[Banfield:] You know the name Elizabeth Smart. And if you remember her story, you might remember two other names as well. Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, the couple that held the 14-year-old girl captive for nine months. After Mitchell kidnapped her at knife point from her bed inside her family home in Salt Lake City, he raped Elizabeth multiple times, almost daily, claiming that this was the Christian thing to do. And sometimes it was Wanda helping him to execute the plan. And Wanda keeping Elizabeth from running, grabbing Elizabeth hard by the knee when a police officer approached them in a public library and questioned them, warning her, stay quiet. It took nearly 10 years to bring the couple to justice after Elizabeth was finally rescued because both Mitchell and Barzee claimed incompetent, that they weren`t capable of standing trial. But Mitchell was finally given two life sentences. And Barzee, for her part, 15 years behind bars. And if you can believe it, this woman is already up for parole. And if you can believe it, the parole board is already talking about whether or not they might just let her go. Even as concerns are raised about whether Barzee is a changed woman, or taking responsibility for what she`s done. I want to bring in CNN correspondent Jean Casarez. She`s interviewed Elizabeth Smart and attended Brian David Mitchell`s trial. Also, Elizabeth Smart`s former attorney, Greg Skordas, is with me. He is also a former Salt Lake County deputy district attorney. And Eric Johnson remains with me as well. Jean Casarez, let me begin with you. Why does it feel as though this just happened? Why does it feel as though those two were just sent away, as opposed to almost up for parole?
[Jean Casarez, Correspondent, Cnn And Hln:] Right. Well, in regard to Wanda Barzee, she is the one that`s eligible for parole in 2024, which is not too far away. And she was sentenced to a federal term of 15 years and to a state term of 15 years. But the prosecutors, believe it or not, recommended they be served concurrently, which, of course, we all know means together. And so that is why that the time is running short now at this point. And Elizabeth Smart is speaking out that she doesn`t want her released.
[Banfield:] Yeah. It`s hard to believe when you see these pictures. We all covered the story when Elizabeth was captured. She was 14. For much of her captivity, she was 15. But now she`s 30. That tells you how long this ordeal has gone on. I want to read, if I can, from Elizabeth`s Instagram post. She just posted this yesterday regarding a parole hearing for Wanda Barzee. In part she says, what I find troubling is that regardless of her threat level, she will be released in 2024, six years from now. It is possible that she could be paroled before then. Hopefully not. I do not think I`m a vindictive or vengeful person. If change were truly possible in her case, then perhaps parole release could be justified. But I have recently learned that she is still carrying around a manuscript called "The Book of Immanuel David Isaiah" and is reading from it. In this manuscript were the revelations that Brian David Mitchell received from God to kidnap myself and six other young girls to all become his wives. It goes on from there as well. I want to play this moment, Jean, if I can, where you interviewed Elizabeth Smart on this program to talk a little bit about Wanda`s role in that nine months of captivity, what Wanda did, what she was like, and what Elizabeth thinks of her. Have a look.
[Elizabeth Smart, Kidnap And Rape Victim:] I think it is easy to overlook her because Brian Mitchell, he`s the one that forced his way into my home, he`s the one that held me at knife point, he`s the one that raped me, he did all these terrible things. But she was a mother. She had came from a prior marriage. She had six children. And honestly, part of me feels like she`s more evil because of that, because she was I don`t want to say mother, but she did have six children. And how can you have that many children and allow that to happen to another child? And let rape and torture and abuse continue. And not only continue, but she she encouraged it.
[Banfield:] Greg Skordas, it`s hard to imagine what Elizabeth went through. I don`t think any of us ever could. You have spent so much time with her as her former attorney. How much of the process was she involved in? Meaning, when a plea bargain is struck, victims are often part of it. How much did Elizabeth play a part in the 15 years that Barzee got?
[Greg Skordas, Former Attorney For Elizabeth Smart:] Both the federal prosecutors and the state prosecutors conferred with her quite a bit throughout the entire process, and she very involved. And even though, as Jean indicated earlier, these sentences were run concurrently, she Wanda Barzee served her entire 15-year federal sentence. And with good time, you do 85 percent, so essentially 13 years, and now is serving the state sentence. So it`s not as though she`s going to simply do 15 years. By the time she gets out in 2024, if that`s the case, she will have served closer to 22 or 23 years. But the family was very involved in the plea bargaining process and the sentencing process and in the ultimate time that Wanda Barzee will ultimately serve.
[Banfield:] I mean, this has got to be sort of victimization all over again as this young woman who has done such an incredible job getting her life back on track, owning it and being a victim`s rights advocate, she`s written books, she`s been out on she is such an amazing citizen and then to have to sort of go through this. When we come back after the break, I want to ask you if there`s any possibility, Greg, that Wanda Barzee could be held longer, if there`s anything that the system could see in this woman and say she`s not ready. And then I also want to play a moment from Elizabeth Smart where when she was dressed like this and veiled by her captors and a policeman approached, what was it that held her back from saying help me, help me, rescue me, these people have captured me, because that didn`t happen. That`s next.