Bringing Elizabeth Home (20 page)

When Elizabeth came home, we received numerous phone calls from family and friends—and even one from the President of the United States. Mrs. Bush had called to express her worry when Elizabeth was initially taken. We were touched by the Bushes' warmth and sincerity. Lois was bathing when our son Edward called upstairs to tell her that she had a phone call. Lois yelled back down, “Not now! Take a message.” Edward explained that he thought it was someone important because they insisted on speaking to one of us. Lois decided to reach for the phone, but as she did, Edward hung up the extension in the kitchen—not realizing he had just hung up on the White House. After that, Ed received a call on his cell phone. The voice on the other end said that the President wanted to talk to him. The President expressed how thrilled he was that Elizabeth was home. He called it a miracle—and it truly was.

All kinds of people lent their support to our family when Elizabeth was missing. B.A.C.A., which stands for Bikers Against Child Abuse, is a group that has always been a strong children's advocate. These guys were there for our family from the day Elizabeth was kidnapped. At the homecoming vigil, one of the bikers handed us a white tapered candle the group had saved from the first candlelight vigil. They wanted us to have the candle to enjoy as a token of their support. And when Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee were charged with their crimes, B.A.C.A. showed up on the courthouse steps to represent all missing and abused children. We love you, B.A.C.A. boys!

On March 18, 2003, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee were charged with six felony counts. David Yocum, the Salt Lake County district attorney, is seeking life sentences for the two, who are behind bars on $10 million bail. The case is currently a state issue, but federal charges could be brought against the two in the future. In addition to the kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault charges, Mitchell and Barzee face aggravated burglary charges for breaking into our home using a dangerous weapon, another charge of aggravated burglary for attempting to break into our relatives' home while Elizabeth was being held against her will, and a second charge of aggravated kidnapping for attempting to abduct Elizabeth's cousin. The severity of the charges is an indication of the danger that Mitchell and Barzee presented throughout the nine months Elizabeth was gone.

Since Mitchell and Barzee have been taken into custody, relatives of Mitchell's have come forward and have described him as a religious extremist. Mitchell has explained in a “manifesto” he wrote that he was acting on his own. Mitchell was not just a zealot looking for converts, he was a sexual predator. He was aided and was abetted in his actions by Wanda Barzee. To us, they are both equally culpable.

“I feel triumphant!”

Those were the words Elizabeth spoke the day she took us to see the campsite where she had been held captive. It was amazing to be there with her and to witness her feeling that she had conquered Mitchell and Barzee. Ed and Elizabeth have gone jogging together several times after she returned home. Sometimes they run up one of the canyons behind our home—in the hills where Elizabeth was held. We thought that maybe, someday, she'd want to take us there, but we never expected to have Elizabeth, just a couple of weeks after coming home, want to show us where she was held captive. When Elizabeth came home it was like having a newborn baby, so to speak, since we worried about her all the time. We thought the visit to the campsite would set her back—that she wouldn't be able to deal with it. We gave her plenty of opportunity to bow out—but it was important to Elizabeth that we see the site. She was adamant. She wanted to go. “I want to do it now,” she said.

Everyone in the family except William and Edward hiked up the trail together. Elizabeth marched up that hill as if she were headed to battle. We arrived, and she showed us everything: “This is the place we hid our shoes. This is where we got water. This is where I lived.” We were stunned at the calm and secure way that Elizabeth spoke. She explained that she, Brian, and Wanda had moved between two campsites. The upper site is where she was for the first two months. Then, Brian moved them to a lower campsite. He obviously felt safe with what he was doing by the time they moved to the lower camp. It had been two months and nobody had found them. It is so unbelievable that thousands of searchers were looking for Elizabeth—any sign of her—and no one found her. Elizabeth has said that Brian constantly reinforced that it was God's will that no one would catch him, that God had told him to take Elizabeth. When we stood at the site, Elizabeth was free—free to do and say whatever she wanted. It was liberating and cathartic. More crucial to her was to prove that Brian and Wanda did not own her. There were no tears—she certainly didn't show any anguish about being there. It was like a cleansing for her. It is part of the healing. For us, it was bewildering. We didn't know what to expect. It was horrifying seeing the conditions she had to live under. On the other hand, it was glorious to see our daughter hold her head up in victory—to see her in control, knowing that she was a survivor in every sense of the word.

It was a continuation of the rebirth of Elizabeth Ann Smart.

Today, Elizabeth is trying to get back to normal. She is so looking forward to getting her driver's license. She is now sixteen years old. It has been a year and a half since she was kidnapped. Life has changed for all of us. But Elizabeth is reconnecting with her friends—trying to catch up on the year she missed out on in their lives. She's not allowed to date until she's sixteen, which means by the time you read this book, our daughter will most likely be driving and dating—yikes! She's right on target—doing the things she ought to be doing. She goes out with her friends, which is sometimes hard for us, but we want life to be sweet for her. She started school in the fall, and is adjusting well to being back in the swing of things.

Chapter 25

E
LIZABETH

D
EAR WORLD:

I am so happy and thankful to be home with the people I love. I'm doing great. I owe a lot to my family and to the great friends that I have. I want to thank them for not giving up on me. I wish I could thank each and every person who prayed for me individually. If you were standing in front of me now, I'd shake your hand and tell you how much your good thoughts and prayers meant to my family and me.

Through my experience, I have learned not to take anything for granted—not my life, my family, my safety, my health, my friends, or even my enemies. You have to live life every day knowing how precious God's gifts are. I also believe that you have to live your life without fear and anger. If you fear something enough, I think you can sometimes make that fear a reality. If today were your last day on earth, would you have told the people you love that you love them? Would you have any regrets? Would you be able to die peacefully and without a grudge? I have learned that living in the moment means taking the time to do the things that are meaningful and important. Every day is a blessing. I feel so blessed to be back home, with my family and friends. I truly am the luckiest girl in the world! Thank you for all of your love and support.

Chapter 26

L
OTS OF CHILDREN
have been kidnapped. Is that predestination? We don't think we were predestined to go through this. We believe that God knows all. He knows from beginning to end our thoughts, our prayers, our hopes, dreams, plans, everything. He knows and understands each of us so well. He knows how we will react and endure in any situation. We relied upon our faith to sustain us. We truly believe in a God in Heaven who loves us all—who is there for us. We never walk alone. That is how we made it. That is how we survived. God knows the larger picture. Maybe our experience was meant to touch many people. Maybe that's the reason Elizabeth was taken. We will never know.

We received a very moving and memorable letter from a young man who had proclaimed himself an atheist his entire life. He was riveted by our story and the disappearance of Elizabeth. He was drawn to this situation when he had never cared about a kidnapped or missing child in the past. He was consumed with the story. He wrote that every night he checked the news to see if there had been a break in the case. He found himself on his knees praying for Elizabeth to be found. He was praying to God. He had been an atheist his whole life, but through Elizabeth's story, he realized he did believe in God. He believed that miracles can happen. He is now convinced that there is a higher power that is involved in our lives.

We are all here for a purpose—it's not just chance that we come here. Maybe Elizabeth's kidnapping was God's way of showing the world that He can perform miracles. It refined us. It brought us together as a nation of faithful people from all religions and beliefs. It gave us hope. It made us better people. It made our family more believing and trusting in God. We had a miraculous firsthand experience. There is no way we could have brought Elizabeth home on our own.

There were many miracles throughout the nine months that Elizabeth was gone. But even if we hadn't brought Elizabeth home, the miracles would have still been there. If we look at life only in terms of our mortal existence, then of course those who don't have their children return do not experience a miracle. But they do, because they are given the strength to carry on even in the absence of their child. We know this because we accepted the notion that Elizabeth might never come back. We became stronger in our faith through that experience. If a miracle is viewed in terms of immortality and eternal life, which is what our family believes, the miracle exists in every respect. In death, severe illness, even kidnapping, miracles do happen.

Looking back on the experience, we know that none of us will ever be the same. We are stronger for what we've experienced. Our love is stronger and our faith is deeper. We have great hope for the future. We will continue to seek the Lord and stay the course. We have all been in situations where we've felt lost from time to time. We pray to be rescued from those days of waiting and watching, feeling misplaced, hoping to be stronger. We all stumble along in fear and confusion, hoping our steps will lead us to a better place. We all sometimes need a miracle rescue—let Elizabeth's story be a reminder of the possibility of miracles. Elizabeth has been in therapy since the end of her ordeal. It's fair to say that when she talks about her kidnapping, it is difficult, especially when she details the events of those nine months to investigators and lawyers.

We will continue to get Elizabeth all the help she needs to be certain she will be equipped to handle the road ahead in life. It will be a long road until the time Elizabeth is fully recovered, but we will be by her side—together as a family to help support her, love her, and see to it that she has a wonderful life.

Contact Information

Laura Recovery Center
307 B-1 South Friendswood Drive
Friendswood, TX 77546
(281) 482-5723 fax: (281) 482-5727
www.LRCF.org

America's Most Wanted
P.O. Box Crime TV
Washington, DC 20016-9126
(800) CRIME-TV

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Charles B. Wang International Children's Building
699 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3175
Phone: (703) 274-3900
Fax: (703) 274-2200
Hotline: (800) THE-LOST (800-843-5678)

NCMEC/California
18111 Irvine Blvd., Suite C
Tustin, CA 92780-3403
(714) 508-0150 fax: (714) 508-0154

NCMEC/Florida
9176 Alternate A1A, Suite 100
Lake Park, FL 33403-1445
(561) 848-1900 fax: (561) 848-0308

NCMEC/Kansas City
1018 W. 39th Street, Suite B
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 756-5422 fax: (816) 756-1804

NCMEC/New York
275 Lake Avenue
Rochester, NY 14608
(585) 242-0900 fax: (585) 242-0717

NCMEC/Manhattan Affiliate
395 Hudson Street, Floor 10
New York, NY 10014
(212) 366-7880 fax: (212) 366-7881

NCMEC/Metropolitan New York
769 Elmont Road
Elmont, NY 11003
(718) 222-5888 fax: (718) 222-5889

NCMEC/Mohawk Valley
247 Elizabeth Street
Utica, NY 13501
(315) 732-7233 fax: (315) 732-2465

NCMEC/South Carolina
2008 Marion Street, Suite C
Columbia, SC 29201-2151
(803) 254-2326 fax: (803) 254-4299

Bibliography

Chabot, Sen. Steve (Ohio). “Victims' Rights Amendment Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Constitution”—May 9, 2002.

Fattah, Ezzat A. “Victims' Rights: Past, Present, and Future.”

Jerin, Robert. “A Historical Examination of Victims' Rights in the United States.”

Lord, Janice. “National Constitutional Amendment for Victims' Rights”—2002.

Swavy, Joseph.
State News.
“US Legislators Seek to Amend Constitution”—2002.

Acknowledgments

W
E WANT TO GIVE
our deepest gratitude to our Heavenly Father, for His love and guidance, and for the spirit and belief that we would emerge from this experience stronger, wiser, and full of love and hope that prayers are answered and miracles do happen.