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Netflix’s ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’ Reexamines Case With New Interviews and Archival Footage

The film centers Smart’s voice to reclaim the narrative.

Overview

  • Released Jan. 21 on Netflix, the documentary features interviews with Elizabeth Smart, family members and investigators, along with what Netflix describes as never-before-seen materials from the case.
  • The film revisits the 2002 abduction from Smart’s Salt Lake City home and her recovery nine months later, presenting a behind-the-scenes view of the search and rescue.
  • Coverage underscores investigative turns and mistakes, including Mary Katherine Smart’s recognition of the abductor’s voice that led to a public sketch and a separate missed identification at a library.
  • Legal outcomes are updated: Brian David Mitchell was convicted and is serving life without parole, while Wanda Barzee pleaded guilty but mentally ill to related charges and was released in 2018.
  • Recent reporting also notes Smart’s work as a child-safety advocate and media commentator, and that Mary Katherine has maintained a low public profile while working in special education.