Kriti Mehrotra
Netflix’s ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’ delves deep into the 2002 abduction of the titular 14-year-old girl from her own home in the middle of the night. The intense documentary revisits everything from the community’s efforts to find her to her firsthand account of the ordeal, to her family’s clash with law enforcement over investigative approaches, and much more. Owing to their extensive involvement in the search for her nearly 24 years ago, her paternal uncles, David “Dave” Smart and Thomas “Tom” Smart, also appear on the show to shed light on the case.
David “Dave” Smart Has Always Prioritized Family and Continues to do so Today
As one of six siblings born to Dorotha Sharp and Charles Smart in Draper, Utah, under the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, David “Dave” Smart grew up in a loud, happy family. He attended East High School in Salt Lake City before enrolling at Brigham Young University in Provo for his Bachelor’s degree, following which he reportedly kick-started a career in the corporate world. He had no idea these experiences would instill in him the ability to be calm in chaos, resulting in him being the glue that held everyone together after his niece, Elizabeth Smart, was kidnapped.
Dave maintained his composure even in the most pressurizing situations, so he was essentially at the forefront of the family’s public campaign to ensure Elizabeth’s case never lost traction. In fact, he even helped keep things steady while they were being questioned by authorities, suspicions were raised by the media, and polygraphs were performed by professionals. He was certain none of their loved ones were involved in the matter, so he later devoted himself to following up on tips and then helped Elizabeth feel a sense of normalcy upon her rescue.
Since then, Dave has continued to focus on family, albeit the way it looks has changed over time as he is now not only a brother, uncle, and husband, but also a father and a grandfather. From what we can tell, he currently resides in Riverton, Utah, where he is surrounded by the love of his life, Julie Jones Smart, the children they share, and at least 7 grandchildren. They are also the owners and operators of Utah Camper Rentals, a family business founded in 2009 that offers a wide range of camping trailers to clients across their home state.
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Tom Smart is a Family Man With a Passion for the Outdoors
According to the show, Thomas “Tom” Smart was “kind of a little bit on the edge of things, always getting into some trouble” while growing up, which shaped him into the man he became. Therefore, when his niece Elizabeth was abducted from her bedroom by someone who seemed to have complete knowledge of the layout of the family home, he came under suspicion. As per the show, he failed his polygraph, and it was alleged that his television interviews seemed like he was almost empathetic towards the assailant. It is imperative to note that polygraph results are not admissible in court and do not establish guilt. Despite early scrutiny, Tom was never charged or named a suspect by prosecutors.
In one interview, Tom asserted, “I believe (the kidnapper) is not a bad person at all, and just — our family has felt strongly for a while… that this is just someone who actually likes Elizabeth… We all have issues. We’ve been ripped apart to the core, and we understand that everybody has issues.” He later understood the impact his words had, and has since stated he didn’t mean to cause any diversion in the official investigation or take away from the heinousness of the abductor’s actions. Therefore, he continued helping with the case, just as his brother Dave had, which led to the identification of the perpetrator and Elizabeth’s rescue in March 2003. Tom said in the documentary that his words at the time were a result of “the family trait” of “monomaniacal behavior, which is basically totally obsessive behavior.”
He added, “You know, in a situation like the kidnapping, where it doesn’t seem like there is much you can do other than keep turning over stones, neighborhoods, people, after 3 or 4 days of that with no sleep, you tend to collapse on yourself.” Since then, the University of Utah graduate and former Deseret News employee has co-authored a book on the matter with Lee Benson, ‘In Plain Sight: The Startling Truth Behind the Elizabeth Smart Investigation’ (2005). Today, he seems to prefer a quiet life in Oakley, Utah, alongside his wife Heidi Duffin Smart, their children, their grandchildren, and the natural beauty of his home state. From what we can tell, Tom is a true outdoorsman. Whenever he has free time, he loves to go horseback riding to nearby rivers, ranches, and valleys or partake in adventures like skiing and snowboarding alongside his loved ones.
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