SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Wanda Barzee, the woman convicted of kidnapping then-14-year-old Elizabeth Smart with her husband in 2002, has been arrested and booked into jail, according to court records.
On May 1, Barzee, 79, was booked into jail, accused of violating Sex Offender Registry requirements by visiting parks in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to NewsNation affiliate ABC4. Brent Weisberg, spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police Department, said detectives arrested her at her home without incident.
Documents say she told police she went to Liberty Park to feed ducks in early April because “she was commanded to by the Lord.” Barzee also reportedly admitted to visiting another park in the area.
Wanda Barzee released in 2018 for kidnapping, rape of Elizabeth Smart
Barzee became a registered sex offender after she was convicted for her involvement in the kidnapping and rape of Smart. She served 15 years in prison before being released in 2018.
At the time of Barzee’s release, Elizabeth Smart asked the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole not to release her kidnapper, saying she was a danger. But officials said Barzee had served her sentence, and there was nothing to keep her in prison. She was on probation for five years after her release and was required to participate in a mental health program.
According to Utah law, registered child sex offenders are prohibited from going to areas where children congregate, such as parks and schools. Offenders convicted of violating this law are subject to a class A misdemeanor charge, which can be punished with up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Barzee was booked in the Salt Lake County Jail and has since been released.
Elizabeth Smart kidnapped for 9 months in 2002
Smart was taken from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2002. She was then held captive for nine months by Barzee and her husband, Brian David Mitchell, according to NewsNation affiliate KTVX. Mitchell had been sentenced to life in prison, and Barzee was sentenced to 15 years.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – FEBRUARY 22: ***EXCLUSIVE*** (TABLOIDS OUT) Elizabeth Smart poses for a portrait with her younger sister Mary Katherine at their home February 22, 2004 in Salt Lake City, UT. (Photo by Lois Smart via Getty Images) 
Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped at the age of 14 and held for nine months in 2002, calls the discovery of reported kidnap victim Abdul Aziz Khan “a miracle.” 
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MAY 22: Honoree Elizabeth Smart speaks onstage at the 43rd Annual Gracie Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on May 22, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) 
Elizabeth Smart gives her perspective 20-years after she was rescued. (KTVX)
Smart is now married and a mother of three children. She also works on helping others in the same situation as her, advocating for victims.
Smart told Banfield in 2024 that staying calm and loving unconditionally are vital components to her relationship with family members and her children.