One of Elizabeth Smart’s convicted kidnappers, Wanda Barzee, was seen in a new mugshot on Utah’s Sex Offender Registry, smiling from ear to ear.
In Utah, sex offenders are required to register twice a year, once on their birthday and then six months later to the date, according to Utah law.
Almost two decades after her conviction for keeping Smart captive for nine months, Barzee, 79, was taken into custody on May 1 for allegedly breaching sex offender restrictions.
Barzee was apprehended at her Salt Lake City, Utah, residence on Thursday, reportedly for visiting at least two parks. As a registered sex offender, she is barred from entering such areas, reports claim.
Brian David Mitchell, the man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart, is escorted into the Frank E. Moss Federal Courthouse in Salt Lake City. (AP)
“Returning to my family was everything I dreamed of during my captivity,” she previously shared with Fox News Digital. “I longed to be home, to feel loved once more, and to regain a sense of security. I aimed to muster the courage, as cliché as it may sound, to pursue my dreams. These were simple aspirations. I wanted to attend high school, obtain my driver’s license, experience prom, go on a first date, attend college, get married, and start a family.”
In 2018, Barzee was released from prison and placed under five years of federal supervision in addition to being registered as a sex offender. She was ordered not to contact Smart’s family.
Sex offenders cannot be within 1,000 feet of a victim’s residence if a victim-requested restriction is in place, according to the Utah Legislature.
Smart is a married mother of three, but her story is far from over. She is a child safety activist who regularly speaks on behalf of missing and exploited children. She’s also partnering with “America’s Most Wanted” to serve as a guest speaker for an episode of “America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons.”
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
