Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing.
The younger sister of a 14-year-old child who was kidnapped from her own bedroom was able to figure out who had kidnapped her.
In June 2002, Elizabeth Smart woke in her room to find that she was being held at knifepoint.
Her kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, would then lead her out into the mountains in Utah, where he and his wife, Wanda Barzee, would subject her to nine months of abuse.
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During this period, Mitchell would rape Elizabeth multiple times a day.
Elizabeth was eventually rescued in March 2003 when a concerned member of the public recognized her from an episode of America's Most Wanted.
It emerged that when they went out publicly, Mitchell would often make Elizabeth wear a veil to disguise her identity, claiming that it was for religious reasons.
Elizabeth's younger sister, Mary Katherine, had also been in the room when she was taken and heard Mitchell's voice.
Mitchell had previously been employed to carry out some work in the family home and had been able to gain access to the house.
He did not give any indication that he would be a safety risk prior to the kidnapping.
Mary had been leafing through a Guinness World Records book when she suddenly had the realization of who the kidnapper was - a theory which proved to be correct.
Speaking about her sister, Elizabeth told Today: "Had she not remembered who had kidnapped me, who's to say that I would be here today? The police all had their suspects, and my captor I don't even think was on their radar at all. So she is my hero."
But what is Elizabeth doing now?
Elizabeth, now aged 38, is using her own awful experience to help protect other children from abuse and exploitation, as well as supporting those who have been abused.
A documentary about Elizabeth's ordeal has also been released on Netflix, called Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, and she opened up about how she hopes this will provide some comfort to other victims of abuse.
She said: "There will be victims and survivors who watch this, and I hope they realise they’re not alone, and that they don’t have to be ashamed of what happened to them."
Mitchell would go on to receive a life sentence, while his wife and co-conspirator, Barzee, was sentenced to 15 years. However, she was released in 2018.
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is available to stream on Netflix now.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.
Kit Roberts