Elizabeth Smart revisited the scene of her abduction, retracing the steps to the remote location where she was held prisoner for months.
A new Netflix documentary has brought renewed attention to the chilling story of Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted at the age of 14 from her home.
The documentary titled “Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart” revisits her disappearance from Salt Lake City, Utah, during the night of June 5, 2002.
Smart, now 28, was abducted when a man broke into her bedroom wielding a knife. Her younger sister, Mary Katherine, witnessed the event but was coerced into silence.
The abductor, Brian David Mitchell, took Smart to a secluded mountain camp where he held her with his wife, Wanda Barzee, for nine months.
Mitchell received a life sentence, while Barzee served 15 years in prison.
In light of the documentary, Smart shared her own video on her YouTube channel, documenting a hike to the place where she was held captive.
During the video, she reflected on how she survived and healed from the traumatic ordeal.
She also addressed a common question viewers had after watching the documentary.
While in captivity, Mitchell, who adhered to a bizarre religious belief and claimed divine instruction for his actions, took Smart and Barzee into the city. They were forced to wear white headdresses that concealed their faces.
Many wondered why Smart didn’t try to escape or call for help when in populated areas.
In the documentary, she explained: “The thought of crying out did cross my mind, but I was 14. I had been extremely abused for months.
“I didn’t feel safe crying out and that lifeline disappeared.”
In her recent video, she revealed that the place she was held was only about 3 miles from her home.
Regarding why she didn’t flee home during the abduction, she explained: “I don’t even think I like it would be just so hard to retrace.
“I don’t know if I actually could trace it just because I mean it was at night and so like there was so much adrenaline and fear.
“I didn’t know where we were going and you know it was all just a guess like I think even he was guessing that night.”
Arriving at the kidnap site, she identified certain trees and the geographic features of the area.
She described how she was tied up there, highlighting the restricted movement she experienced during her captivity.