whole community was invested in her story.
She was legit in walking distance for 50 days and they didn't find her. What did the police even do
Exactly the family did more than the cops
Waste time mostly?
Eat donuts and drink black coffee
@@kaleighbell6797 and waste money
Killing civilians
I live in Utah. She teaches self defense classes- specifically for kids and women! She's amazing!
I believe she is also a child safety activist.
In 2011, Smart founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation,[1] which aims to bring hope and end the victimization and exploitation of sexual assault through prevention, recovery, and advocacy.
But she has done MUCH more than that as well. Amazing that such positive initiatives can come out of such a tragic event...now THAT is the power of God right there.
that's actually pretty cool that she's teaching self defense classes! I'm guessing that she probably is teaching them so that the same thing won't happen to any other young women or little kids.
She's a spectacular woman, being so strong not letting her own experience destroy her...
Do you know where in Utah? I would love to take my niece for some classes.
That’s pretty badass
The police and detectives were literally useless in this whole case. I was practically rabid with rage when _they literally found her_ but let her go, and when the sister remembered Brian's face, the police were like "nah, you cant remember that" like omggg how infuriating
As much as people like to trash on rich or well off people, the police shouldn't have a bias towards middle class families and not do their jobs
Pretty sure she recognized him by voice but ya, police didn't give a damn
@@shroomshroom5945 Oh yeah, it was through the guy's voice, my bad
Elizabeth is so pure wtf- I just had a rough childhood and it DESTROYED ME- I can’t even function and she’s giving speeches and advocating for adolescents and raising a family at the same time
Sorry to hear that! 😢 How are you doing today?
"Fear is paralyzing." More people need to hear that.
Especially the judgmental ones. They fail to put themselves in other's shoes and think with a "cold" head which causes them to fail at being empathic.
@Rhea Mickens of course we all react differently, but many people blaming victims should be more considerate with words as they might not paralyze in fear but we are all different.
@Rhea Mickens absolutely agree!
@@suspiciouspooh5988 that's terrifying, I think I'd do the same because honestly, that's someone unpredictable, who literally has your life in their hands. I'm glad you're ok.
I understand that so much. I have severe social anxiety so when I was in school and I had to get up for any reason like to ask the teacher a question or throw something in the garbage my anxiety made me believe that people would be watching me & i’d trip or do something to embarrass myself and so even if I tried my best to build up the courage the fear would paralyze me to my seat. Not saying it’s the same thing being kidnapped is way worse than an irrational fear based on a mental illness but I do understand very well how fear can be paralyzing.
It’s disgusting hearing about couples that abduct children where the woman gets jealous. Just disgusting.
Right ! Wtf
that’s so weird
Not on her right mind
Right like hey dumb B the kid doesn't want your nasty ol man 🤮🤮🤮
Even more when you know they get away so many damn times!
Can you imagine Oliva and her family’s reaction when they found out she was about to be kidnapped and be experiencing the same thing like her cousin Elizabeth? Terrifying…
And the fact that the cops didn't believe them.
Poor kid was abused, beaten, s*xually assaulted, kidnapped, starving and these people have the NERVE to blame the child?? Because she was so brain washed and traumatized and petrified, that she couldn’t voice to ask for help, and SHES at fault? Come on. I’m so glad she was saved.
Rape is not sex. It is an attack. You can not lose your virginity through rape, let victims keep their innocence.
Thank you
well said
Very true! My older sister was raped by our father when she was 4-7. She did not count that as losing her virginity.
@@TheGoss123 thank you so much for sharing your story, it sounds like your sister has a very healthy way of viewing what happened to her
I understand what you are trying to say. But innocence lost is lost forever. That dirty piece of shit abused that child and used her. She had to go through that for weeks and it will haunt her for the rest of her life.
honestly Elizabeth was really smart during all this. Telling her Kidnaper that God had told her to have them go back to Utah was a smart move.
@Adinda Fathira Fasya I was gonna say that😂
It's horrible that the family tried to help him and in return he kidnapped their daughter
It's probably a really good thing that she was active in the church because she had knowledge to use against him once she got to know him a bit better.
I totally agree. It was really stupid of Brian to agree to that though 😂😂
@@evelynminer683 what do you expect from a POS like that tho 😂
@@LauraAgee yes but he did also specifically target her due to her Mormon faith.
This case infuriates me - the number of times the police failed Elizabeth. Devastating. Elizabeth is such an incredible person. The strength she had as a 14yo is insane!!! I’m so glad this case had a “happy” ending but she should have been brought home to her loving family a LOT sooner.
There seems to be a big culture in “victim shaming” these days, but as it is in domestic violence cases, unless you have walked in those shoes, been so terrified you daren’t speak, or make eye contact, you have literally NO IDEA of the psychological damage that has been done, especially in children or teenagers. I spent 12 years in a violent marriage which I ended 7 and half years ago. Even today, my kids, who were 10, 8 and 6 at the time, occasionally mention something I hadn’t realised they’d seen, heard or would remember. Psychological damage goes even deeper than emotional abuse and it’s NEVER a victim’s fault....NEVER!
You are so right and no one should ever be put in these situations, it's totally unfair.
I stayed in one for 8 years, luckily didn't have children but it's only now over a decade since I escaped that I see all the abuse for what it was. Unless you have been there and walked in those shoes you literally have no idea what it's like and how much control they have.
The fact that people are criticizing a child for keeping quiet while she’s being starved, beaten, threatened, and raped is beyond me. This story just shows me how disgusting people can be...
Exactly !! The man should be criticized!
Just realised I commented exactly what you did as I didn't see your comment until now, wholeheartedly agree, I would probably be terrified if that happened to me now, as a grown adult, people have to remember she was 14 years old
@@snowsprin793 d you wee bit me off at the the mail
@@snowsprin793 everyone's experience is different. You can't just have one survivor criticise another during a traumatic event because no one knows what you go through. That's like a survivor who becomes reserved can blame a different survivor after the attack because the other survivors coping mechanism is hypersexuality. That sort of shaming would be extremely detrimental. No one can criticise another's real or legitimate trauma, because there is no qualification for it or justification to tell someone that they handled being wrongfully harmed "wrong".
@@ghostii3188 Jaycee doesn’t criticize her. She had ‘ chances’ to run and didn’t for many of the same reasons.
Anyone who criticizes her needs to look at statistics. She kept herself alive against all odds. If she did anything different, she might not be here. I'm so impressed with her.
I think in life or death situations instinct must kick in. She did exactly what she had to do.
There's literally a group somewhere on youtube (a few years ago anyway) who claim she was actually a runaway, went willingly with her kidnappers, theyre not guilty of what they were accused of, and blah blah blah. Its disgusting! I couldn't imagine going through this and then have people make up conspiracy theories on my trauma story... these people CLEARLY don't understand ANYTHING from psychology 101 or even try. It's sick.
I've heard her speak in public and read some of her books! She is so inspiring that she could survive this kind of trauma!
@@mrs.elentz2336 That is so disgusting oh my god.
My real question is why people would criticize a literal CHILD who was kidnapped and managed to survive, what is there to even criticize it's amazing and already highly improbable that she managed to survive in this situation to begin with and anyone who thinks otherwise is nuts
I love how respectful she was when she talked about Mormons, she wasn’t bashing them just saying who they are. So respectable
I agree, it is nice to have a religion brought up and not have stereotypes immediately pinned on them. I myself am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have never liked it when people take extremes in religions and just associated with the whole religion, no matter which one it is. Thank you for your comment and have a good day!
As a Christian I agree. With all the true crime stories she's had to research, it would probably be so easy for her to look at all the "Christians," "Mormons," etc. who used their religion as an excuse to kidnap, r*pe, and murder and decide that religious people just seemed like trouble. But, Kendall continues to respect religious people as a whole and I really appreciate that!
yes!! i’m a member of the church and have definitely heard my fair share of stereotypes and far stretched extremities about the church from polygamy to molestation to brainwashing etc. of course it’s possible that this goes on, even in other religions, but it’s not the norm, ya know? it’s disrespectful to bully someone for what they believe in based off of false or twisted claims about it.
While she certainly is respectful as such, my concern with the context is how much Elizabeth was (and others are) made to feel that without her virginity, she was worthless. If she wasn't brought up to believe this, maybe she would have felt more worth trying to save herself sooner, instead of feeling worthless just because she was raped, which to me is just extra tragic.
@@kiana_bon_vivant Brainwashing is absolutely the norm. All I can say is you will be better off doing your own research rather than blindly following what you are told.
This woman is such a lovely human.What she went through is beyond any human experience.Her bravery is commendable.She has grown after this beyond horrible experience.She is so deserving of many awards.
This case is frustrating as hell! Why don’t the police listen to people? She could have been found so many times.
Same as Jacee Lee Dugard. So many screw ups by cops.
I can’t believe the detective at the library didn’t push harder!!
Every fucking time. Like the way it's a pattern you'd think there be new training.
@@elle427 and didn’t even follow up or tell anyone about it
@@elle427 j
if it wasnt for her sister remembering who the guy was, its very possible she wouldn’t have been found.
Or at least not found for decades like Jaycee Duggard. If you think the police was incompetent with Elizabeth Smart's case, the Jaycee Duggard story will make your blood boil.
Also, nice Killua avatar!
Exactly....
@@RyanStorey1231 😡😡
Someone recognized Elizabeth's face even in disguise and probably didn't look at Brian David Mitchell that much. The cops looked at the picture and could tell the obvious disguise.
So true.
what will always get me about elizabeth’s return home is that she wanted to sleep in her bed the first night. that is so courageous
Elizabeth Smart is so inspiring ❤ I like that she has become an advocate for children and a voice for survivors of sexual assault.
We should stop teaching girls that their virginity defines their goodness. This story is so sad in so many ways.
Please I hope so
As someone who lost it at the age of four I agree
I was lost for years because I was ruined according to my parents and the so called church
@@gypsierose3611 i think you're amazing 💜
@@gypsierose3611 I'm sorry you went through that. I am also sorry that you had so many ignorant people around you when it happened. I hope you're happy and thriving now 💗 Stay safe
Thats religion for ya
If he’s sane enough to hold a child hostage for a year and keep her secret, he’s competent to go through a trial
Hold a child hostage and then make up an excuse when questioned by police and constantly made sure her face was covered or she was wearing a disguise?
Incompetent WHERE?!
The "Justice" system's mishandling of this case is beyond infuriating.
100 percent agree. It's not about really being insane to be competent for trial even though it doesn't seem like it.. You can be crazier than hell and still be competent to stand trial. I thought it had to do with just simply understanding what people are saying to you?? Or maybe you also need to know right from wrong but I'm unsure. Idk... idk what I'm talking about but I know it's something like that idk
@@IttyBitty412 but he was able to give a call to Elizabeth's father when Elizabeth's mother instructed him to do so and his compliance showed he understands what is said to him and responds like a competent person
Not defending him! But do you really think that means he is "sane"? I mean any sane human being would not do this to another person...
@@chrissymeri4957 I don't think that is what the people in the comments are trying to say. More like, he should be held completely accountability and stand in trail without any excuses. Yes he is insane, but sane enough to know what he was doing.
This seems like a bad dream that should never be someone’s reality. I can’t believe this poor child had to go through all this. It’s wild how she managed to survive so well at such a young age.
elizabeth is so strong. i’ve seen this case so many times and it hurts every time to see the comments of judgement. none of these people who have opinions on her decisions have any idea what it’s like to go through what she did. i think these people forget how young she was, how afraid she was and how much she had to contemplate her decisions in her head. it’s so terrifying to imagine what she went through. absolutely no one, except for those who have been abducted, have no idea what could’ve gone through her brain, or what she could’ve seen, or what she could’ve experienced.
It’s awful that Richard died with everyone thinking he kidnapped and murdered a little girl
Seriously. Cops are the worst. Hearing him cry lowkey broke my heart.
I feel like his brain hemorrhage may have been caused by the stress the police were putting on him.
@@awtumn ahh i never thought of that!
@@awtumn - That’s what I thought as soon as Kendall mentioned how he died
@@awtumn my first thought :(
The police at Salt Lake City were TERRIBLE, it's actually embarrassing.
I thought the same thing!
They still are
I was about to comment about that, then I saw your comment. Police in the library shoudve been sacked, and the Elizabeth gets questioned her actions etc.... that is disgusting.
Lisa Delanty Salt Lake City is definitely in Utah, I’m not that suprised on how much they failed
Cops are worthless
This is certainly a horrid thing to happen. And Elizabeth is such a strong and inspirational woman. How incredibly lucky she is to have survived. I'm in awe of how Elizabeth went on to literally dedicate her life to preventing things of this nature from happening to others and also helping to bring down criminals on crime watch daily. I feel that she's often a source of hope for other families who's children have gone missing. She was brought home, maybe their children will too. I'm currently praying little Summer Wells age 5 in TN will have a similar happy end.
I cried when Kendall said Elizabeth was alone waiting in the interrogation room, at this point the cops knew it was her so they had her dad come into the room… and Elizabeth saw her dad… omg… I can not imagine the happiness and joy my dad AND I would feel, if I was in Elizabeth’s shoes and saw my dad walk into that room… how happy And relieved I would feel to see my dad after all that happened to me… omg… so happy and proud of Elizabeth!
That poor guy at the art house, he really does feel guilty. You can tell he was a decent guy because he wanted to warn her at least. I'd carry that guilt forever.
it’s so sad because there really wasn’t a lot he could have done, especially because he didn’t recognize her. the cop that saw them and didn’t do anything on the other hand... no excuse.
Yeah seriously! At least she made it out alive 😔
You can clearly see that the girl is underage even with the veil, of course he could have done something
@@sparrowsedai9169 What could he have done though made a scene?. Made a scene and risked people thinking him making a scene was him being creepy?. I really would not have put it passed Brian to accuse someone decent that wouldn't ever harm a young girl of having disgusting intentions for making a scene. Seems to me that would be something Brian would pull to make sure Elizabeth stayed with him.
@@itssammyejustbeingme yes, make a scene. It's a strategy taught in self defense - make a scene, make yourself a difficult target, scream and shout and fight
It is absolutely not the art guy's fault, but it's important for people to know that you can be loud if you need to be
The crazy part is that if her sister wasn't awake she may have not been found
EDIT: Thanks for updating me on my likes UA-cam ...
I was just thinking about this
That’s how random history is
*Butterfly effect.*
I was literally thinking that. I was like “thank god her sister was awake”
For my fellow survivors, I know what it’s like. As a victim myself, I know how much it hurts to be told as a child that I deserved it. I know how it feels when the justice system seems to just not care about you. But know that there are people who don’t blame us. There are people who will fight for us, that we aren’t alone. You are loved, you are beautiful, and it is okay to not be okay. You aren’t dirty. You aren’t a bad person. If you didn’t consent, then it doesn’t count. You’re still a virgin until you consent.
I love you, I am proud of you, keep fighting. And when you feel like you can’t fight any more, come to us. Find others to help support you.
Not even as a kid, it's worse then because you're even less able to defend yourself or do anything, but even as an adult it's like wtf how did I deserve anything??
I love the advice her mother gave her. She was able to regain her personal power despite this crazy guy who stole her and took nine months of her life.
It’s so ridiculous that police would not look into Olivia’s attempted kidnapping. Her cousin was literally kidnapped 49 DAYS before then. So much went wrong with this investigation.
It's probably because in their perspective they live in a safe and wholesome mostly Mormon community. Then you have them pointing their fingers at the Smarts because they don't want to believe that there is someone lurking in their community kidnapping random children which is much rarer compared to filicide or parents kidnapping their own children.
But yeah, even without the relation to the Smarts Olivia's potential kidnapping should have been probed much deeper.
honestly compared to other cases this case was handled perfectly. i’ve seen literally every one of kendall’s videos and so many more different crime cases and they were all just handled so terribly. this one was done very well in my opinion.
Utah is so fkn saturated w mormons (state is basically a theocracy!) that a lot of the cops on the case wrote ppl off due to their own personal convictions about them and/or because they too were fkn Mormon lunatics so they were .... misogynistic
@@kayleighanderson120 Are you insane????? Regardless if there are cases where police behave worse out there this was NOT done "very well", they messed up since day 1 wasting hours questioning the family and not letting they release her photo, contaminating the crime scene, refusing to listen to suspects the family brought up, trying to pressure someone else into confessing for something they didnt do, COMPLETELY ignoring the break in on Olivia's house and Elizabeth's little sisters statements. That stupid ass detective on the library didnt even try to push harder on trying to talk with Elizabeth. Police, once again, just proved that they are fucking useless.
@@kayleighanderson120 i’m sorry, what?? they zeroed in on a single subject without much reason for it. they definitely should have looked at him, but there were so many other people they should have considered at that time, too. also, they didn’t close off the CRIME SCENE, specifically elizabeth’s room. imagine if brian’s fingerprints or other DNA was left on her covers! they didn’t take elizabeth’s sister seriously when she remembered who it was. while it could have been possible she was remembering incorrectly, she was the ONLY EYE WITNESS and the police took her statement with a grain of salt. the detective that talked to elizabeth barely pushed hard enough to see if she was elizabeth. i know he could only do so much, but her body language should have been indicative that something wasn’t right. the police announced that a family member failed a polygraph test when 1: the results were inconclusive and 2: polygraph tests can be manipulated in so many ways. just because some cases have been handled worse, it doesn’t mean this case was handled well at ALL. how about instead of defending shoddy work just because “it could have been worse,” we stop accepting mediocrity and start demanding better police work so victims and families can have justice??
I love that Elizabeth named her 2nd daughter after her cousin Olivia!
What an incredible story of survival and grit. This girl fully lived up to her family name, Smart. Her rational thinking and patience kept her alive.
I can't imagine being her sister and possibly feeling like she could have saved Elizabeth by waking the parents sooner. I know that would haunt me. That poor family is probably so traumatized.
But that could also have lead to the whole family not being alive today. This man was capable of anything and the sister could in a way, have saved their lives
@@je5496 I never meant to suggest that it's her fault. Not at all. I just think she's may have felt some unjust guilt over it all.
@@sierras.4592 I realised now that I probably missed that you said ”possibly” in the beginning. I think that made me misunderstand your point. Sorry! I understand what you meant.
I just wanted to share my thought on the situation☺️
She must have been totally terrified, it’s so sad and seems to be getting worse, and worse. 😥
Honestly that little girl did right thing. If she tried to intervene the whole family could have been killed
The fact that the POLICE was fucking up so bad throughout the story is literally making my blood boil...
That seems to be a common theme in many crime stories smh🤦🏻♀️
Seriously! It broke my heart when I saw that man cry. And it made me so mad that they just wanted to close the case.
sadly n pathetically its nothing new 😒
You and me both
A while back, I saw a newspaper article that said a large number of US police recruiters only recruit people who do badly on the tests because they are less likely to question what they are told to do or what other officers do.
I don’t know if you’re going to see this or not, but I just discovered your channel about two weeks ago and I have already watched about 17 of your videos. When I’m driving to work in the afternoon, it takes me 45 minutes, so I’m able to listen to a story while I’m driving. You are such an amazing storyteller. You give visuals that the person can see and you’re so simplistic in your explanations that a child can follow you. You need to be a journalist newscaster.
@ brownskin.
Oh please . She is a story teller on UA-cam. She is not that good that she should be on tv. Or tell stories on tv. Get your head together She is a UA-camr . That is it
@@williamsanderson7971 bet u couldn’t do it
The ending is so STRONG! Ah, I love it! I've been trying to discuss my own trauma lately and its hard and its taken... like 30 years... but I finally hit a wall where I was like, "Why exactly AM I ashamed of something that was forced on me? I'm not like that, I didn't want to... and he didn't get enough prison. Not even close." They rarely do. All my love to Elizabeth, who has found a way to bring goodness from her trauma. Of all the people in this story... THERE is a woman who knows God.
This sounds like “the cops doing everything they can to NOT solve this case”
literally
"ayo, this girl was abducted lets relax and sit on our asses"
Like always. Honestly they are of no use
to all my fellow survivors out there:
1. you have not been robbed of your innocence
2. you are not dirty
3. your trauma does NOT define you and never will
4. you are beautiful, strong and i am proud of you
Xoxoxo
^.^ it took a kind hearted man who is my best friend and husband now to finally help me see....I’m pretty. I’m so proud of This vibrant young lady though.....she’s a true role model
thank you 💗💗💗
As a CSA survivor, god I needed to hear this today... thank you, Hannah!
Thank you. As a child this was something that i wouldn't have ever understood but now it's what i need to read.
This young lady is so inspirational and strong. It is shameful that anyone would blame her. In HS I told my boyfriend about an older cousin that abused me when i was aged 2 to 6. I told no one other then him at this time. Instead of comfort and sympathy i recieved anger and disappointment that i was not a "virgin". I had no self esteem anyway so this destroyed any self worth i had. I married two abusive men and was a doormat for 20 of my adult years. Thru a survivors group i became a survivor and I have an amazing husband. I hate when people blame the victim and or act like the victim should have handled things differently or say the domestic violence victims like it or they wouldn't stay. Unless your in the situation you dont have a clue.
"he grew his beard to look like Jesus" more like to look like Charles Manson ...
SAME THOUGHT. I think this guy mustve been a fanboy
I say that bc I genuinely believe Charles Manson was faking all that crazy shit in court
My thoughts exactly
@@art-is-awen8842 that is common, especially with the uber driver case in Kalamazoo (if you know what I'm talking about).
I had the same thought
I can’t imagine being one of the parents, after she was saved, realizing the person that kidnapped your daughter was the guy you were trying to help that you hired off the streets, not saying they’re bad parents by any means just saying that realization is unimaginable...btw love the background
Ive thought about that too it would b so hard
No good deed goes unpunished :/
HELLO really really poor detective work the parents should’ve said everyone that’s on their mind who could’ve done this even if their wrong at the end of the everyone is innocent until proven guilty and if they would’ve mentioned they’ve been in contact since the beginning they would’ve probably closer to finding her it’s sucks (not also saying their bad parent’s)
@Justice For I understand why Elizabeth's mother wanted to be kind. But it is possible to also be kind, and also be intelligent. Certain times and places can call for kindness.
I'm not sure if people realize this, but people panhandle more often than you think. Ever wonder why everyone suddenly loses their houses in the wintertime? Usually around Christmas? And you almost never see any homeless people in the summertime? Yeah.
The summertime ones, I'm more privy to believe. But not all of them.
Also. Just don't... go around passing out phone numbers to people. I don't even let a guy I'm seeing have my number a few months into dating. This woman gave her personal number after 5 minutes of talking? No work phone number, if they hire people? This is why work numbers exist.
Also, you ought to do background checks on the people you choose to hire. Not just anyone on the street. You just met this dude.
However, I will say again that "homeless" people really do know how to pull on the heartstrings. I'm shifty-eyed of a lot of homeless people. It's a bitchy thing to say, but it's true. For good reason.
(Sidenote, if you want to be nice to homeless people, give them food. The real ones will appreciate it more. The fake ones will be disappointed it wasn't money).
@@simply7teen_495 god you’re a special kind of cookie aren’t you?
I recently listened to a really interesting podcast episode about this case, but it focused specifically on Wanda's involvement with the case. It went over her childhood and what possibly helped shaped her into the monster she grew into. The podcast is Female Killers, I highly recommend listening to this episode
I think Elizabeth is an incredibly brave little girl, having to endure all that she did at the hands of this vile monster. I am glad she survived this nightmare and she's now safe at home with her family. And I am so proud of her that she and her family fought for justice and the truth, and now this vile monster will spend the rest of his life in prison and he can't hurt another innocent child ever again. She is safe now.
Her resilience is due to her developmental years being filled with love.
I love this comment so much. It is very true 🤍
Maybe also her connection to God/ spirituality
@@amoxmo I 2nd that
@@slumdog970 loving God doesn't make you a superhuman lol, you can be atheist, jewish, wiccan, etc and have high resilience too. How does religion determine that?
@@HanaDubs gives you hope. Something to hold onto
I was born and raised in Utah, just 20 minutes away from her house. I was in second grade when Elizabeth was kidnapped and slept with fear for YEARS that someone would come take me from my bed. My dad volunteered to search the woods to find her. Our neighborhood set up a watch program. I still remember the day they found her and the whole community gathering to celebrate. She was found just a block away from my dads office. Just a few years ago I was able to listen to her speak at a conference and her story always amazes me!
Wow that must've been terrifying
Oh wow, I cant even imagine! I would be terrified as well
I cant even imagine. 🥺 this breaks my heart
I am sorry hun💞
I was born and raised in West Memphis AR- where the “West Memphis Three” case took place. I was 5 at the time and lived on the street RIGHT IN FRONT OF the wooded area where the boys’ bodies were found. We weren’t allowed to play outside anymore, couldn’t walk to school, etc. The amount of fear and panic that our parents must have had during these times is just unimaginable. I’m now a parent myself and think about cases like this often- especially the WM3 case since it’s my hometown.
i give this girl literally all the props in the world. to be able to speak on the abuse and torture you went thru, & having to relive that horrible horrible experience. personally i would never have been able to be so strong like someone like her. i’m not really religious but this is such a big sign, that there’s an energy out there that’s looking out for us. god bless her.
What Elizabeth went through was awful but I'm so glad she's living her best life to the fullest now and helping so many people along the way.
That's a STRONG FAMILY! To say "we don't care if we're scrutinized if it brings more attention to the case"... So strong.
I just cannot imagine.
Yes they are.
Yes that's what I thought.
they really love and care about her
I think if the man is competent enough to kidnap a teenager for a year than he's competent enough to face trial.
I met her in person and had an interview with her because something like that almost happened to me except with my friends brother. She is a super strong woman with an amazing personality. I hope that woman will continue to be as strong as her. Her speech was truly empowering.
When she said her dad walked into the room and saw Elizabeth I lost it. Full on bawled.
“And all day she had to listen to Brian and Wanda ramble about some wack ass sh!t”
My favorite part 😂
😂😂😂
@@kayloiio mine too 😂
😂😂😂
I love hearing her curse 😭😭 so soothing lol
it annoys me when people say their role models are people like kylie jenner when people like elizabeth smart exist
Absolutely 👏🏼 so many shit happens in this world and so many people are doing something to hepl, but most of the attention is always for the dumbest richer people
Great point
Absolutely 100% agree....
Ikr
She really wasn't smart at all -Dave Chappelle
It makes me so happy to see Elizabeth living her best life now. What a queen!!
I remember when this happened. I remember all the news coverage quite vividly throughout.
I've probably heard the story over a dozen times. As a true crime fan, I have heard these details in random content of the genre for years because it was such a huge case.
And yet, some how you've retold this story so well, that it was like hearing it all for the first time. Wow. I'm truly impressed by your sensational story telling abilities.
10/10
Elizabeth was literally walking distance from her house for weeks!! How did the police not check the surroundings of their neighborhood like a big hill?? Makes me so mad
Seriously! Even if they thought she was dead, checking spots like that for the body would have been huge! The police seriously fumbled this case.
I'm confused cause didn't they use helicopters? How did they see nothing?
It was heavily wooded area.. They had search parties for weeks.
Her millionaire dad hired shady drifters to work on his house. Why? Wait let me guess. He was a super nice guy who wanted to get people back on their feet.
But wait, you had this homeless guy you know NOTHING ABOUT working in the yard with your 12 year old son?! A literal stupid fuck. “Come on in fella we’ve got some lemonade and sandwiches for you, when you’re done go outside and finish up with my 12 year old son under 0 supervision.”
Great dad!
Police weren't smart enough duh!
that photo of elizabeth at the house party is chilling.
the moment you said the door suddenly opened and it was her dad, i just burst into tears and had to pause the video and compose myself before continuing, i just felt so much emotion, as a parent thinking thats my daughter she is alive i can see her with my eyes again, i just felt it through my entire soul. i am so glad she survived and i dont belive in heaven or hell but i do hope that hell exists for people like guy and woman. i really hope they suffer
Strong as an ox, that young lady. That had to have been incredibly scary and difficult. I'm so glad she was found. Broke my heart how many times they were so close to getting her back, it's unreal
It is amazing how many odds were stacked against her and she not only survived but is thriving. She is a remarkable woman and the amount of respect I have for her is immeasurable.
Yes thriving that's perfect description! Like it's one thing to make it through.I t's another thing to make it through and still live your life! And really live
@@LaLaE23 Exactly! I just truly have so much respect for her and her strength.
@@daniellegentry9958 Absolutely! Me too.
wtf is wrong with the justice system. People get caught with drugs and get 50+ years but wanda gets 10 years. what.
It was a different time then
@@ZS_2007 11 years ago is not a different time.
@@minawashere8575 exactly. Not even for this case but people always try to use “it was a different time” for everything. Like no Zoey it was 5 years ago.
It's so surreal.
@@ZS_2007 Hi Zoey! I understand... you're probably very young & that's why it seems like "another time". That's all I wanted to say after seeing a couple kinda dog piling on you. I understand 🤗
Thank you for Elizabeth's survival story. Elizabeth is a powerhouse. What a woman. So inspiring!
The best part of your stories are the way you really tell us who the victims are. You always make sure you give the victims light. Thank you.
*6 MONTHS after abduction*
Cops: "Okay, so, MAYBE someone broke into the house."
For real, it really pisses me off.
Useless cops
This is why cops are useless in these type of situations.
frrr it's so frustrating
Yeah- bad work, once again. Pathetic.
Anyone critical of a 14 year old child that had been abducted, raped and abused for months is effing insane. It makes me so angry people are so dense and cruel that they would question the way she dealt with the situation.
I’ve never been through ANYTHING like that. But even having been through a home invasion and robbery at gunpoint, that alone traumatized me. I thought I was going to be raped and/or killed. The three guys pistol whipped my boyfriend, cracking his head open. We literally never stayed in that apartment again, we couldn’t. We got out of the lease and it was genuinely such a horrible feeling. And I was 20 back then, young but not a child. Ugh, people are just so weird.
Oh my God thsts terrible what you went through thank God you survived and you didnt have to go through even worse God blessed you on that part I hope your ok now sending love and light to you from Ireland 🍀🍀🍀❤❤❤
I would’ve done anything the three guys made me do. I was afraid they would kill my boyfriend and/or me. After they hit him in the head with one of their guns, one guy kept him downstairs and the other two took me upstairs and made me empty out every drawer in the place. I thought something way worse than that was gonna happen and I’m very lucky and grateful that it wasn’t worse.
What really made me so paranoid after the incident was that it took place in the middle of a summer afternoon and our doors were locked. They broke the glass of our front door and opened it through there. That’s the one thing that always stuck with me. I have a map of my apartment in my head and I think “cast iron pan in the kitchen, heavy marble statue by the door, taser by the bed, pepper spray by the back door”. I have in my mind a defense weapon wherever someone could catch me off guard.
(hugs you)
@@corinnez291 it’s disgusting that anyone would even think they know how it felt to go through what she did, let alone judge her for her actions. I get sad easily, but not angry. This makes me very, very angry.
Glad ur safe and armed to protect yourself
I'm sitting at work just crying. I've known about the story from the very beginning and seeing it through. Advice from the father has always been " TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO SCREAM !" In an interview, he said he always taught his kids to be quiet and listen to adults, now he encourages all children to scream.
I just love her dedication to working on cases with crime watch daily. Out in the field, knocking on doors, very resilient. Her bravery is absolutely admirable.
When I opened up about my rape, everyone asked the stupidest questions like 'what were you wearing?' 'Why didn't you fight back?' 'Why didn't you say anything sooner?' I was 6-13 he was an uncle that I saw everyday, and even back then j knew anyone I told would just want to protect him because he was the coddled fuck up of the family, so I just kept it to myself and deal with it on my own, told someone one time and they asked those stupid questions and eventually got therapy and moved far away and I still have trust issues, but I'm better now, but seriously anyone who asks victims these stupid ass questions needs to be kicked in the face.
I'm so sorry. You are so strong it dosen't matter what you where wearing I promise bbs it was NOT your fault god thank you for sharing
They asked what you were wearing as a 9 year old that could have provoked an uncle to assault you??? That's absolutely the most insane thing i've ever heard...
I am so sorry that this happened to you, it doesn’t matter what you were wearing or not. People need to stop blaming the survivor and ask offenders, “what the hell is wrong with you?” Praying for you:)
I’m so sorry bby i just want you to know it’s not abt what you were wearing
Christ people asked what you were wearing even though you were a CHILD? Fuck I'm so sorry
"I thought they would have given up by now"
You never give up looking for your child. I don't even have children and I know that I would never stop looking until my baby was home.
This comment honestly made me cry. Sooo right!
My husband worked at the Utah state hospital for a little while when Brian was there and said the same thing, that that man was 100 percent competent and it was all an act. He’s truly a disgusting human being.
I’m from Utah and was in Highschool when all of this went down, the day they found her it was announced school wide, I’ll never forget that, people were crying and cheering.
Can't believe people actually critise a fourteen year old CHILD for not running away, she was assaulted, threatened, starved and intimidated by two adults, who were armed with weapons, it just blows my mind. I'm so happy that she managed to escape the situation and she's doing amazing things to prevent others from going through such an awful experience, can't even imagine what it would be like to live like that for nine months. I really don't think I could ever be as strong as she is.
It seems like they wouldn't criticize or victim blame her if she ended up dead rather than living and trying get back to her life. Awful people
@@carsfan1995 So true unfortunately, she shouldn't have to deal with this after such a traumatic experience
Exactly. And then if she did something and brian killed her whole family they would blame Elizabeth for her choices so I don't get some humans sometimes.
@@keishatanoe1067
Maybe I’m stupid but I feel Brian wouldn’t be able to kill her whole family.
I don’t know, something about him says he’s more interested in having sex slaves than he is in most murder.
Granted, Elizabeth and generally most people wouldn’t take that risk. I apologize if I sound like one of those people saying “she should’ve done this.” She did nothing wrong and she did everything right as a means of survival.
When you're brought up like that you don't make the most obvious decisions
I can’t fathom being CRITICAL of a little girl’s actions after being kidnapped and enduring such cruelty. I’m so happy she persevered and made it out alive. I hope she can heal from this inconceivable trauma. I hope her whole family is coping ok. 🙏🏻❤️
People hate the idea that things like this can exist in our world and so they resort to victim blaming to try to control the narrative because without that they'll have to accept that awful things happen to people who could do nothing about it. It's so upsetting and disgusting honestly.
Oh man that Grace court room drama queen on CNN tried to do a sensational interview even though her dad/Elizabeth/family prescreened the questions that Grace was allowed to ask. Good ol’ Grace tried to ask anyway. That’s only one reason why I don’t watch her OR CNN.
Wow. Thank you for this video. I had not heard of this update!
@@Laliyahish you hit the nail on the head 👌🏼
@@hbic2325 you definitely are victim blaming
Kendall is just so absolutely gorgeous 😩❤️
Right?!
That detective should totally be fired are you KIDDING ME. What an awful cop
Which do you mean this applies to so many of them 😩
Kind of gross for people to be so critical of the victim. We can’t imagine how Elizabeth was feelings and to criticize the way she handled things just doesn’t sit right with me.
People will literally look for any excuse to victim blame
Like we have zero way of knowing how we would act in such a fucked up situation, living through hell for months, she did absolutely nothing wrong, she was a victim
Right?! The audacity
Not to mention....Um hi, she WAS A CHILD
exactly. she was only 14 and was thinking extremely maturely throughout this horrid situation. people need to stop victim blaming.
The thing that upsets me the most about Elizabeth's story is how many times the cops failed her. She was a child. Of course she was going to do everything her kidnappers told her to do. If she hadn't been incredibly resilient, she would be dead. The cops involved in her story should have been charged as well. Bless her soul for being able to heal from such a traumatic event and carry on with her life.
When you said she told God she was at peace with dying, it broke my heart 💔 Elizabeth is so strong
I grew up in Salt Lake City, and I still remember when this happened. Shortly after Elizabeth was found, my mom saw a picture of her kidnapper in the paper and insisted that she’d seen him on the bus about a month before the kidnapping.
The fact that this mans first wife was 17 and was called Karen MINOR I can’t
I got a chuckle from that too 😂
I KNOWWW I HAD TO GO BACK AND MAKE SURE I HEARD THAT RIGHT
i think he was only 18, cause she said he got out of Juvi and then got married.
@@ariiixoo8787 he was 19
Omg 😭😭💀
The fact that Elizabeth smart still smiles today is such a success story on her part. How well she’s overcome this and used it to bring awareness and help others is so admirable
She’s truly an inspiration. She turned her trauma into strength.
@@kaylamclaughlin7818 indeed became a strong woman
She's definitely daddy's little girl, she's a splitting image of him
i know
god was protecting her from further harm absolutely
@@deniseinpeace1170 if god was real this wouldn’t of happened
I never really knew the whole story… this was quite emotional. I’m so glad she’s home. When she got to see her dad again? Omg! There was some dust in the air cause wow my eyes!
Elizabeth as a child and thinking of going inside his mind and manipulate him is so so so smart move.
"Its not your fault that fear is paralyzing!"
THANK YOU!!
The fact that the officer had Elizabeth smart right infront of him and literally let her leave is so infuriating
I was wondering if someone would mention this! So someone RECOGNIZED the girl, they called the police and the police officer let them all go because of religious reasons??!?!?!?
@@margaritavalcheva i know right. In situations like this you shouldn't care AT ALL about religious reasons
I agree. He should have reported it further, followed them or something more. But I do understand him letting them leave in that moment. He didn’t have proof - she didn’t say it was her and they didn’t either - and he can’t make someone remove their “religious cover”, so in that moment he really couldn’t do anything. But I do think he should have called back up or followed them and tried harder to confirm it wasn’t her.
its so embarrassing honestly! I couldn't believe that!