Reader comments
Barzee competent, doctors say

2 great actors | 12:50 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

and defense attorneys who love the lime-lite.

Anonymous | 1:07 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

"In May, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition to review Barzee's forced-medication issue. The high court was Barzee's last option of appeal, and the refusal opened the door for involuntary medication to begin."

It's the fact she had to be treated for weeks to gain competency a emission by the state that the defendant was in fact insane during the admission of said crime?

The prosecution has in effect stipulated to her insanely.

Does it amount to cruel and or unusual punishment to imprison a person for a crime when the state as stipulated the defendant was insane during the commission of her crimes?

This seems like a mistrial if there is a insanity defense in Utah.

many people who | 1:46 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

take meds for phychological reasons are still sane enough to be competent. Although my personal opinion is that she is crazier than her partner--had to be to go along with what he was doing. Or maybe we might just admit the existence of evil.

Comments continue below

Oh Please | 1:50 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

It's about time, and way past.

Re: Anonymous | 3:51 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Your last sentence;
"This seems like a mistrial if there is a insanity defense in Utah".

My comment to you...It is insanity to live in Utah!

About time. | 4:07 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Now it is time for Mitchell to be tried as a competent adult. I don't know many "insane" people, but I do know that only a sick, twisted, competent individual could pull off what he did to Elizabeth. He held her hostage and raped her for 9 months. He was working for the Smart family, he knew exactly when and how to get into her home, insane? incompetent? I don't think so. Throw the book at him, 10 years for every time he raped her...that means life and thensome.

Barzee a victim too | 4:21 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Barzee is also a victim so let's not forget that. She is guilty of taking part in the kidnapping and must serve time but I think 5 years would be more than enough. After her release she should be ordered back to the mental hospital for evaluations before being set free. Barzee didn't harm smart and was only following orders so that should be factored in. The real criminal here is Mitchel and he should spend the rest of his life in prison no question.

Katsuhiko Murakami | 4:22 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Mental incompetency, yeah right. What a way to get out with things!!!!! You gotta be an idiot if you are a judge and believe that kind of crapp. Sorry, I do not buy it...
1.- They break into a home at right time to kidnapp a girl
2.- They keep her captive for 9 months showing her pornography and raping her daily
3.- They managed to hide from the police for about a year
You need a lot of mental competency to commit a crime with such elaborated plan.

discussed | 4:25 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Yes it is about time, but if the leader of this horrible thing is not tried it will just add to the horror of it. From what the family of Barzee has said she was ok until she got mixed up with him. I wonder if all those who think he is incompetent would like him to be free to maybe get their daughters. I know it has been said before, but it is still true.

Cats | 5:18 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

I do believe this woman is a victim, BUT....she also has some culpability in the crime. She needs to stand trial and, I hope, she gets an appropriate sentence. Mitchell is the personification of evil. He needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

and to Re: Anonymous 3:51...boy, you must be a bitter, unhappy person.

sa | 6:05 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

I believe the woman is a victim.

Anonymous | 8:30 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

we're ALL victims--but that doesn't excuse our personal behavior. We have a choice in how we choose to behave.

awsomeron | 10:12 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Good:Now lets get on with it, before someone changes their mind.

This has taken far, far to long and has cost far to much money. As the Tax Payers have to pay for her defense.

In the end it is a matter of weather she is locked up in a Mental Hospital or ther Mental Health Wing of a Prison. The main point being that she is locked up.

Jann | 10:50 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

I find it strange that that Mitchell wasnt court ordered to take meds like barzee was. I work at a state hospital in another state and we have had to get court orders for ppl to take there meds. They are so different when they are off there meds. Mitchell should be court ordered to take meds to. I hope both of them get locked up for a long long time for what they did to Elizabeth.

Joseph Atwater | 1:43 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Ed Smart should take a few lessons from the Amish.
There seems to be a shortage of Compassion in crime these days. Would Ed consider serving meals or visiting Barzee's mother or other family members.
Most Mormons have difficulty with showing compassion or sorrow for individuals who have had problems in their own lives and make wrong decisions such as crime. Yet they still are children of God need help and counseling etc. Yet we horde our stones ready to cast et all. Its our hate of those who hate, or rally against those who rally against others. We have lost our directives of love thy neighbour inspite of their weaknesses. Turn your stones into ploughshares.

zip | 2:05 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

It is very clear that Mitchell was and is a destructive influence. It is amazing how weak Barzee was and how strong E. Smart was and is. Quite a contrast.

kitchy | 3:36 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Elizabeth was a victim of both individuals, him for his sexual lust and her for helping him. I do believe one can lose touch but unless I am sorely mistaken at some point we decide to do things that are right or wrong, even if we are unstable. When we cross that line we deserve to pay for our deeds and decisions. Wrong is wrong even if they are sick. Elizabeth has to live for this entire lifetime with what was done to her and they deserve to live with the consequences of what they did as well. I hope Elizabeth has a wonderful mission and a happy life from this point on. Bless her and her family and bless these two with being able to stand trial and be forgiven for their bad decisions in life.

Chris J. | 5:09 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

It took way too long to figure out that she was competent. And if the court delays finding Mitchel to be competent it will simply be justice denied.

News | 7:09 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Too bad Judgement Day is not here on Earth and never will. Those judges are just secondary but you people got a lot of nerves what you believe and you should not do the judging. Elizebeth Smart past memory will never go away which it is so hard to deal with and wishing that her bad memory would be deleted. Hope her future will be mostly happy days.

One last thing | 7:37 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

not mentioned is that Mitchell be castrated, which should have been performed years ago.

Anonymous | 8:02 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

I think that she must have a split personality Just by seeing the pics, and watching how she dresses from nice clothes to prison in mate clothes , What is going on?

Anonymous | 8:29 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Mitchell isn't insane, therefore can't be medicated and brought to "competency". The only medication for Mitchell is a shave, a haircut and duct tape!

There's a difference between insane, and manipulating the court so that he doesn't have to be tried.

get real | 8:35 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Ok VICTIM TOO:
How can you say Barzee didn't do anything to hurt Elizabeth? She held her down so he could RAPE her! Doesn't sound too innocent to me!

Anonymous | 10:23 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Reading the play drag on, I've come to realize what an abstraction justice is to people. In Sumeria rapist were murder. Tupaq Amaru, the last Inca king, had to set the punishment for a slave who was charged with thief. The slave had been so poorly fed by his owner that he had to steal to eat. Amaru punished the slave's owner for the treatment that force the slave to resort to crime.

I grew up in Mormon Culture. This culture seemed as quick to judge as it was harsh it it's judgments of others. The was a shortage of empathy.

It was must later that I read about Blood of Atonement. This hinted at historical roots for this harsh view of punishment and it spoke about the people who accepted this harsh view.

Can there ever be atonement? To one it will take life in prison and lost of body parts without benefit of our courts and other just want this nut off the streets.

Atonement implies rehabilitate. Americans seem to believe more in punishment than atonement. Then, they claim to be a Christian nation.

AZ | 10:29 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

If this was the old WEST this matter would have been taken care of years ago.....

Lacee | 10:29 a.m. Oct. 17, 2009

People who say that Wanda Barzee is a victim need to read the book "Raised By Wolves", which was written by Wanda's son Derrick Thompson in 2005. She is not a victim. She is just as manipulative as Mitchell.

Cool | 1:19 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

I am glad that there is a hearing scheduled. Justice will be served. On another note, I am glad that she looks good in her new photo compared to when she got booked.

Everyone deserves a second chance, we all make mistakes big or small. Despite what she was part of we all need to realize the people can change.

one word | 1:35 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

FINALLY!!!

Anonymous | 3:59 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Joseph Atwater, I don't think you have any right to judge Ed Smart. If your daughter was taken from her bedroom, terrorized and raped three or four times a day for nine months, it might take you some time to forgive, and even after that, you would still want to see justice done. These people need to be held accountable for what they did!!!

Anonymous | 4:11 p.m. Oct. 17, 2009

Two wardens for Elizabeth...impossible for her to get away.

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.