Elizabeth Smart’s 9-year-old sister was the sole witness of her 2002 kidnapping

Elizabeth Smart poses for a portrait with her younger sister Mary Katherine at their home Feb. 22, 2004, in Salt Lake City ; Mary Katherine Smart in ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’. Credit :Lois Smart via Getty ; Netflix

NEED TO KNOW

When Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped in June 2002, her 9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine, was the only witness
Months into the search for Elizabeth, Mary Katherine played a big part in leading to her sister’s rescue
Mary Katherine appears in Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, a Netflix docuseries that revisits her sister’s harrowing case

After months of law enforcement searching for who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart, her younger sister walked into their dad’s bedroom with a statement that changed everything: “‘Dad, I think I know who it might be.’ ”

In June 2002, Elizabeth was 14 years old when she was kidnapped at knifepoint from her bedroom. She was then subjected to daily rapes and physical abuse over the next nine months. Following a nationwide manhunt for her and her abductors, Elizabeth was rescued in March 2003 — thanks to a major clue from her then-9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine Smart, who was the sole witness to the kidnapping.

Now, Elizabeth’s story is being told in Netflix’s Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, in which Mary Katherine also appeared. Ahead of its release, Elizabeth appeared on the Today show and called Mary Katherine her “hero.”

“She saved me,” Elizabeth said. “Had she not remembered who had kidnapped me, who’s to say that I would be here today?”

So, where is Elizabeth Smart’s sister now? Here’s everything to know about Mary Katherine Smart’s life nearly 23 years after witnessing her sister’s kidnapping.

Who is Mary Katherine Smart?

Elizabeth Smart and her younger sister Mary Katherine in ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’.Courtesy of Netflix

Mary Katherine is Elizabeth’s only sister among her five siblings, and was 9 years old when she witnessed her being kidnapped.

In the Netflix docuseries, Mary Katherine spoke about their relationship as kids, calling Elizabeth her “best friend.”

“We tried to do everything together. I wanted to be just like her,” Mary Katherine said. “We did fight, mostly just about how messy I was. But any opportunity to be able to spend time with her, I was there.”

Where was Mary Katherine when her sister was kidnapped?

Mary Katherine in ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’.Courtesy of Netflix

In the Netflix docuseries, Mary Katherine recalled the night her sister was taken, explaining that they had said their prayers together and went to sleep. “The next thing I remember, there was a man in my bedroom, telling Elizabeth, if she screamed, he would kill her,” she said.

“I was paralyzed. I just couldn’t believe what’s happening,” Mary Katherine added, noting that she had to work up the “courage” to tell her parents that Elizabeth had been taken.

Reflecting on the moment, Mary Katherine said she didn’t think she “fully understood what was going on” given her age, “just that my sister was gone and I was very frightened.”

But, she also recalled feeling as though she was living on her “own lonely island,” given that she was advised by police officers not to talk to anyone about the case in an effort to keep her memory uninfluenced.

How did Mary Katherine help rescue Elizabeth?

Ed Smart and Lois Smart display a painting of their daughters Elizabeth and Mary Katherine during a news conference June 20, 2002, in Salt Lake City.Mauricio Menjivar/Getty

As the search for Elizabeth kicked off, Mary Katherine became a key witness and eventually helped make a major break in the case that led to her sister’s rescue. She had indicated that the voice she heard that night in the bedroom “seemed familiar to her,” as police captain Cory Lyman shared in the docuseries.

Months later, Mary Katherine was able to place a name with the voice, recognizing it as the voice of a man who briefly worked on the family’s Salt Lake City home. She revealed that it was the worker she knew as Emmanuel, and her father Ed knew then that it was the handyman who had worked on their roof.

Mary Katherine’s recollections helped police create a sketch of the abductor — who was actually revealed to be a man named Brian David Mitchell. The photos were revealed to the public in February 2003, leading Mitchell’s sister to come forward and provide additional photos.

The images were then featured on a February episode of America’s Most Wanted, with additional photos shown on the program the following month. On March 12, 2003, two separate couples who had seen the television program spotted Mitchell walking around Sandy, Utah, and called 911, PEOPLE previously reported.

Though Elizabeth claimed her name was Augustine when she was approached by police officers, she eventually confirmed her identity while at a police station. That same day, Mitchell and his accomplice, his wife Wanda Barzee, were arrested on suspicion of aggravated kidnapping, per The New York Times.

Mitchell, who was convicted of kidnapping and raping Smart, is currently serving a life sentence. Meanwhile, Barzee was sentenced to 15 years. She was released from prison early in 2018, though was arrested in May 2025 after violating her status as a sex offender.

Where is Mary Katherine now?

Mary Katherine Smart in ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’.Netflix

In the docuseries, Mary Katherine recalled the period of time when her sister first came home after months of being held captive, saying it was “joyous,” but also “difficult trying to get back to a normal state.”

Now, while Elizabeth lives in the spotlight as an author and advocate, Mary Katherine has remained more private. Elizabeth told Tudum that her sister has received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is now a special education teacher.

“I don’t want to say she puts me in my place all the time, but she educates me all the time,” Elizabeth told Tudum. “Honestly, she’s still a hero.”

As for how she’s moved forward in the years since the harrowing experience, Mary Katherine said in the docuseries that “it’s something I still deal with.”

The sisters appear to still spend time together, including some family trips. In June 2021, Elizabeth shared an Instagram selfie of them smiling on a boat, captioned, “Enjoying some sister/sister family time on the lake!”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.