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Wanda Barzee allegedly visited two parks in Salt Lake Metropolis in April
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Police charged her on Thursday, Might 1, with violating the phrases of her parole as a intercourse offender
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Barzee held Elizabeth Sensible captive for 9 months and was launched from jail in 2018
The girl who held Elizabeth Smart captive for nine months and facilitated her husband’s sexual assaults of {the teenager} has been arrested and charged with violating the conditions of her release.
Wanda Barzee, 79, was taken into custody on the morning of Thursday, Might 1, by Salt Lake Metropolis Police after it was allegedly found she had visited native parks.
Brent Weisberg, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake Metropolis Police Division, tells PEOPLE that Barzee was booked into Salt Lake County Metro Jail on “one depend of violating Utah’s legislation proscribing registered intercourse offenders from coming into protected areas, together with public parks.”
That arrest got here after “detectives developed info that Barzee had allegedly visited a minimum of two parks in Salt Lake Metropolis, together with Liberty Park and Sugar Home Park, in violation of state legislation,” Weisberg stated.
Barzee is now not in custody, with courtroom data exhibiting that her launch got here on judicial orders.
George Frey/Getty
Elizabeth Sensible
She and her husband Brian David Mitchell kidnapped Sensible in 2002 and held her captive for near a 12 months, transferring between rundown homes and deserted campsites in Utah and the San Diego space.
The pair have been arrested in 2003 and a choose dominated that Barzee could be released from prison in 2018.
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That call didn’t sit properly with Sensible, who was very vocal about the truth that she seen Barzee to be simply as culpable for what occurred to her as her husband and a threat to society.
She stated in a number of interviews round that point that Barzee was an “evil woman.”
Mitchell kidnapped Sensible at knifepoint from her residence in Salt Lake Metropolis after climbing by way of her bed room window.
For the subsequent 9 months, Sensible was held captive by Mitchell and Barzee and subjected to near-daily sexual assaults.
Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Division/Getty
Brian David Mitchell, Wanda Barzee
Sensible has beforehand mentioned Barzee’s participation within the assaults, saying she would encourage her husband and infrequently be current whereas {the teenager} was being abused by Mitchell.
The general public was alerted to Mitchell and Barzee’s identities after Sensible’s sister, who witnessed the kidnapping, recalled that the person whose voice she heard that evening was the identical man who had beforehand been employed to do work on the household’s residence.
Photographs of Mitchell and Barzee then ran on America’s Most Needed across the similar time the 2 began showing in public with Sensible, which ultimately led to an individual recognizing the pair and contacting authorities.
Sensible was rescued on March 12, 2003, simply over 9 months after she was taken from her bed room on June 5, 2002.
Mitchell was sentenced to life in federal jail whereas Barzee served 15 years for her position within the operation.
SLCP says it’s going to proceed to watch this case transferring ahead as a part of a joint effort with different companies.
“Whereas the felony prosecution on this matter stays our precedence, our SLCPD social employees and disaster intervention detectives will proceed using our co-response mannequin to assist make sure that applicable sources and security plans are made accessible because the case progresses by way of the justice system,” Weisberg stated.
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