Editing Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart (section)

===Prosecution and sentencing===
Wanda Barzee eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to concurrent terms of 15 years in state and federal prison. However, due to the delays and mental evaluations, it took Mitchell's case almost eight years to come to court.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Newspapers provide context in Elizabeth Smart Abduction|last1 = Bullock|first1 = Cathy Ferrand|date = 2013|journal = Newspaper Research Journal|doi = 10.1177/073953291303400403|last2 = Spratt|first2 = Margaret|last3 = John|first3 = Sue Lockett|volume = 34|issue = 4|pages = 24–39|s2cid = 141615725}}</ref>

Mitchell's trial began on November 8, 2010. The defense acknowledged that Mitchell was responsible for the crimes, but contended that he was [[Insanity defense|legally insane]] at the time of the crime, and should therefore be found [[Insanity defense|not guilty by reason of insanity]].<ref name="DBMD"/> The insanity defense for Mitchell was rejected on December 11, 2010, when the jury found him guilty of kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in sexual activity.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Romboy|first1=Dennis|title=Mitchell sentenced to life behind bars for kidnapping Elizabeth Smart|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705373319/Mitchell-sentenced-to-life-behind-bars-for-kidnapping-Elizabeth-Smart.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528033427/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705373319/Mitchell-sentenced-to-life-behind-bars-for-kidnapping-Elizabeth-Smart.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 28, 2011|newspaper=Deseret News|access-date=June 30, 2014|date= May 25, 2011}}</ref> U.S. District Judge [[Dale A. Kimball]] sentenced Mitchell to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Mitchell is currently serving his sentence at [[United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute|U.S. Penitentiary, Terre Haute]], a high-security [[Federal Bureau of Prisons|federal prison]] in [[Terre Haute, Indiana]].

In 2016, Barzee's federal imprisonment was terminated and she was transferred from the [[Federal Medical Center, Carswell]] in [[Fort Worth, Texas]], to the [[Utah State Prison]] in [[Draper, Utah]], to begin serving her state prison sentence. She was released in September 2018, which Smart protested.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/elizabeth-smart-kidnapper-wanda-barzee-due-be-released-prison-wednesday-n910966|title=Elizabeth Smart kidnapper Wanda Barzee released from prison|website=NBC News|date=September 19, 2018 }}</ref>