Years of outrageous behavior kept Brian David Mitchell from standing court for allegedly kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. More than eight years after 14 year-old Smart vanished from her family’s home in Salt Lake City, court selection for Mitchell’s court began Monday. Mitchell's wife, who had been convicted a year ago for the same crimes, may testify against him as his lawyers make an effort to convince a jury Mitchell had been crazy at the time of the kidnapping.
Kidnapping Smart and the story
Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped on June 5, 2002. The teenager’s abduction and eventual rescue had been a never-ending news story and her parents became media fixtures as they repeatedly pleaded for her safe return. She had been found 18 miles from her home just nine months later. Wanda Ileen Barzee and her husband Mitchell who had worked doing some repairs at the Smart home were the ones who had her. Mitchel and his wife were charged with kidnapping, sexual assault and burglary. Mitchell thought he had been really "Emmanuel" and was a prophet. The Utah district court ruled in July 2005 on the couple. They were said to be incompetent to stand trial by the court.
The Smart circumstance
Elizabeth Smart's circumstance caused a Television movie and book to be made over it. This caused Mitchell and Barzee to be ruled competent to withstand trial again in 2008. The kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor had been what Barzee pleaded guilty to in Nov 2009. She had been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Barzee got off easy since she agreed to testify against Mitchell. This can be done in federal and state cases. A nurse watching Mitchell in a psychiatric ward said in December 2009 that he had been trying to avoid prosecution by faking insanity. In March 2010, Mitchell was told by U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball that he would stand court. The judge called him a "misleading psychopath" also.
What will occur to Brian David Mitchell
22 year old Smart testified. This took place at a Mitchell competency listening to they had. She said that during the nine months she was kept by Mitchell, he sexually assaulted her numerous times when also taking her at knife point from her room. In 2002, a ton of media covered the account of what took place. This is what Mitchell's attorney's used to say that no impartial jurors would be found. Mitchell entered the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City Monday in an orange prison jumpsuit rather than a hospital gown, followed by 35 of his potential jurors.
Data from
Washington Post
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/22/AR2010102202949.html
CNN
cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/31/utah.elizabeth.smart.trial/index.html?npt=NP1
Salt Lake Tribune
sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50581578-76/mitchell-juror-jury-case.html.csp
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Smart_kidnapping
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