Law&Crime Sidebar - Hike From Hell Dad Busted In Bizarre Trespassing Video

Episode Date: January 11, 2026

Bizarre bodycam footage captures the prior arrest of Utah father Micah Smith, who is now accused of child torture after allegedly forcing his three young children on a terrifying hike. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber analyzes the newly released video, shocking allegations of jealousy and infidelity, and a judge’s decision on whether Smith should be released ahead of trial.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW:Stay Informed, Stay Safe – Check Public Records with TruthFinder now at https://www.truthfinder.com/lcsidebar HOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael Deininger, Christina O'Shea, Alex Ciccarone, & Jay CruzScript Writing & Producing - Savannah Williamson & Juliana BattagliaGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrimeTwitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wonderly Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wonderly Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Just a hardworking father and husband and this, please help me out. The bizarre arrest of a man later accused of forcing his three young children on the hike from hell is caught now on body. cam footage. I'm not getting in yet. Step into the truck. You're not taking me away.

You're going to talk to me peacefully right here. Nope. Step into the truck. This is an option. This is an option. So that we can redo your rights and then we'll move forward with the call, okay? This newly released video gives us insight into the defendant's behavior and interactions with police.

And it comes as Utah prosecutors argue Micah Smith needs to stay locked up for everybody's safety, despite his attorney's claim that he's no danger. We are asking that your honor giving the chance to be out of custody on this case. Plus, now allegations of an open marriage deal gone wrong, we are digging into all of it right now. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. All right, I got to tell you about something that we use here on Sidebar that I think could be very, very useful to you. It is Truthfinder.

It is the powerful public record search service that we use to do research here on law and crime. But for you, you plug in a name, you get address information. you get criminal history. And let me just say, that can give you some peace of mind. TruthFinder is one of the largest public record search services in the United States. And with a paid subscription, you can get access to unlimited reports about almost anyone. And that includes looking up registered sex offenders in your area, too. So stay informed, stay safe, check public records with TruthFinder now at truthfinder.

com slash LC sidebar. We're going back to Utah. This is where prosecutors claim that 32-year-old father of three, Micah Smith, took his three children ages two, four, and eight on a highly ill-advised and dangerous hike. And now the argument seems to be that he may have done this because he was jealous after he and his wife agreed to have an open marriage. That is according to new reporting from the Salt Lake Tribune, which had reporters in the courtroom this week as a judge had to consider whether Smith should be released pending trial. So in other words, the argument is from prosecutors, this wasn't just a mistake of a

father taking an ill-advised trip on this mountain or a tragedy or an accident? No, basically they are arguing this was intentional. And Smith faces three child torture charges. Another three aggravated child abuse charges after his children were rescued from Big Cottonwood Canyon last October. Smith himself ended up in the hospital alongside his daughter and sons. But once investigators apparently learned what had allegedly happened in the time the family was missing on the mountainside, that is when Smith got locked up. And when he first appeared in court in December, prosecutors were adamant that he needed to stay behind bars. Mr. Ross, what is the state's position on a request for a pretrial supervised release? That's a hard no, Your Honor. So Smith,

clad in a yellow jail jump suit, he was back in court on Tuesday, and this is where his attorney argued that he should be allowed out before trial. By the way, if convicted on the child abuse and torture charges, Smith is facing up to life in prison. So the state, are quite high. Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney, Sarah Epperson, had a whole presentation for the court, and this included, by the way, messages or parent messages between Smith and his wife, where she seemingly told him repeatedly that he needed to turn back and get the children to safety. According to Epperson, Smith pushed his kids to go on this strenuous, dangerous, intense hike because of jealousy. She claims that Smith's wife planned to hang out with a guy that she started

dating after the couple agreed to an open marriage, meaning they remained together but also have relationships with other people. And this was the breaking point. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Epperson showed a text message that Smith's wife allegedly sent him during the hike, which said that just because she was seeing someone else didn't, quote, mean you have to go to the highest mountain. And Smith allegedly chose a formidable summit to make his stand. I mean, if these accusations are true, before allegedly abandoning his children on the dark,

cold mountainside. Trail guide blogs and websites have described the trail as challenging and consistently uphill. The U.S. Forest Service says that it has extensive rock faces and rugged terrain and climb steeply to an overlook. So this is not a place that you want to take young children, okay, particularly when you're having a snowstorm. So there is this probable cause statement that was filed as part of Smith's indictment. And I want to read it to you. It says, quote, A search of Smith's phone revealed multiple photos and videos that he took on the date of the hike. In one of the videos, EAS expressed that the clouds were moving in fast and asked Smith, are we going to freeze to death, daddy?

Smith responded that they were, quote, almost to the top. In another video, Smith told the children that the path they would take was, quote, not the normal one, and they were taking the path less traveled, then explained that the path will be hard and is not easy. In multiple videos, EZS and EAS are observed hiking. with no trail, scaling the sides of the cliff and trying to make it through the bushes. The children are observed struggling, complaining, and cold. Talk about, you know, pretty bad evidence. Well, what happens? So a storm rolls in. It apparently causes the temperatures to plummet. All of them get soaked essentially to the bone. Smith's daughter, so this eight-year-old later told

police that Smith eventually left them alone to try to hike down, maybe to find help. According to a police affidavit, search and rescue team members, they say the children, at least two of whom were almost seemingly close to dying because of the conditions. They were in a spot that was so difficult to get to that rescuers almost couldn't reach them. And in a devastating update during this week's detention hearing, the prosecutor revealed that the four-year-old who had a body temperature of apparently 62 degrees, 62 degrees when he got to the hospital and suffered a stroke, he's likely going to have permanent brain damage. Oh, and by the way, Smith allegedly ended up being officially trespassed from primary children's hospital

for allegedly interfering with his son's care and tampering with the equipment. Yeah, per the Salt Lake Tribune, Epperson, prosecutor, told the judge that Smith kept messing with a tube that had been placed in his son's head. And hospital staff reportedly told him to stop multiple times messing around with it because that could cause further damage, but Smith allegedly kept undoing it. Oh, and the prosecutor also claimed that Smith has been charged with domestic violence for reportedly trying to attack his wife with an axe or a hatchet during an argument over that open marriage.

So you have all these different dynamics that are playing out right now. Smith's defense attorney, so Kayla Mahoney had a different perspective. Not surprising, right? She's representing him. She asked the court, asked the judge to release Smith with an ankle monitor, saying that he could live with an unidentified family member out in Salt Lake County. Now, she didn't seemingly argue that the protective order in place preventing Smith from having contact with his children should be removed, just that Smith should be given bail. And she made the argument that it's a tough battle for prosecutors to claim that Smith had the legal intent to harm or torture his kids.

The Salt Lake Tribune report, she said in court, it is poor judgment. This was poor decision-making. But that does not rise to the level of intentionally and knowingly intending to cause this outcome. judge didn't seem to be buying it. Further, the court finds clear and convincing evidence that defendant poses a substantial danger to other individuals and the community. Yeah, so the judge ordered Smith to stay in jail, scheduled Smith's preliminary hearing for March 20th. This is when it'll be decided if there is enough evidence against the father to send him to trial. And as Smith sat in court hoping, we're seemingly hoping to be released, we are doing something different now because we are going through newly released body cam footage.

from South Jordan, Utah police. And this shows their interactions with Smith before this precarious hike. And this is an important piece of the story. And while it does become a question if it will actually make its way into evidence to be heard by a jury at trial, that remains to be seen. We want to show it to you nonetheless, so you get a full picture here. So first, one of those apparent interactions was back in February of 2023. And this is when Smith and his family had just moved into a home in a South Jordan neighborhood.

Dispatchers get a call from a neighbor saying they saw someone in a black hoodie face covering at a nearby abandoned home that was slated for demolition, looked suspicious. So when officers got there, they apparently spot Smith and he allegedly takes off running. Zadrope, please. Stay where you are. Where's he at? Stay over there. Or back too. Got that all got long? Is that one here?

Go. 231. We're running north of Newark. You're going to get Taze. Get down on one knee now. You're going to get Taze. Both knees, get on both knees now. Forehead on the ground.

What am I? Put your hands on your back. We'll tell you. Innocent people don't run. Don't move. Mike up. Wait, were you running, Micah? 2.1382, the home mail.

Are you something sharp on you any weapons? No. You're not allowed to take my weapon. Right now we're detaining you as we're investigating you trespassing and possibly stealing property out of an abandoned house. It's called stripping property, bro. Is it? Yes, that's exactly what it's called. All right, say that. So how did you guys know how is there?

Well, a little thing called neighbors watching those abandoned houses. Ah. Ah, yes. Yes. Okay. Okay. Well, I live right here. Oh, really? Yes.

So, then you knew those houses were empty? I did, yeah. Okay. What was it your for? Um, not much. Okay. I didn't even take anything so you can't get me from. It's called burglary.

Burglary, huh? Burglary. You entering a property to commit crime, such as theft. Such as theft. How do you know that? Keep on walking, dude. You don't know that. Come on this.

Okay. Don't put me in to tell my neighbors. So, let me face that. Lying your stance. Line your stance. Anything that's going to poke or stabbled me? Dude, look at me. Fix away from him?

Just answer the question. Answer the question. Anything that kind of poke stick or stab me? All right. No. Come on. I'm not going to. Why would I have anything to stab you?

I don't know. I don't know. If you use needles or anything on me. I don't know if you're diabetic. I need the back of my hand and check your groin area. All right, we'll step over to this truck. What's going on here? I'm going to do your right foot.

I'm not getting in yet. Step into the truck. You're not taking me away. You're going to talk to me peacefully right here. Nope. Step into the truck. This is an option. So we can redo your rights and then we'll move forward the call, okay?

Go ahead and put your legs in the car. Come on now. I can do it. You were struggling. I'm not struggling. I got it. That's my drill. That's my house.

I don't have any items. I didn't steal anything. Can I tell you what I was doing? Can I get your first name? Can I tell you what I was doing? Sure. Go for it. Okay. Well, read him his right person. I know my rights. It's okay. Okay, well, we're going to read him anyways. Okay, let me identify who you are first.

Okay, my name's Michael. Micah. How do you still have? M-I-C-A-H. So the officer reads Smith his rights. Smith kind of seemed a little snippy that he was being detained. Do you understand he's one of these rights? I understand, yes. Okay.

and having these rights in mind you wish to talk to you. Yes, I do. Okay. So why don't you walk me through about what's going on? Okay. Turn around. Let me just catch his breath. You want to see when I talk to me.

I'm all right. I'm not at breath too. Yeah. I don't care. I don't care about you either then. Just turn around. I'm worried about them. They're chasing you. You ran.

So I'm just giving them a time to be able to... Walk me through what happened. Alright, so I just literally lived in here like a week ago. Okay. Did you... You live with a family over there or do you buy the house? My wife and children. Okay.

And I know these houses are being wasted. And I have no reason to acquire anything for my own personal gain. So, I don't need anything in there. I'm not trying to steal anything. Um, this is really dumb. Honestly, um, I, I just barely went over there just to see what was in there. And there's some door handles.

And I needed some new door handles for that house. And that is all. I was going to take apart a few door handles and reacquire them to the original owners. I know UDOT owns these all these homes. So you're not really doing anyone a service except for nobody just to hurt me. just to hurt me. So I wish you guys would understand. I understand now not to come over here.

Just a hardworking father and husband and this, please help me out. So why'd you run for us? We saw you on both sides. Why I'd run from you because I don't want to go through this and have the potential to be arrested? Okay, but after we announced ourselves, as law enforcement, right? And then you flee from us. You know that's its own separate crime? No. Okay. Well, that's what we're doing with, right? It's first going into the house, looking for door handles, right? Yes, it's owned by UDOT. And UDOT would be, ultimately,

they would be like the victim here, right? Yeah. And they would choose say, yes, we want them charged or no, we don't want them charged because it's their property, like you said. But then when we identify ourselves, right, and then you flee, it doesn't make you look at it. It doesn't make you look great. It doesn't. I know. I'm sorry, dude. I should, man.

I got scared. Yeah, I'm sure. So right now, obviously this case isn't done. We have to contact UDOT and honestly it would be up to them because it is their property. Right, neighbors, you know, witnesses and stuff, it's not their houses. They don't have rights to it, right? It's UDOT. But it's up to UDOT.

You understand, right? If you like, punched me in the face right, I'm the victim. Right? You go into their house? With burglary, you don't have to, you just have to enter and remain unlawfully with the intent to steal stuff. I know that's the law. Okay, that's what I'm saying to you. But outside the law is common, just an understanding, you know?

I know there's... Why did you go ahead and call UDOT? Yeah. And then... Don't you... Okay. Call U.D. It's ultimately their property, and...

That's the main thing. That's the main thing. And if we don't want him, then we'll just hit him with fleeing from us, I guess. And issue a trespass notice. And the officers returned to the abandoned home to make sure no one else was inside, take photos of any damage, and they find a door to the garage, and that door is open. Sawd drum, please, anybody in here? Sawdry, please, anybody in here?

Now, in the body cam, the officers note that there's damage to the garage doors frame, but it is unclear if that damage was caused by Smith or someone else. There also appears to be slight damage to at least one of the door handles that is inside the home as well. Now the home is actually owned by Utah's Department of Transportation. It's also known as UDOT. So the officer gives them a call to see how they'd like to move forward with all this. So I got a weird one. We have a couple abandoned houses in South Jordan that are actually owned by UDOT while you guys are trying to expand Bangor Highway.

Um, they're the previous owners left and everything like that and UDOT's just tearing them down. Somebody was caught breaking into one. Do you guys have a supervisor or anything that I could contact about this to see if what you guys want done about it? Yes. Um, just one moment. Do you know if there was any damage done to the, just a damage to the door? He was trying to steal some doorknobs, but we caught him before he took any doorknobs, but he just forced entry into one of the doors, so the door is damaged.

And then there's this police report that states, quote, after speaking with UDOT, I advise Micah that they don't want him charged. I then advised him that I will be screening the charge for fleeing. Micah stated he understood. I advised Micah that he will be released at this time. I took Micah's handcuffs off. Micah was given his property back, which included a pair of gloves, face covering, drill, and his cell phone.

This property was in his possession at the time of the arrest. Micah then walked back to his residence without incident. So the report also says that at one point, Smith's wife approached an officer, told them apparently that her husband was just curious about the homes, was, quote, poking around that he didn't have any ill intentions, but it was reported that South Jordan police, they charged Smith with failure to stop the command of a peace officer, a class A misdemeanor. However, that wasn't the only apparent interaction that Smith had with police that was caught on body cam. No, he was apparently stopped in question just one week before that hike with his kids.

And during that interaction, officers noted they were concerned about his mental well-being. So on the case with Chris Stewart actually did a deep dive into this traffic stop body cam. And you can check it out on the Long Crime YouTube channel. But I just want to play you a portion of it for you now to give you a sense of Smith's behavior in the lead-up to the hike in his eventual arrest. I'm going through really hard time. Can you believe. My wife's cheat on me. She didn't come home until 7 o'clock.

I have three kids. Fire arms not to go end or is it? Or him? You're not going to take care of Santa. I'm going. I'm hiking up to the top of the mountain now. Today? It's a day.

You know, it's snowing up there, right? I know. I will. I look forward to that. You're going to take. No way, man. No way. I'm just making sure these are things that we do with.

As this traffic stop continues, the officer realizes that Smith has no insurance or registration for the truck that he's driving. It has these bald tires making it dangerous to drive, especially since Smith tells him he wants to visit a mountain. Okay. And Smith also reveals he has weapons in the truck. Where's your firearm? Don't reach for him. Right. Don't reach for him.

Do you know. Okay. For your safety in mind, I'd like to retrieve it. Hold on, I'm not taking it away from you, but I'm going to have you stand right here while I retrieve it. Okay, please exit the vehicle. Stand right here. Do not grab for it. Hey! Straight there. Right there. Just stay right there, don't move.

Any other weapons in the car? Okay, so I'm gonna have you stand in front of my car Until we figure this out So all things that we would have to be worried about right? Yeah, for on a normal stop for safety I wasn't expecting me either I was stopping to help because you're over here on the side of the road like you're standing Same with the Rivian that I stopped behind

But then when I came over and saw you on my I'll check on them see if he needs help help. That's where we got to this. So give me a second. Is your truck? Yeah, that's fine. Not me though. Is anything ours? Are you the registered owner of it? I am. Kind of. My marriage is ending of 13 years. I'm sorry, dude.

You got somebody to talk to? Okay, I'm going to ask you a serious question. You want to hurt yourself? I'm going to do that on a rainy day like this? It's dangerous. It's quite, if you're not skilled. Muddy, slippery? I'm a ninja, brother.

You're a ninja? I don't know. Maybe you are a ninja. But I don't know that that's the best thing to be doing today. I'm wanting to go on this height for five years. Where are you going to go height? How would you say, or what would you say if I said I was concerned about you though? Thank you, brother.

And I would rather you not do that today. I said the same thing. The first thing I'll do is get in my truck. just get my truck and drive down. If I feel like hiking, then I'll see how far I hike. Get some of the top. I get some back. Today you're not getting to the top, I'm telling you how.

With the weather, you don't have the gear in the truck for it. You might be a bad ass, but... I'll tell you what, man. I'd hike, barefoot, avalanche area, avalanche area, miles and miles, nothing but my dog, My dog.

So concerned for Smith's mental state, the officer took the handgun, a rifle, an axe from Smith, secured them in his patrol car during the stop. He didn't have probable cause to keep the weapons, though. So when Smith's truck was towed and a friend came to pick him up, KSLTV reports that the officer cautioned this friend about the potential danger of giving the weapons, so the guns, the axe back to Smith. So there's an argument that that officer may have prevented something from taking place that day.

We don't know for sure. But the next time that Smith decided he needed to climb a mountain, this is when he allegedly decided to take his children along for this truly hell of a journey. For now, he remains jailed without bail. He's awaiting his preliminary hearing in March. We are going to be sure to bring you any updates on this very sad, very strange case as they come in. That's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify.

wherever you should get your podcasts. You can follow me on X or Instagram. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time. You can binge all episodes of this long crime series ad free right now on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.