Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper Wanda Barzee is back in court, but not in custody
Jun 9, 2025, 9:38 AM | Updated: Jun 13, 2025, 4:33 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — After allegedly violating her agreement as a registered sex offender, one of Elizabeth Smart’s abductors was back in court Monday. Based on her charges, she may face time in jail. But for now, Barzee remains out of custody.
Wanda Barzee, 79, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after kidnapping Smart in 2002 and holding her captive for nine months, alongside her husband. In 2018, Smart expressed dismay over Barzee’s release — something her husband would never be afforded.
In May, Barzee was arrested again for allegedly visiting at least two parks in Salt Lake City, which she is forbidden from doing because of her registered sex offender status. At the time of her arrest, Barzee told police that she was “commanded to by the Lord,” according to court documents. Barzee was then released and returned on Monday to face the judge.
The judge was expected to read Barzee’s new charges and set the conditions that would allow her to stay out of custody. The charges filed include two counts of entering a protected area as a sex offender.
FILE —Wanda Barzee, pictured at 70-years-old, was convicted for her roles in the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart and attempted kidnapping of Smart’s cousin. (Utah Department of Corrections)
Ahead of the hearing, KSL legal analyst Greg Skordas said each count carries up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. According to him, Barzee will be a registered sex offender for life and could face harsher punishment in the future should she be found to violate the terms again.
“(The charges are) not incredibly serious, but it’s a misdemeanor crime,” Skordas said. “There are provisions that if it continues, it could be enhanced to a felony.”
Skordas also clarified that these new charges are not part of Barzee’s parole, which she successfully completed after her 2018 release.
Elizabeth Smart expressed recently that Barzee’s alleged behavior in violating her terms proved her right to be concerned about Barzee walking free.
In an interview with KSLNewsRadio on Monday, Smart’s father, Ed Smart, said if Barzee isn’t held in jail, they’re hoping she at least gets an ankle monitor.
“The issue is, can we keep the children safe?” Ed Smart said. “When she starts using the terms, you know, ‘God told me to,’ I think that we can’t allow that excuse to, you know, condone her behavior.”
Contributing: Bryanna Willis, Adam Small, KSLNewsRadio and Brian Carlson, KSL TV
Editor’s Note: This article clarifies that Barzee was released after her initial 2025 arrest and attended Monday’s hearing while not in the state’s custody.
