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Elizabeth Smart Reclaims Her Narrative in Netflix Documentary Release

The film centers Smart’s first-person account, revisiting investigative failures that delayed her 2003 rescue.

Overview

  • Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart debuted on Netflix on Jan. 21, featuring new interviews, previously unseen archival material, and voices from her family and investigators.
  • The documentary recounts Smart’s 2002 abduction in Salt Lake City and her recovery on March 12, 2003, after public recognition of her captor from a widely circulated sketch.
  • It details missed chances to intervene, including a library encounter where officers left without confirming her identity and an earlier arrest of Brian David Mitchell during the search.
  • Mitchell was convicted in 2010 and is serving a life sentence, while Wanda Barzee pleaded guilty, served a 15-year term, was released in 2018, and was reported arrested in 2025 for alleged registration violations.
  • Smart, now 38, leads the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, advocates on child safety and survivor support, and says she participated to give context to her story and help others feel less alone.