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Elizabeth Smart said Thursday that she urged the authorities to reconsider the planned release of one of her kidnappers, calling Wanda Barzee a danger to herself and the community.
Time
Elizabeth Smart in New York on March 27, 2018. Her new book is entitled "Where There Hope".(Photo: Jose Taveras / USA TODAY)
The Utah woman convicted of helping her husband kidnap Elizabeth Smart is expected to be released Wednesday, and Smart says she fears for her and the public.
Wanda Barzee, 72, pleaded guilty to kidnapping in 2003 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Her husband, Brian David Mitchell, 64, was sentenced to life without parole.
"It's a mountain of emotions, worry, wondering what's going to happen," Smart, now 30, said Tuesday on CBS this morning.
Smart adds that she "does not allow these people to rob me further from my life … But am I worried?" Yeah, I'm very worried – for the community, for the public, as much as myself. "
That's Mitchell who slipped into a smart home window in Salt Lake City in 2002 and kidnapped the 14-year-old girl. He brought her to a makeshift encampment and Smart said that she had been raped almost every day.
Smart pointed out that Barzee was as bad as Mitchell.
"She would encourage me to rape myself," Smart said. "There were no secrets, she knew what was going on, and I mean, she was just the kind of woman who – she was just nasty and twisted."
More: Smart: it's "incomprehensible" my kidnapper will be released
More: #BookmarkThis: The victim, Elizabeth Smart, prides herself on being a survivor
The trio lived a nomadic existence for about nine months until they were spotted walking along a road to Sandy, Utah.
Barzee's lawyer, Scott Williams, says his client is not a threat to Smart or the community. Smart said he was repeatedly convinced that the authorities will monitor Barzee during his five years of supervised release.
"As soon as it's messy, which reassures me, it will be brought back to federal prison," Smart said.
Smart, now married and a mother of two, wrote a book and made a film about her ordeal. She defends the victims of sexual assault. And she said she turned her horrible experience into a positive experience.
"I would not have the voice I have today," she said. "I would not have the compassion or empathy I have today. I would not understand what it's like to … walk the mile in their shoes. But I was there. I know what it's like. "
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