Elizabeth Smart says she has no desire to talk to her kidnapper after her unexpected release from prison.
The Latest on Elizabeth Smart’s reaction to the release of one of her kidnappers (all times local):
4:15 p.m.
Elizabeth Smart says she has no desire to talk to her kidnapper after her unexpected release from prison next week.
When asked during a news conference Thursday if she had any message for Wanda Barzee, Smart says she has nothing to say.
Smart says she forgave the 72-year-old several years ago but that forgiveness does not mean “allowing her back into my life.”
Smart says she made the decision a long time ago that she never wanted to see or talk to Barzee again.
Barzee and her husband, a former street preacher, abducted a then 14-year-old Smart from her Salt Lake City bedroom in 2002. Smart was recognized and rescued after nine months.
Utah authorities say they miscalculated the time Barzee already served in federal prison.
___
4 p.m.
Elizabeth Smart says it appears there is no viable, legal recourse she can take to stop the release of one of her kidnappers.
Smart said at a news conference Thursday in Salt Lake City that she only found out about 72-year-old Wanda Barzee’s release shortly before the public did.
She says she is trying to learn as much information as she can and explore any options.
Her father, Ed Smart, was also present and said his daughter, as a kidnapping survivor, should have been notified long ago.
Barzee pleaded guilty to helping a former street preacher kidnap Smart in 2002 and keep her captive for nine months before the girl was found and rescued.
Utah authorities say they had miscalculated the time 72-year-old Wanda Barzee previously served in federal prison.
___
3:45 p.m.
Elizabeth Smart said Thursday she is urging authorities to reconsider the planned release of one of her kidnappers, calling Wanda Barzee a danger to her and the community.
“I think she is a threat to any vulnerable person in our community,” Smart said at a press conference in Salt Lake City.
Barzee pleaded guilty to helping a former street preacher kidnap Smart in 2002 and keep her captive for nine months before the girl was found and rescued.
Smart was abducted from her Salt Lake City bedroom at knifepoint by street preacher Brian David Mitchell, who came in through an open kitchen window. The kidnapping triggered waves of fear around the country.
Attorney Scott Williams has said Barzee has been diagnosed with several mental illnesses, but he’s not concerned about her being a danger to the community.
Mitchell is serving a life sentence.
___
3:40 p.m.
Elizabeth Smart is asking authorities to reconsider the planned release of one of her kidnappers, saying Wanda Barzee remains a threat to her.
Barzee will be freed next week after Utah authorities determined they had miscalculated the time she spent in federal custody.
___
12:48 p.m.
Elizabeth Smart is set to discuss the surprise announcement that one of the people who kidnapped her when she was 14 will be released from prison.
Smart is scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday on the release of 72-year-old Wanda Barzee, who will be freed next week. Utah authorities determined they had miscalculated the time Barzee previously served in federal custody.
Smart has called it “incomprehensible” that Barzee would be freed despite failing to undergo mental health evaluations or attend a June parole hearing.
Smart, now a 30-year-old speaker and activist, said in a statement Tuesday she was exploring her options.
Barzee pleaded guilty to helping a former street preacher kidnap Smart in 2002 and keep her captive for nine months before the girl was found and rescued.
