Dad Says Utah Girl 'Brainwashed' by Alleged Captor

Reuters (via Netscape) ^ | 3/13/03 | Sue Pleming

[SarahW]

Dad Says Utah Girl 'Brainwashed' by Alleged Captor
By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The drifter suspected of snatching a 15-year-old Utah girl rescued after a nine-month ordeal was described on Thursday as a man who believed he was a prophet and who likely brainwashed the child.

Elizabeth Smart was found alive on Wednesday in what relatives described as a "miracle," and reunited with her family after police received a tip from two people in a store just miles from the girl's home where she was abducted from her bedroom last June.

The teen-ager's father, Ed Smart, told reporters he believed his daughter had been "brainwashed" by her alleged abductor, identified by police as Brian David Mitchell, a street preacher and itinerant who once did work around the Smart's home.

"I can just tell that he (Mitchell) did an absolute brainwashing job on her," Smart told ABC's "Good Morning America."

When police picked up the girl in a car in Sandy, Utah, on Wednesday, she was wearing a white veil. A woman identified as Wanda Barzee was also picked up by police.

No charges have been filed against Mitchell and Barzee and little information has been disclosed about the girl's ordeal.

Smart, who broke down at times, said the man had held his daughter at knifepoint until August in the mountains directly above their Salt Lake City home. Elizabeth heard rescuers calling her name but could not reply.

"It kills me she was there for three months, literally up in the hills (behind our house)," Smart told NBC's "Today" show.

Mitchell's stepsons, Mark and Derrick Thompson, told morning television that Mitchell and their mother, Barzee, had traded an "average life," started wearing white robes and sold their possessions to live on the street to preach and panhandle.

Mitchell's stepdaughter, Louree Gayler, said she moved out of their home in her early teens.

"Brian was always hugging me the wrong way and kissing on me and I just didn't like it over there. So I went and moved back with my dad and I haven't seen my mom since," Gayler said on morning television.

After hearing of Smart's disappearance and reports their stepfather might be involved, the Thompson brothers said they had a "gut feeling" Mitchell had taken the little girl and they scoured homeless shelters for them.

They described a bizarre life with their stepfather who had told them he was a prophet and spoke continuously of talking to angels.

Ed Smart said his daughter spent her first night back at home with family members holding them close and watching her favorite video, "The Trouble with Angels."

Investigators renewed their search for Mitchell last month based on descriptions by Elizabeth's younger sister, Mary Catherine, of the intruder who took Elizabeth away at gunpoint for their bedroom.

Smart said the reunion between the two sisters had been particularly poignant.

"It was just tears and hugs. As they fell asleep, they were hand in hand in bed. It was just the thing that I had hoped for and looked forward to," he told ABC.

[SarahW]

Check out this link. He abducted her.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/863876/posts

[hellinahandcart]

Why would a 14 year old girl leave voluntarily in the middle of the night with a drifter who had worked 1 day for her family over a year ago?

You forgot to add "old, ugly drifter with no money and a scary-looking wife."

He sure isn't Justin Timberlake or anything near what I would consider "temptation" to a teenage girl.

[asformeandformyhouse]

Anyone over 20 is old and "gross" to a 14 year old.

As the bumper sticker says: "Never believe generalizations".

When this happened I told my wife that I suspected these three things:

1. She left voluntarilty

2. She is not staying away voluntarily.

3. She knows the abductor.

[AppyPappy]

It was cut from the outside

[half_nelson]

Are you kidding? Have you seen picutres of that guy? He looks like a real great guy! I can see why she left... VOLUNTARILY! (yeah right)

[MattAMiller]

I think the words "one day" and "over a year ago" are important here. There's not a lot of opportunity to establish a raport.

[hawkaw]

Stockholm Syndrome is for real. I work with a lot of Jehovah's Witnesses child abuse survivors who have been sexually assaulted by other JW molesters (that make the Catholic priests look like boy scouts) and this happens all the time with them.

People who don't understand always ask - why didn't you just leave? They don't understand what intimidation tactics in a high control environment can do to people after a while.

hawk

[SarahW]

Your powers of discernment underwhelm me.

She was abducted.

[AppyPappy]

C'mon, How could any young girl resist a "man" like Mitchell? He's practically an N'Sync clone.

[bonfire]

Curious: Is sexual abuse rampant among the JW's?

[Sloth]

Read here about another lying runaway:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/863738/posts

[george wythe]

Patty Hearst was held captive for quite a while by the Symbionese Liberation Army, even participating in several raids, as I recall, and probably had ample opportunity to physically walk away,

Yep

Sandy Police Chief Stephen Chapman told CNN this morning that Elizabeth did not immediately reveal her identity to police.

In other words, Elizabeth lied to the police.

[Redcloak]

You were brainwashed?

[asformeandformyhouse]

He sure isn't Justin Timberlake or anything near what I would consider "temptation" to a teenage girl.

Neither is Marilyn Manson. But many teenage girls would readily go with him. I'm just saying that the mind of teenagers don't work like the mind of adults. And for everyone to assume that because the teenage girls they know would never be tempted by such a pathetic figure, that all teenage girls wouldn't is false. I certainly am glad that this girl is home with her family and hope that the media leave her alone to be re-acquainted. I am happy for the family and do not cite my opinion in any way to 'blame' this young girl. But this could be a eye-opener for all parents of teenagers. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[pepsionice]

I think this girl had been thinking of leaving for months...and this homeless guy gave her a free-pass deal. He returned that night, helped her out the window. The little sister simply watched the sister walk out. The pictures of Beth at the party with the Dimwit and his girlfriend...all 3 freely walking around....do not help her case. This was only 2 months after the so-called abduction. With dozens of people around, all she had to do was raise her hand and they all would have launched onto the dimwit. She didn't. Even when the cops came this week and question her and the dimwit on the street...she automatically attempted to lie her way out of the situation.

My bet is that she stays with the family for less than 12 months and then leaves permanently. She has tasted the good life and wants nothing to do with the Mormon crowd. I'm sure they will bring her into the church this weekend and attempt to get her on the straight and narrow path again.

As for who is brain-washing who....you can wonder about this all day long. Obviously, life in Utah is not a dreamworld.

[Calpublican]

Here's the problem: You got small tin foil hat and you needed a large. It's cut off circulation to your tiny brain.

[MineralMan]

"Elizabeth wanted to leave, she ran away! The screen cut from the inside? "

Nonsense. In the first place, the screen was not cut from the inside. In the second place, there is no evidence whatever that the girl wanted to run away from home. In the third place, why don't you stop this stupid speculation and wait a bit and see what really happened?

[AppyPappy]

Methinks your dislike for the Mormons has clouded your judgment.

[MineralMan]

"I think this girl had been thinking of leaving for months...and this homeless guy gave her a free-pass deal. "

And what is it that makes you think this? You have no facts. You have no information. You do not know the family. Seems to me as if you're just blowing hard and trying to see if that will make your boat move.

Please wait and see what turns up, OK?

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Curious: Is sexual abuse rampant among the JW's?"

I don't know, but what does that have to do with a Mormon family?