Elizabeth Smart kidnapper arrested after visiting Utah parks
Share this @internewscast.com


SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Wanda Barzee, the woman convicted of kidnapping then 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart with her husband in 2002, was arrested and booked into jail on Thursday, according to court records.

On May 1, Barzee, 79, was booked into jail, accused of violating Sex Offender Registry requirements by visiting parks in Salt Lake City. Brent Weisberg, spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police Department, said detectives arrested her at her home without incident.

Documents say she told police she went to local Liberty Park to feed ducks in early April because “she was commanded to by the Lord.” Barzee also reportedly admitted to visiting another area park.

Barzee became a registered sex offender after she was convicted for her involvement in the kidnapping and rape of Smart. She served 15 years in prison before being released in 2018.

At the time of Barzee’s release, Elizabeth Smart asked the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole not to release her kidnapper, saying she was a danger. But officials said Barzee had served her sentence and there was nothing to keep her in prison. She was on probation for five years after her release and was required to participate in a mental health program.

According to Utah law, registered child sex offenders are prohibited from going to areas where children congregate such as parks and schools. Offenders convicted of violating this law are subject to a class A misdemeanor charge, which can be punished with up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Barzee was booked in the Salt Lake County Jail and has since been released.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Chicago Museum Director Placed on Leave Following Alleged Incident on Plane

CHICAGO (WGN) – The president of the Art Institute of Chicago is…

Milwaukee Prosecutor Exonerates Ohio Police in Fatal Shooting Near GOP Convention

MADISON, Wis. – On Monday, a Wisconsin prosecutor announced that Ohio police…

Police Hunt for Man Who Fled Custody at Seattle Airport

() Port of Seattle Police are searching for an inmate who escaped…

DHS: Foreign Media Campaign Discourages Migrant Crossings

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – The Department of Homeland Security says…

Mexican President Rejects Trump’s Proposal to Use US Troops Against Cartels

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Saturday that she rejected President Trump’s…

FSU Students Begin New Chapter While Reflecting on Tragedy

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — In the wake of the tragic mass shooting…

La Salette Students Embrace Life Lessons on the Rugby Field

GEORGETOWN, Ill. (WCIA) — It’s no surprise that La Salette Academy ranks…

Effingham Moves to a New Payment System

EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — If you need to make a water bill…

Minnesota Mother Raises $680k After Using Racial Slur Toward Child

() A Minnesota woman who admitted to using a racial slur against…

ZooTampa Grieves Loss of Beloved Florida Panther Who Delighted Visitors for 8 Years

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — ZooTampa is mourning the loss of one its…

False Robbery Report Leads to Two Arrests, Says JCPD

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Two individuals have been apprehended and face…

Reopening Alcatraz Adds to Challenges for Federal Bureau of Prisons

Eleven inmate deaths in less than two months. More than 4,000 staff…