Inside Elizabeth Smart’s Surprising Private World

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As if Elizabeth Smart wasn’t already the picture of strength.

Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped in 2002, has continued to be a visible advocate for child safety and support for those who have experienced trauma. Despite a challenging start to her running career – she finished last in her first high school cross-country race and stopped competing – she’s since completed several marathons and trained for many kilometers.

After her first baby in 2015, she began running with a jogging stroller to lose weight, Smart shared on the Ali on the Run Show in March 2024. When she had another baby, she upgraded to an even larger stroller for running.

In 2018, she decided to run a marathon while expecting her third child. She completed the race just six months after giving birth.

Although she was surprised by how many steps she took, Smart correctly guessed that her recent display of strength would be quite shocking to others.

Mother of Chloe, 11, James, 9, and Olivia, 7, recently shared that she’s taken up bodybuilding with her husband, Matthew Gilmour. She’s already competed in four competitions and even won first place in the Novice Fit Model category at the 2026 NPC Wasatch Warrior competition.

That challenge demands a great deal of physical exposure from competitors—far more than Elizabeth Gilmour (who competed as Smart) was comfortable with publicly.

Just a couple of years ago, I would have never imagined myself competing in a bodybuilding show,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself onstage in a bikini. She admitted she hesitated to share the photos because she was worried about being judged or not taken seriously, and feared it might undermine her work as an advocate for survivors.

Despite once describing her 2021 appearance on The Masked Dancer as the scariest thing she’d ever willingly done, Smart realized she was capable of more than she thought.

She shared that she has a lot of interests and, as she’s getting older, she’s increasingly aware of how crucial it is to live fully in the present. You never know what the future holds, and she doesn’t want to look back on her life with regrets, wishing she’d pursued her passions and tried new things.

And not least, Smart added, “I am so proud of my body, and I want to celebrate it.”

It’s a significant statement coming from the woman, originally from Salt Lake City, who was just 14 years old when she was kidnapped and held captive for nine months by Brian David Mitchell. Mitchell is now in prison for life for kidnapping her and taking her across state lines for sexual exploitation. After being rescued, she initially struggled with feelings of guilt and shame.

In the recent Netflix documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, Elizabeth Smart explained that after she returned home, she felt fearful, especially around men, and generally anxious about many things.

Sharing her experience and letting other survivors know they aren’t alone in feeling ashamed or embarrassed was crucial for her recovery.

She went back to high school and, as she later told Ali on the Run, experienced a heartwarming moment at her first track meet where her teammates rallied to run the final quarter mile with her. She also pursued her passion for music, majoring in harp performance at Brigham Young University.

She met Gilmour in 2009 while on her Mormon mission in Paris and they married in 2012.

The Smart family, who live in Utah and enjoy outdoor activities in any weather, have a balance of personalities. Though she worries about her children’s safety, Smart says her Scottish husband helps her stay calm and avoid overreacting.

“He’s always been a supportive presence in my life,” Smart shared with TopMob News in 2024. “He’s consistently respected my boundaries, whether I’ve said no to something or expressed discomfort. He also helps keep me grounded when I tend to be overly protective and want to keep everyone isolated.”

Writing can be demanding, so I really focus on paying attention to my feelings and physical state,” the author of Detours explained in 2022. “Luckily, my husband is great at recognizing when I’m getting overwhelmed.”

Smart explained that once they reach their fundraising goal, she’s planning a relaxing massage and a fun family night out, including dinner, ice cream, and movies.

And she runs—outdoors or, when it’s dark outside, on a treadmill in the basement.

She shared on Ali on the Run that it boosts her self-esteem. She also believes in tackling challenging tasks to simplify other areas of her life.

She encouraged me, saying it didn’t have to be overly challenging. Going for a run offers all the usual health benefits, but it’s also a great way to remember how capable you are. You’ve already proven your strength by running any distance, even if it was just half a mile. That shows you can handle anything life throws your way.

Read on for more about Smart’s 2002 kidnapping and what she really powered through:

When Elizabeth Smart disappeared from her home in Salt Lake City on June 5, 2002, investigators initially had to explore the possibility that the disappearance involved someone within her family.

Honestly, when I first saw the pictures of the Smart family, they seemed… perfect. Just a normal, happy family, you know? But Captain Cory Lyman, one of the detectives on the case, explained it in that Netflix doc, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, and it really stuck with me. He said that, sadly, in cases like this, the person responsible is often someone close – a parent or another family member. It was awful to think about, but that’s why they had to really focus their investigation on the people around Elizabeth, even those who seemed the least likely.

He remembered that investigators did detailed interviews and took 12 computers from the large Smart family.

Lyman realized the alarm hadn’t been set and there were no signs anyone had used the kitchen window – no scuff marks from a chair, for example. He began to suspect the break-in wasn’t what it seemed. It was possible someone had cut the screen after the fact, making it look like the window had been used as an entry point when it hadn’t.

Investigators found no concerning information on the family’s devices or in their email communications. Elizabeth Smart’s father, Ed Smart, also passed a lie detector test, and eventually, all family members were ruled out as suspects.

“Having your daughter disappear is awful,” Ed said in Kidnapped. “And to then be considered a suspect… I was speechless.”

Ed Smart said that when his wife, Lois—the mother of their six children—suggested the police believed he was concealing information, he became so overwhelmed he began to shake uncontrollably.

Ed remembered his father threatening to have him institutionalized if he didn’t get control of his emotions. His father then took him to the hospital and had him admitted to the psychiatric ward, where Ed spent the entire night crying.

Early in the investigation, Ed’s brother, Tom Smart, often spoke to the press and urged the police to take action. He became a key public spokesperson for the case.

Following reports of inconclusive polygraph results and observations of his noticeably nervous behavior, Tom’s brother, Dave Smart, remembered people beginning to wonder if he was concealing information, as recounted in Kidnapped.

Tom admitted in the Netflix documentary that he didn’t make a good impression during a past interview. In that interview, he appeared to sympathize with the person who took Elizabeth, saying things like “we understand everyone has issues,” and even called the case “a wonderful story” because of the “beautiful little angelic girl” at its center.

He believes anyone watching that interview would likely conclude Tom Smart is unhinged and possibly guilty. Afterward, his wife told him he had severely damaged the family’s reputation.

At the time, Tom explained, he was exhausted and didn’t care how he sounded.

“All that mattered was locating Elizabeth,” he explained. “We didn’t need their permission or approval – frankly, we didn’t care. We were certain we were in the clear ourselves.”

Investigators discovered a woman’s remains, and Lyman had to inform Ed and Lois that they might be those of Elizabeth.

Ed recalled the phone call, saying, ‘The girl’s body was so badly burned, she was unidentifiable.’ He explained he’d tried to brace himself until the news was confirmed.

Lyman acknowledged the deceased was another unfortunate person, but added that it was painful to see the Smarts grieving.

Ed remembered feeling relieved, but he couldn’t stop worrying about her, constantly wondering where she was and what might be happening.

Mary Katherine Smart was living with her sister, Elizabeth, when Elizabeth was kidnapped. As the only person who saw what happened, 9-year-old Mary Katherine was questioned many times by the police and other investigators.

To protect her memories from being affected by current events, she was kept separate from the difficult situation her family was facing.

In the Netflix documentary, Mary Katherine described feeling isolated and desperate to understand what was happening, but people kept her at a distance. She struggled to recall who had taken Elizabeth, recognizing the voice but not where she’d heard it. She was eager to assist in any way possible, and investigators even attempted hypnosis. However, she felt immense pressure from everyone involved, which was incredibly overwhelming for a nine-year-old.

On June 14, 2002, Richard Ricci, a contractor who had previously worked at the Smart home, was arrested for violating his parole – an offense unrelated to his work there.

When police discovered Lois’ jewelry with Ricci, he was arrested for burglary and immediately became the main suspect in Elizabeth’s disappearance.

I’ve watched the police interviews, and it’s just… unbelievable. Ricci claimed he had absolutely no idea what happened to her, but then he completely clammed up when they asked about the hundreds of miles he’d driven in his Jeep right after she disappeared. It’s like he was trying to hide something, and it really struck me as suspicious.

After seeing the man on the news, Mary Katherine insisted that the person who had been in their bedroom wasn’t Ricci.

On July 24, 2002, someone tried to break into the home of Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle. Police discovered a damaged window screen and two chairs positioned below the bedroom window of their 18-year-old daughter.

Despite the lack of definitive leads, police believed they were nearing a breakthrough in the case. According to the documentary, investigators, feeling increasingly frustrated, offered Ricci a deal: immunity from prosecution in exchange for information leading to Elizabeth’s whereabouts, as long as he hadn’t been involved in her disappearance or death. Unfortunately, Ricci suffered a brain aneurysm while in jail and passed away on August 27, 2002.

“I felt terrible,” Lyman said. “Our prime suspect died, taking all the information he had with him. It was a real setback, and as a police officer, I try to stay detached, but this really started to affect me.”

After her sister was kidnapped, Mary Katherine was afraid to go to sleep and would always wait for her father to come and tuck her in at night.

In the documentary, Mary Katherine recalled that four months after her abduction, she was looking through the Guinness Book of World Records when, for no apparent reason, the name of her captor suddenly came to mind.

She suddenly recalled that the man, Brian David Mitchell, sometimes went by the name Emmanuel. He had done odd jobs for people in town, including the Smart family, while presenting himself as a wandering prophet.

Let me tell you, this case was truly disturbing. A man named Mitchell kidnapped Elizabeth and forced her to a remote mountain campsite. What’s even more shocking is that he lived there with his wife, Wanda Barzee. It’s a chilling reminder of how hidden danger can be, and the complexities that can exist behind closed doors.

For days, hundreds of people diligently searched the area around Elizabeth’s home. Eventually, the search team nearly discovered her.

In Kidnapped, Elizabeth recalls hearing someone call her name, though it was very quiet. Emmanuel then brought her into the tent and showed her his knife, threatening that he would kill anyone who entered the camp and blaming her if that happened.

She said she’d only heard her name called a couple of times before the sound disappeared completely.

As a voice for survivors, it breaks my heart to share that Elizabeth bravely revealed the horrific abuse she endured while being held captive by Mitchell. She detailed not only repeated sexual assaults, but also significant psychological abuse, painting a truly devastating picture of her ordeal. It takes incredible strength to come forward, and I want to acknowledge her courage in sharing this.

It was… awful, truly awful, what he did. But honestly, the worst part wasn’t even the physical stuff. It was listening to him. He just wouldn’t stop talking about how amazing he was, how these terrible things were actually… justified. He’d spin this story about how much he didn’t want to hurt me, but that God was making him. It was this constant, sickening justification, and it felt like he was trying to convince me it was okay, that it was all part of some divine plan. That was the part that really broke me, the way he tried to make it sound like I was the problem for not understanding his ‘special’ purpose.

In September 2002, Mitchell and Barzee took Elizabeth to Lakeside, California, and discussed potentially traveling as far as New York or Boston.

Elizabeth remembered feeling lost and worried that if they went to another large city, she’d disappear completely. She felt it was crucial to share her thoughts, so she told Mitchell she believed they needed to return to Salt Lake City. She urged him to pray about it, confident that God would confirm if it was the right decision and if Mitchell was truly a prophet.

Elizabeth remembered him saying, ‘It seems God is finally helping you.’ He then added, ‘Now that you realize you have nothing to offer, we’re expected to go back to Salt Lake City.’

The Smart family believed Mary Katherine’s memory of Emmanuel was a major step forward, but the police weren’t convinced.

In the Netflix documentary, retired Salt Lake City Police Detective Cordon Parks explained that investigators questioned the witness’s memory. It relied on identifying a voice, which can be used as evidence, but isn’t considered very strong proof.

Lyman agreed, but he admitted he’d been skeptical. He explained that Emmanuel hadn’t been on their radar – he wasn’t among the people they were looking into.

Police advised the Smarts against releasing a sketch of Emmanuel. Lyman explained that their thinking was, sharing the sketch publicly might frighten the suspect away, as they already had a name and an image.

The Smarts responded with their own press conference, revealing what they knew. This ultimately led to a clue about his true identity – a family member provided the information and additional photos, which were then widely shared.

On March 12, 2003, Mitchell was identified as soon as he, along with Elizabeth and Barzee, stepped off a bus in Sandy, Utah.

Lyman expressed relief that her family hadn’t followed the police’s advice about releasing a sketch.

Police Sergeant Victor Quezada of Sandy City received a report about Mitchell over the radio and then spotted him driving with two women. One of the women appeared much younger than the other.

“I was hesitant to believe it would turn out to be true,” he said in the doc.

Looking back, what really struck me was how relentlessly the officer kept asking if I wanted to go home. It sounds simple, but it was incredibly unsettling because my captors were literally within sight. I was absolutely terrified and just trying to figure out the safest thing to say in that moment – I needed to choose my words very carefully.

Quezada explained that he eventually asked the girl, “Please, for the good of our country and your family, just tell me you’re Elizabeth.” She responded with a phrase he’d never heard before: “Thou sayeth.” He admitted he took it as a confirmation, interpreting it as a ‘yes’.

Elizabeth recalled being silent when she saw her dad again at the police station. Even though they were finally reunited, she didn’t immediately say anything.

I remember her saying it took her a moment to answer because she was honestly scared – she thought she’d done something wrong. But then she saw her dad, and instantly felt safe. She knew, no matter what, he’d be there for her and would never leave her side. It was such a relief to hear her say that about her dad.

Mitchell claimed he wasn’t responsible for his actions due to mental illness, but a jury convicted him on December 11, 2010, of kidnapping a child and taking them across state lines for sexual exploitation.

I’ve been following this case for years, and it’s heartbreaking. He received a life sentence with no chance of ever being released. Recently, in October 2025, after being attacked multiple times while in prison, the now 72-year-old inmate was moved from the high-security U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute to a less restrictive facility, the Federal Correctional Institution-Lewisburg in Pennsylvania. I read about it on Indiana Public Media, and I’m just hoping he finds some peace there.

In 2009, Barzee, then 79 years old, admitted to kidnapping a child and illegally taking them across state lines in federal court. She also pleaded guilty to a charge of planning a more serious kidnapping in state court. As a result, she received a 15-year sentence, to be served concurrently in both state and federal prisons.

In court, she apologized to Elizabeth, saying she was deeply sorry for the pain she had caused Elizabeth and her family. She expressed hope that Elizabeth would one day be able to forgive her.

Despite objections from the Smart family, Barzee was released in September 2018.

In May 2025, she was arrested in Utah after visiting public parks and charged with violating restrictions for registered sex offenders. According to People magazine, she was released under court supervision and must report to the Salt Lake City Police weekly.

Elizabeth is a skilled harpist who graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in music.

She met her future husband, Matthew Gilmour, originally from Scotland, while serving a Mormon mission in Paris. They were married in Hawaii on February 18, 2012, and now have three children together.

As time went on, Elizabeth started sharing her story with others. She felt it was important to use her experience to make a positive impact on the world, to bring some good out of what happened, as she explained in Kidnapped.

Besides giving speeches, she’s also written several books and made films focusing on the experiences of kidnapping victims, including her own.

I definitely have ups and downs, she said thoughtfully. But I’ve learned to be kinder to myself. I used to be really critical, constantly thinking about what I should have done. Now, my inner voice is much more supportive – it tells me I can get through tough times, finish what I start, and that I’m strong enough to keep going.

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2026-04-23 00:22