Brian David Mitchell is currently serving a life sentence without parole in federal prison for the 2002 kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. As of October 2025, the 72-year-old was transferred to FCI-Lewisburg in Pennsylvania after being attacked twice while incarcerated at USP Terre Haute in Indiana.
The Kidnapping That Shocked America
On the night of June 5, 2002, a 14-year-old girl named Elizabeth Smart was taken at knifepoint from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. Brian David Mitchell entered through a cut window screen and threatened to kill Elizabeth and her family if she made a sound. Her younger sister, Mary Katherine, pretended to be asleep and later provided a crucial detail to police: the intruder’s voice sounded familiar.
That familiarity traced back to a man the Smart family knew as “Emmanuel,” a homeless street preacher who had done handyman work at their home about a year earlier. His real name was Brian David Mitchell, a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who had gradually transformed into a self-proclaimed prophet.
Nine Months of Captivity
Mitchell forced Elizabeth to walk miles into the woods, where his wife, Wanda Barzee, was waiting. What followed was nine months of systematic abuse. Elizabeth testified that Mitchell performed a “sealing” ceremony, declaring her his wife, then raped her that same night. She was tethered to trees with metal cables, threatened with death, and told her family would be harmed if she tried to escape.
During her captivity, Elizabeth was forced to wear robes, drink alcohol, and watch Mitchell have sex with Barzee. Mitchell justified his actions by claiming God commanded him to take seven wives. Elizabeth later told ABC News in 2023 that Mitchell’s religious facade masked a simpler motive: he “just wanted to rape little girls”.
Rescue and Investigation
Elizabeth was found alive on March 12, 2003, in Sandy, Utah, about 15 miles from her home, after two women recognized Mitchell from a police sketch and called authorities. She was walking with Mitchell and Barzee when police stopped them. The discovery ended a search that had generated over 16,000 tips and captivated the nation.Quick Bio: Brian David Mitchell
Trial and Conviction
Mitchell’s legal case stretched for years, complicated by competency disputes. He was eventually convicted in December 2010 of interstate kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor for sexual activity. His attorneys argued insanity, but the jury rejected that defense.
On May 25, 2011, U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball sentenced Mitchell to life in prison without parole. During the sentencing, Mitchell sang quietly to himself and showed no reaction. Elizabeth, then 23, addressed him directly in court: “You took away nine months of my life that can never be returned. You will never affect me again”.
Elizabeth also stated she had forgiven Mitchell, saying, “I absolutely 100% believe that Brian David Mitchell knew exactly what he was doing when he kidnapped me”.
Prison Attacks and Transfer
Mitchell spent years at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, a high-security facility. In late May 2025, another inmate lured Mitchell into a common area by asking for help studying the Book of Mormon, then brutally assaulted him. A witness described seeing Mitchell crouched and bleeding from the head.
A second attack occurred months later inside the prison’s Special Confinement Unit, where Mitchell had been moved for protection. After that incident, staff found Mitchell lying in a pool of blood, unable to stand. He refused to return to the general population.
In October 2025, officials transferred Mitchell to the Federal Correctional Institution-Lewisburg, a medium-security prison in central Pennsylvania. A prison official confirmed his current location to Indiana Public Media. The ACLU’s National Prison Project director, David Fathi, commented on the attacks, saying, “There’s no excuse for serious assaults in prison. The whole point of prison is surveillance and control”.
Life After Trauma
Elizabeth Smart has transformed her ordeal into a life of advocacy. She founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and works to prevent crimes against children. Her memoir, My Story, details her captivity and recovery. In 2012, she married Matthew Gilmour, and she is now a mother of three.
Netflix’s 2026 documentary, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, revisits the case and features Elizabeth telling her story in her own words. In the documentary, she revealed that Mitchell had planned to abduct her cousin Olivia as his “next wife” and had a broader plan to kidnap seven girls.
Mitchell, now 72, remains incarcerated at FCI-Lewisburg. He will spend the rest of his life there, while Elizabeth Smart continues to speak publicly about survival, healing, and child safety.
Where is Brian David Mitchell now?
Brian David Mitchell is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution-Lewisburg, a medium-security prison in central Pennsylvania. He was transferred there in October 2025 after being attacked twice while incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
What was Brian David Mitchell convicted of?
Mitchell was convicted in December 2010 of interstate kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor for sexual activity. He kidnapped Elizabeth Smart at knifepoint from her Salt Lake City bedroom on June 5, 2002, and held her captive for nine months.
What sentence did Brian David Mitchell receive?
On May 25, 2011, U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball sentenced Mitchell to life in federal prison without the possibility of parole. He is 72 years old and will spend the rest of his life incarcerated.
Who was Brian David Mitchell’s accomplice?
Mitchell’s then-wife, Wanda Barzee, participated in the kidnapping and captivity. She pleaded guilty to kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor, was sentenced to 15 years, and was released from prison in September 2018.
Why was Brian David Mitchell transferred in 2025?
Mitchell was attacked at least twice while at USP Terre Haute, including an assault in May 2025 where another inmate lured him into a common area and beat him. After a second attack in the Special Confinement Unit, officials moved him to FCI-Lewisburg for his safety.
