Smart To Confront Mitchell In Court

Elizabeth Smart

Nine years have passed since the bewildering disappearance of Elizabeth Smart caught the attention of the nation. The 14-year-old Smart was taken from her home in the dead of night by Brian David Mitchell, a homeless preacher and self-proclaimed prophet. He held her in captivity for nine months, repeatedly sexually assaulting the young girl until she was discovered travelling with Mitchell and his wife down a road to Sandy, Utah.

In December of 2010 Mitchell was found guilty of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity. Today he will be sentenced.

Smart, now 23, will most likely speak during today’s sentencing hearing, directly confronting her former captor for the first time. She had previous spoken at Mitchell’s competency hearing, testifying that she was held as a polygamous wife. The Church of Latter Day Saints, the professed faith of both Elizabeth Smart and Brain David Mitchell, has a checkered past involving polygamy. While the modern, mainstream LDS Church has long denied the legitimacy of polygamy, there are several splinter sects that continue the practice to this day.

Ed Smart, Elizabeth’s father, recently expressed his hope that Mitchell would receive the full sentence of life in prison for his crimes. “We are hoping that he does receive a life sentence because the last thing we want to do is hear about another girl that he has hurt like he did Elizabeth.”
‘
When asked about his daughter, Ed Smart said, “I thank the Lord that Elizabeth is doing so well and that she’s able to move beyond this.” Elizabeth Smart is about to graduate from Brigham Young University with a degree in Music and is supposedly considering going on to law school. She has also started the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which is aimed at protecting children from abuse.