Mitchell: Elizabeth Smart Had a 'Glorious Experience'

Brian David Mitchell couldn't contain his urge to sing hymns

(NEWSER) - Brian David Mitchell may have been found mentally competent to stand trial, but that doesn't mean he's capable of controlling his urge to sing hymns in court, reports the AP. The serenading of Elizabeth Smart 's alleged kidnapper lasted about a half-hour during jury selection before the judge kicked him out of the courtroom, to go watch the proceedings remotely. Also a no-go: Mitchell's request to wear the robes he had on when he was busted with Smart in 2003. More»

Loses cool after shrink testifies Mitchell intended to impregnate her

(NEWSER) - Losing her cool for the first time, Elizabeth Smart stormed out of her alleged kidnapper's trial yesterday, glaring at a state psychologist as he testified that Brian David Mitchell intended to impregnate her and that the two had talked about baby names. Paul Whitehead, who evaluated Mitchell for three years, told the court that Mitchell has a "major psychiatric illness," but that he "was not seeing" a manipulative side of Mitchell. Whitehead was called as a witness as part of the defense's effort to prove Mitchell's mental illness means he's not criminally responsible for his actions, Reuters reports. More»

She recalls 'begging' him not to rape her

(NEWSER) - Elizabeth Smart took the stand today against the man accused of kidnapping and raping her, recounting in a calm voice how Brian David Mitchell allegedly woke her up on the morning of June 5, 2002, with a knife to her throat. He said, “Come with me or I will kill you and your family,” Smart said, adding, “I thought I was having a nightmare. It was indescribable fear.” After Mitchell and Smart met up with Mitchell’s wife Wanda Barzee, they performed a ceremony “sealing” Smart and Mitchell, CNN reports. More»

She confronts kidnapper before he is sentenced to life

(NEWSER) - Brian David Mitchell got a life sentence today for kidnapping Elizabeth Smart , but she got the last word in court. Confronting him for the first time, she kept it short and sweet:

• "I don't have very much to say to you. I know exactly what you did. I know that you know what you did was wrong. You did it with a full knowledge. I also want you to know that I have a wonderful life now. You took away nine months of my life that can never be returned. But in this life or next, you will have to be held responsible for those actions, and I hope you are ready for when that time comes."

Kidnapper's attorney argues to prevent Brian David Mitchell from getting life sentence

(NEWSER) - Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper shouldn’t get a life sentence, his attorney argued yesterday, because Smart isn’t all that psychologically damaged. “In a legal sense, the story is not the extreme psychological injury. The story is her overcoming the extreme conduct of my client,” said Robert Steele in a motion he filed in an attempt to get Brian David Mitchell’s potential sentence reduced. Mitchell held a then-14-year-old Smart for eight months and sometimes raped her numerous times a day, Fox News reports. More»