Where Are Elizabeth Smart’s Parents Now? Inside Ed and Lois Smart’s Lives 23 Years After Their Daughter’s Abduction

Elizabeth Smart credits her parents, Ed and Lois Smart, with helping her stay strong during her 2002 kidnapping.

“From as far back as I can remember, my parents have always tried to teach me what’s right and what’s wrong … they’ve always said, well, you’ll know a person by their actions,” Elizabeth shared in a 2013 interview with NPR. “So when I was kidnapped and [kidnapper Brian David Mitchell] was telling me all of these things, I remembered what my parents said — you’ll know a person by their actions.”

Elizabeth was only 14 years old when Mitchell threatened her at knifepoint, abducting her from bedroom in her Salt Lake City home. Smart was held captive by Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee for nine months before she was rescued by police officers on March 12, 2003, in Sandy, Utah.

In later testimonies recounting her abduction, Elizabeth would go on to say that Mitchell believed he was a preacher and would rape her daily. Following several trials, Barzee pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in May 2010. Meanwhile, Mitchell was convicted of kidnapping Elizabeth in December 2010 and was sentenced to life in prison in May the next year.

Elizabeth has since gone on to become an activist, using her platform and harrowing time in captivity to spread awareness of violent crimes against children. Elizabeth’s family has continued to shed light on the case through a book and media interviews.

So where are Elizabeth Smart’s parents now? Here’s everything to know about Ed and Lois Smart’s lives 23 years after their daughter’s abduction.

Who are Elizabeth Smart’s parents?

Ed and Lois Smart welcomed Elizabeth, their second-oldest child, on Nov. 3, 1987. They share six children together in total, including four sons and two daughters.

Ed, a real estate and mortgage broker, and Lois, now a public speaker, went on to co-author a 2003 book on Elizabeth’s kidnapping called Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope. They have both been been outspoken on the dangerous realities of child abuse and kidnapping following their daughter’s horrific experience.

Ed and Lois were also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and raised their children to uphold a similar faith. However in 2019, Ed announced that he no longer felt comfortable being part of the church after coming out as gay. That year, Lois filed for divorce after 34 years of marriage, according to records obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune.

What did Elizabeth Smart’s parents do after she was kidnapped?

In their 2003 book, Ed and Lois went into painful detail on Elizabeth’s kidnapping, recalling the harrowing series of events that unfolded the day they realized she was missing.

“She’s gone. Elizabeth is gone,” they remembered their daughter Mary Katherine, Elizabeth’s younger sister, telling them. “A man came and took her. He had a gun.”

The pair proceeded to run through their home, switching on every light in hopes of finding Elizabeth.

“Lois’s eyes fell on the cut screen in the kitchen window, and she screamed in utter disbelief and shock,” Ed and Lois wrote in the book. “That’s when we both realized that Mary Katherine’s words had quickly become our worst nightmare. Our daughter Elizabeth was gone.”

Ed and Lois never stopped looking for their daughter during the nine months she was gone, frequently doing media appearances to raise awareness.

“There’s a big hole in our family,” Ed told DeseretNews in July 2002. “I really thought this would be over long ago, and I don’t know how long it’s going to go on.”

In his book, Ed remembered the moment he received a call from police officers in March 2003 telling him they might have found Elizabeth.

“She looked like a homeless girl… I wasn’t certain at first that it was her,” he wrote. “I went over and put my arms around her and just started bawling. I held her back, looked her in the eyes, and said, ‘Is it really you, Elizabeth?’ ”

What have Elizabeth Smart’s parents said about her case?

In the 23 years that have followed since Elizabeth’s abduction, Ed and Lois have spoken out on the trauma their family endured on numerous occasions.

Shortly after Mitchell was found guilty of kidnapping Elizabeth in December 2010, Ed reflected on his daughter’s harrowing testimonies in an interview with CBS News, where he revealed that Elizabeth had shared more about her time in captivity during the trial.

“I don’t know how she had the dignity, the grace to be able to say it in the matter that she’d said,” he said. “When Elizabeth came home, we wanted her to know that this was not her fault.”

Like their daughter, Ed and Lois have gone into advocacy work. Lois is a public speaker who uses her platform “to inspire and educate others,” according to her All American Speakers bio.

Ed previously served as the executive director of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, an organization that offers several healing programs for survivors and self-defense classes. He also successfully lobbied Congress for the passage of the 2003 PROTECT Act and the 2006 Adam Walsh Act, per his Youth Futures Utah bio.

Now, Ed volunteers with Youth Futures Utah, a shelter for vulnerable and homeless youth based in Ogden, Utah.

Where are Elizabeth Smart’s parents now?

In 2019, Ed publicly came out as gay and announced that he and Lois had divorced after 34 years of marriage.

Speaking to CBS‘ Gayle King, Ed revealed that he had individually called each of his children to inform them of the news. He remembered their reactions ranging from, “Well, dad if you’re gay, you’re gay. I still want you in my life” to “You’re what? You’re what?”

“I wanted each one of them to hear this from me,” Ed said. “That grenade had been building for so many years that when it had an opportunity of going off, it was ready to.”

Though Ed acknowledged that his children were still “processing” and “probably struggling” with his coming out at the time, he added that he still does “feel their love, and I’m very, very grateful for that.”

In a 2019 statement to Today, Elizabeth said, “My parents taught me as a young child that they would love me unconditionally no matter what happened.”

“While I am deeply saddened by their separation, nothing could change my love and admiration for them both,” she continued. “Their decisions are very personal. As such, I will not pass judgment and rather am focusing on loving and supporting them and the other members of my family.”

Now, Ed says he’s focusing on his personal fulfillment.

“I plan on being happy. And I plan on having a very full life,” Ed told CBS. “And I want each one of my children to be happy. And I want Lois very much to be happy.”

Ed and Lois are also now grandparents to Elizabeth’s three children: daughters Chloé and Olivia and son James.