Where Is Mary Katherine Smart Now? An Update on Elizabeth Smart’s Sister

It’s been 13 years since Elizabeth Smart, then 14, was kidnapped from her home in Utah in June 2002, and Netflix is reliving the abduction in the upcoming documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, which premieres on January 21, 2026. The doc will explore the case that captivated the nation “through [Elizabeth’s] own words and never-before-seen material.”

Mary Katherine Smart, Elizabeth’s younger sister, who witnessed the abduction at just 9 years old while pretending to be asleep, is featured in the doc. Months after the kidnapping, Mary Katherine’s epiphany about the voice of the kidnapper eventually helped identify Brian David Mitchell, a man who had previously been hired by the Smarts to do odd jobs around the house (the family knew him as Emmanuel).

In March 2003, police rescued Elizabeth after two separate couples spotted Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, with the teenager. She was reunited with her family and taken home.

For the most part, Mary Katherine has lived a private life since this tragedy struck her family. Scroll down for everything we know about what she’s doing now.

What is Mary Katherine Smart doing now?

Mary Katherine Smart lives a very private life now. Her Instagram account is private and does not appear to be used often. She made a rare appearance on NewsNation’s Banfield in 2023 to offer advice to the families of the University of Idaho murder victims. During the interview, she revealed she is now a special education teacher.

“I’m a private person, so I’m not going to share too much, but I’ve tried to find things I enjoy, such as teaching,” Mary Katherine shared. “I love working with kids. I love behavior. I recently got my master’s in applied behavior analysis, so I’m just working towards becoming a licensed BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) and just trying to fully immerse myself in that and just trying to enjoy life.”

To the victims’ families, Mary Katherine said, “The process is going to be unique to each of them and I’m not going to pretend that I have all the answers because I definitely don’t,” she said in a virtual interview. “I’m still trying to find my own process of moving forward. Time is a big thing. As time moves on, things get better, and you learn how to cope. You learn how to deal with people. You learn how to deal with situations. I think finding your own identity and what makes you you … I struggled with the label of being ‘the younger sister.’ I’m constantly trying to prove that I’m more than the little sister. I have a lot more to offer. It’s not going to be an easy process.”

In a 2020 Instagram post, Elizabeth revealed that Mary Katherine is a “very accomplished harpist.” She also shared a video of them playing a duet on their harps together.

Is Mary Katherine Smart married?

Yes, in October 2020, Mary Katherine married John Paul O’Brien in Salt Lake City, Utah, per a wedding registry website. They still live in Utah now.

How did Mary Katherine Smart help catch Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper?

In July 2005, Mary Katherine broke her silence about her involvement in catching Elizabeth’s abductor.

“I saw him come over to my side, and then I saw him walk over to Elizabeth and he tapped her, and she’s like, ‘What is it?’ And I guess she thought it was me,” Mary Katherine told Diane Sawyer at the time.

The youngster revealed that she went to tell her parents what was happening, but stopped and turned around when she saw the kidnapper forcing her sister out of the house. “I thought, you know, ‘Be quiet, because if he hears you, he might take you, too, and you’re the only person who has seen this,'” Mary Katherine explained, adding that she snuck back to her room after what she saw.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

It wasn’t until about two hours later that Mary Katherine told her parents that Elizabeth was “gone.” Lois Smart and Ed Smart thought their youngest daughter was just recalling a dream at first.

Mary Katherine said the kidnapper’s voice sounded familiar, but wasn’t able to place him. It wasn’t until months later when she was looking through a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records that she had her epiphany .

Related

El Chapo's Wife Breaks Silence on Life With Drug Kingpin in Explosive New Oxygen Documentary

“The page was like … [a] really muscular lady and, like, a Harley Davidson person, and I was thinking, like, who has been to the house, and who was suspicious, and the name ‘Emmanuel’ came into my head,” Mary Katherine shared. She told her mother she may have been looking at the book when “Emmanuel” was working nearby, which may have prompted the memory.

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Netflix