New documentary 'Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart' premiered on January 21, 2026. Here's Everything you might want to know about the real story behind it.
Netflix's new documentary, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, which premiered on January 21, 2026, has once again brought one of America's most haunting true-crime cases back into the spotlight. After more than two decades of the shocking abduction, Elizabeth Smart is retelling her story to the world, but not as a victim, rather as a survivor. The documentary revisits the chilling 2002 kidnapping case of a 14-year-old girl who was taken from her bedroom in the night at knifepoint and held captive for nine months. It is directed by Benedict Sanderson, where Elizabeth herself shares her story. Here's everything you might want to know about it.
Elizabeth Smart was just a 14-year-old girl when she was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. The shocking incident took place in the early hours of June 5, 2002, when a man entered her bedroom through a window and kidnapped her at knifepoint. Meanwhile, her 9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine, lay in a bed in the same room, and the intruder threatened to kill her if Elizabeth made any noise.
After a few moments, Mary Katherine ran to her parents' room and told them about her sister's kidnapping, which began a massive search operation. Later, cops found a cut window screen and tracked Elizabeth's scent with bloodhounds. Yet the trail led nowhere further. Her father, uncles and two elder brothers were also doubted. Elizabeth's father, Ed Smart, recalls the emotional pain of the moment when he was unable to keep his daughter safe and said in the documentary:
"I didn't keep her from harm's way. That just repeats over in your mind, over and over again."
After Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping, the whole country watched the search efforts when her face was seen on billboards, flyers, and television screens. Yet she remained missing. The man responsible for the kidnapping was Brian David Mitchell, a self-proclaimed religious preacher who had previously worked at the Smart family home. Several months before kidnapping her, Elizabeth and her sister had seen Mitchell preaching on the street. Later, he did some repair work at their home after Elizabeth's mother, Lois Smart, offered him money and her husband's phone number.
Mary Katherine admitted in the documentary that she had recognised the voice of the man who took her sister, but she could not recall his exact identity at first. However, after a few weeks, she remembered hearing him being called "Immanuel". Eventually, the clue enabled police to connect the dots, and they released a sketch of the suspect on America's Most Wanted. In turn, they got a tip when a man claimed that he might know Brian David Mitchell. Later, it was found that Mitchell kidnapped Elizabeth with the help of his wife, Wanda Barzee.
After her kidnapping, Mitchell took Elizabeth into the mountains near Salt Lake City, where she was kept in a tent. There was constant surveillance to prevent her escape from the same. Elizabeth revealed in the documentary that Mitchell forced her into a so-called marriage with him, and she was repeatedly violated, beaten, starved, and psychologically abused. The 14-year-old was forced to wear robes and veils, drink alcohol until she vomited, and was taken in public as Mitchell's "wife." Sharing the reason why she did not escape during her public outings, Elizabeth said:
"When I disobeyed, I was violated. I had food withheld. When I made my bid for freedom, I wanted it to be a sure thing."
After nearly nine months of being missing, Elizabeth was found on March 12, 2003. A passerby in the public had recognised Mitchell and Barzee from America's Most Wanted. Consequently, he called the police after seeing them walking with a young girl in Sandy, Utah. Later, the cops approached the trio and asked the young girl if she was Elizabeth Smart. Although she was terrified that she might be killed for speaking, she said:
"If thou sayeth."
The police immediately understood and separated her from her captors. When Elizabeth was found, she was 15 years old. At the same time, it had been around 300 days since she went missing. After her rescue ended one nightmare, she had to fight a years-long legal battle to ensure that the culprits were held behind bars.
Brian David Mitchell was convicted of kidnapping and abuse in 2010. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. On the other hand, Wanda Barzee pleaded guilty to assisting her husband in the kidnapping and received a 15-year sentence. Later, she was released in 2018 after serving time. Back in May 2025, Brazee was arrested again for violating parole conditions by visiting public parks, which she is banned from doing as a registered s** offender. Previously, Elizabeth had publicly opposed her early release.
Elizabeth Smart, now 38, is a survivor, activist, author, and mother of three. She has founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which focuses on child safety, survivor advocacy, and abuse prevention. She also wrote a bestselling memoir, My Story, published in 2013. She marked 20 years since her rescue in 2023 and continues to share her story about trauma, survival, and healing with the world. She has tied the knot with Matthew Gilmour and lives a life helping others. Reflecting on her life now, she said:
"I have good days, I have bad days. But I developed a better relationship with myself. My inner voice now says, 'You're strong. Keep going.'"
Netflix's Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is an accurate retelling of a true case, directed by Benedict Sanderson. Unlike previous popular media coverage of the case, which focused on courtroom drama, this documentary focuses on Elizabeth's voice. It gives her an opportunity to tell her story on her own terms. It covers all the important parts of the incident, including the night of her abduction, the pressure of the Investigation, the psychological trauma of a captive, the emotional toll on her family, and her long journey towards healing. Sharing the reason behind why she often tells her story, Elizabeth said:
"I survived. And I want people to know that survival is possible."
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