NPR's Howard Berkes reports reports that guilty verdicts were just handed down in Salt Lake City for Brian David Mitchell, who in 2002 kidnapped 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her home — a crime that drew national attention at the time and national horror later as details emerged about what happened to the girl during her nine months with Mitchell and his wife.
The Associated Press leads its story with this:
"A federal jury has convicted a former street preacher of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart more than eight years ago. The verdict reached Friday finally brought justice for Smart and her family after the ordeal that began when Brian David Mitchell took her from her home at knifepoint and held her captive for nine months when she was 14.
"Now 23, Smart testified during the five-week trial that she was forced into a polygamous marriage and endured near daily rapes. The jury found Mitchell guilty of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines for the purposes of illegal sex. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison."
There's a lot of background on the case in this story Howard reported in October. Mitchell had mounted an insanity defense.
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