Prosecution rests in Smart kidnapping trial

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Attorneys for the man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart in 2002 are calling their first witness in his Salt Lake City trial.Federal prosecutors rested their case against Brian David Mitchell on Tuesday morning and defense attorneys called their first witness, a religious leader from when Mitchell was a member of the Mormon church.Mitchell’s trial on charges of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines is in its third week. If convicted, the 57-year-old one-time street preacher could spend the rest of his life in prison.Mitchell’s attorneys have not disputed the facts of Smart’s abduction and nine months in captivity but contend he is mentally ill and can’t be held responsible for his actions.

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