The case of Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapping took an unexpected turn thanks to a Guinness World Records book.
In 2002, Elizabeth Smart, then 14 years old, was abducted at knifepoint during the night by Brian David Mitchell, who is currently serving a life sentence for his crimes.
Mitchell had previously worked at the Smart family’s home, and initially, he was not considered a suspect by the authorities.
The key to solving the mystery lay with Elizabeth’s younger sister, Mary Katherine Smart.
At just nine years old when the kidnapping occurred, Mary Katherine was the sole witness to the events in Salt Lake City that night. However, the trauma made it difficult for her to recall details for several months.
In an interview with Diane Sawyer, after Elizabeth was found, Mary Katherine described waking up in their shared bedroom to see a man tapping on her sister’s shoulder.
He ordered Elizabeth to put on shoes and leave with him. Mary Katherine, fearing for her own safety, decided not to alert their parents.
“I thought, you know, be quiet, because if he hears you, he might take you too, and you’re the only person who has seen this. I was, like, shaking,” she recounted.
For two hours, she lay in bed, hearing only the abductor’s voice but never seeing his face.
According to the 2006 book In Plain Sight: The Startling Truth Behind the Elizabeth Smart Investigation, during a press conference, local police chief Rick Dinse expressed hope, saying: “We may learn more from [Mary Katherine] as time goes on because of the ability to remember and recall a traumatic situation, particularly with a child of her age.”
His prediction proved accurate by October 2002.
The new Netflix documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart reveals that Mary Katherine was going through the 2001 Guinness World Records book when an image of a muscular woman jogged her memory.
She quickly informed her father, Ed Smart, that she recognized the man who took her sister: Emmanuel, whose true identity was Brian David Mitchell, a man the family had assisted a year earlier.
Despite his brief association with their household, Mary Katherine linked his voice to Elizabeth’s kidnapper.
During an appearance on Today, Elizabeth, who is now married with three kids, reflected: “Had she not remembered who had kidnapped me, who’s to say that I would be here today? The police all had their suspects, and my captor I don’t even think was on their radar at all. So she is my hero.”
Elizabeth also discussed how she has handled talking to her children Chloe, Olivia, and James about her experience.
“One of the best pieces of advice I was given as far as parenting goes: When your kids start asking questions, that’s the right time to start talking about it,” she explained. “And honestly, that started way before I was prepared, way before I ever thought it would come up.
“I think my oldest was, like 3 years old when she started asking me questions, like where was I going, what was I doing, why was I doing it. And that was shocking. I was not ready.
“Honestly I’m not sure if I’m still ready. But I would say that opened the door to start having those conversations, and then just as they have grown, I’ve been able to let that conversation grow as well.”