This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Maybe I've missed it, but in all the articles and commentary lately leading up to the final sentencing of Brian David Mitchell, I have not seen much discussion of Elizabeth Smart's fellow victims of Mitchell's atrocities: Utah taxpayers. It's not just the costs of court proceedings we're saddled with, what about the lifetime cost of Mitchell's room and board that we're going to be paying for?
How and when will Mitchell repay his debt to society? By sitting in jail the rest of his life and have his meals delivered to him, while I work my butt off the rest of my life paying for it all?
Is it just a coincidence, or is Utah a breeding ground for nut cases like Mitchell — Warren Jeffs, Tom Green, Richard Worthington, etc.? Is there something we could be doing different here to prevent the horrific trauma and expense associated with these misfits?
Tom Dempster
Murray