American girl kidnapped in front of her sister could have been rescued months earlier
Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing.
A new Netflix documentary into the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart has revealed the US teenager could've been rescued months earlier.
On 5 June, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth was abducted in front of her younger sister after an assailant broke into her family home in Salt Lake City, Utah.
While law enforcement investigated whether or not Elizabeth's family were at fault for her disappearance, the teenager was held captive by Brian David Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee.
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She was sexually assaulted by Mitchell, whose abuse was facilitated by Barzee, with the couple forcing Elizabeth to watch pornography, drink alcohol and take drugs as well as be 'married' to him at one point.
After a total of nine months in captivity, Elizabeth was rescued, however a new revelation has revealed she could've been saved months earlier.
Following the release of Netflix true crime documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, it was revealed that Mitchell, who'd been using the alias 'Emmanuel', his wife and Elizabeth had travelled to Salt Lake City in August 2002.
During the visit, a police officer approached the family and requested that Elizabeth uncover her face.
Before she was able to, Mitchell jumped in to claim that it was against the family's religion, saying: "I'm sorry, but no. That would be against our faith, against our religion.
"The only people who will see her face are her future husband and myself, her father."
Elizabeth went on to recall that she wanted to yell out to the officer, however his wife, who used the name 'Hephzibah' had grabbed her leg in warning, leaving her too scared to call out for help.
"I didn't feel safe enough crying out, and that life line disappeared," she added.
How was Elizabeth Smart rescued?
Detectives were eventually able to catch up with Mitchell and Barzee after Elizabeth's younger sister, Mary Katherine, who'd been in the room and witnessed the abduction, remembered a key detail.
While reading through a book of Guinness World Records, Mary suddenly remembered how the man who took her sister sounded similar to a person named 'Emmanuel' whom the family had previously hired.
The family then had a sketch artist recreate the face of 'Emmanuel' and had it released to the media, which allowed relatives of Mitchell to provide photographs of him to police.
With an identity, police were able to then track down Mitchell and Barzee after receiving numerous witness reports and rescued Elizabeth on 12 March, 2003.
In the years since her abduction, Elizabeth has spent her teenage years and adulthood working as an activist raising awareness about child safety in the US. She is also a practicing mormon and is married with three children.
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is streaming on Netflix.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999. If you are in the United States you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.
Brenna Cooper