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SALT LAKE CITY -- Seven witnesses took the stand Friday for the prosecution in the trial of Brian David Mitchell, who is accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. The testimony was intended to rebut an insanity defense by Mitchell's attorneys. Among them are two of Mitchell's former stepdaughters, an expert in religious texts and Mitchell's former LDS stake president.
Stepdaughters describe cruel behavior
Heidi Woodridge, a stepdaughter from Mitchell's second marriage, testified Friday. Despite objections from the defense, prosecutors said her testimony would show "a pattern of behavior consistent with personality disorders and sexual deviancy, rather than a severe mental illness."
Woodridge described how Mitchell had put dead mice into an oven following an argument between her parents. She said Mitchell knew the stunt would scare her mother because she was "petrified of mice."
Woodridge, who was 9 to 12 years old when Mitchell was her stepfather in the early 1980s, described a time while she was bathing and heard a noise in the bathroom closet. "He was taking pictures of me while I was taking a bath," said Woodridge, wiping away tears and appearing intimidated.
She said she screamed, covered up, told Mitchell to get out and he left the room.
Wanda Barzee's daughter LouRee Gayler also testified for the prosecution. She said Mitchell thrived on hurting children and wants him to be held accountable for what he's accused of doing.
Gayler lived with Mitchell and Barzee for two years in the late 1980s. She said life with them was chaos and torture.
Gayler said Mitchell made her feel uncomfortable from the beginning. She testified he would come into her room every night, caress her and brush up against her breast. When they would pray, she said Mitchell would get her to look at pornography.
"Nude pictures getting laid out," she recalled. "There was always some kind of innuendo of me joining their sex life somehow."
Gayler tearfully recalled when Mitchell and Barzee made her eat her pet rabbit for dinner. At the time, Barzee told her it was chicken and then "laughed hysterically" as she revealed the truth the next day. Gayler said that rabbit, named Peaches, was the only thing that loved her unconditionally.
Expert testifies on Mitchell's manuscripts
Daniel Peterson, a professor of religious studies at BYU and an expert in religious texts, was called by the prosecution Friday. He testified that based on his readings of Mitchell's Book of Immanuel David Isaiah manuscripts, Mitchell's writing have origins in common with beliefs of the mainstream LDS Church. Rather than rambling nonsense, Peterson called the book well-written.
"The book is, in one sense, the product of an intelligent writer," Peterson said. "It's thought through."
Peterson said he does not believe there is much information there that hasn't already been said or written before. The two volumes of books were written like a student term paper, lifting passages from many other sources, he said.
"It's absolutely full of quotations, particularly from scriptural sources," he said. "One thing that strikes me about the (the Book of Immanuel David Isaiah) is the barrenness of it. It just doesn't have a lot of ideas," he said.
To say there was no cultural explanation for Mitchell's beliefs, therefore making them "bizarre" as a defense witness testified, was wrong, Peterson said.
Peterson said many of Mitchell's ideas were very similar to beliefs held by practicing members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"His view of inspiration he describes is no different than, say, a mainstream Latter-day Saint would describe," he said. One difference, however, was that some of Mitchell's revelations lasted more than a year, which Peterson said is an idea and not a revelation.
Mitchell's idea of the Second Coming and the establishment of Zion is also based on mainstream Mormonism.
As for Mitchell's use of archaic language, Peterson said Mormons are taught to use reverent language in prayers and blessings. Ideas of repentance and forgiveness mentioned by Mitchell also come from mainstream LDS culture.
Stake president calls Mitchell "master manipulator"
Mitchell's LDS Church stake president during that time, Paul Mecham, also testified Friday. He said his first impression of Mitchell was a clean cut, good-looking man. But Mecham said he saw a very different person when he confronted Mitchell with allegations of "improper behavior."
"The first sentence that included the word ‘improper,' there was an explosion," Mecham testified. "This mild-mannered young man stood, shouted and denied any, any, any improper action of any kind. He then stormed out and I have not seen him since."
Mecham said Mitchell was a master manipulator whose actions didn't follow his words.
"He's as rational as you and I in his reasoning, in his talking, in his speaking," he said.
When Mecham later learned Mitchell had been granted a recommend to enter a Mormon temple, the former stake president said he felt "dismay, almost unbelief." Outside the courtroom, Mecham described Mitchell as a "master manipulator" who likely deceived his church leaders to receive a recommend.
Judge may prolong trial hours
Kimball is expected to announce a new schedule for the trial as it moves into its final week. Because of other legal obligations, Kimball said the trial has to be completed by Dec. 10. He was expected to discuss adding an additional two or three hours on to each day's proceedings in order meet that deadline.
The government is expected to call about five days' worth of rebuttal witnesses.
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Story compiled with contributions from Pat Reavy and Sandra Yi.
