Wanda Barzee’s Lawyer Says His Client Will Not Contact Elizabeth Smart Upon Prison Release

Elizabeth Smart and her father Ed are very concerned that one of Smart’s kidnappers, 72-year-old Wanda Barzee, is being released from prison.

As the Inquisitr shared earlier today, Wanda Barzee will be released from prison next week on September 19. She and her husband, Brian David Mitchell, abducted Smart from her Salt Lake City bedroom at knife-point in 2002. The pair held Elizabeth captive for nine months before they were found and arrested.

And since news of her release has come to light, the Smart family has their reservations, and rightfully so. Elizabeth’s father, Ed Smart, said that his daughter’s main concern is that Barzee may try to make contact with her and her two children. But Barzee’s lawyer, Scott Williams, spoke with Radar Online and ensured everyone that Wanda will not be making any sort of contact with Elizabeth.

“I have no idea why they have that concern. I’m not privy to anybody’s basis for concern,” he said.

Williams has known Barzee for a longtime as he’s been her lawyer since 2003, the year that she was arrested for the kidnapping of Smart. He assured the publication that his client will also be kept under watch once she is released from prison.

“She will be supervised just like somebody on parole. The terms are not public, and they may vary. All the circumstances will be monitored by U.S. Probation.”

Williams said that he was happy with the court’s ruling today.

“I thought that the facts in connection to credit for time served were appropriate. She was legally entitled for credit for times served. That was their decision. I can’t say it was based on anything I did. I credit the board for being willing to reconsider and change their mind when they realized a different legal result was warranted,” he told the outlet.

Wanda Barzee pleaded guilty to kidnapping Elizabeth Smart and helping keep her captive for nine months before Smart was found and rescued. She will be released from prison in eight days. https://t.co/ZWmByVEDty

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) September 11, 2018

A spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Corrections told the outlet that Barzee will indeed be under federal supervision for at least 60 months, or five years, after she is released from jail. Barzee will also meet with a probation officer next week to help her to transition from prison out into the public and find housing and other needs.

After hearing the news today, Elizabeth also released a statement to the public saying that she was both “surprised” and “disappointed” to find out about the release of Barzee. Additionally, Smart confessed that she didn’t know how the release of Barzee was approved considering the fact that she did not cooperate with “her mental health evaluations or risk assessments.”

Smart said that she will speak publicly on the matter once she is able to let everything soak in.