A woman who played a role in the abduction of Elizabeth Smart two decades ago was arrested on Thursday for breaching her sex offender probation. Wanda Bursey, along with her husband Brian David Mitchell, kidnapped Smart when she was just 14 years old back in 2002.
Bursey, now 79, is accused of visiting Liberty Park and Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City, which she’s not allowed to do due to her status as a convicted sex offender. Interestingly, she reportedly told police that God had visited the park and, well, sat on a bench to feed the ducks, according to local news.
Court documents reveal that as a sex offender, she wasn’t permitted at those parks. Despite her legal troubles, Bursey claimed she regularly called the authorities and attended hearings, asserting she was not breaking the law.
These parks sit less than 10 miles from her home. Back in 2002, Bursey and Mitchell, who identified as street preachers, abducted Smart through an open window, taking her from her own bedroom. Smart endured horrific experiences and lived in various locations in Utah and San Diego before being found nine months later when a few bystanders spotted her and alerted the police.
Her husband, Mitchell, was sentenced to life in prison for his heinous acts, while Bursey received a 15-year term but saw her sentence reduced. She was released early in 2018 due to a miscalculation by Utah officials regarding her sentence.
Currently, Bursey is on a five-year directed release, which includes conditions like mandatory mental health treatment and a prohibition against contacting Smart’s family. Elizabeth Smart, now a mother in her 30s, expressed anger over Bursey’s early release, wishing instead for her to be placed in a mental health facility.
Smart emphasized that Bursey had referred to her as a “slave” and “handmaiden.” After Bursey’s release, Smart was especially concerned about the implications, particularly noting that precautions should be prioritized to protect children from individuals with histories of abuse or violence. She advocated for strict measures, including keeping such individuals far from schools and communities.
