'Hike from Hell' Dad Busted in Bizarre Trespassing Video

Um, just a hardworking father and. husband and uh, 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. >> Okay, step into the truck. >> You're going to talk to me peacefully. right here. >> Nope. Step into the truck. This is an. option that so that we can read your.

rights and then we'll move forward with. the call. Okay. >> Yep. >> 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 [music] that he's no. danger. >> We are asking that your honor give him. the chance to be out of custody on this. case. >> Plus, now allegations [music]. 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 [music] Jesse Weber. All right, I got to tell you about. [music] 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/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. mountain side, 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 pre-trial supervised.

release? That's a hard no, your honor. So Smith, clad in a yellow jail. jumpsuit, 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 stakes are quite high. Deputy Salt. Lake County Attorney Sarah Eper 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 Eper, 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 remain together, but also have relationships with other. people. And this was the breaking point. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Eper. 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 mountain side. Trail guide. blogs and websites have described the. trail as challenging and consistently. uphill. The US Forest Service says that. it has extensive rock faces and rugged. terrain and climbs 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. Eper, the. 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 on doing it. Oh, and the prosecutor also claimed that. Smith has been charged with domestic. violence for reportedly trying to attack. his wife with a axe or a hatchet during. an argument over that open marriage. So. you have all of 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 a 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 or 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. Look suspicious. So when. officers got there, they apparently spot. Smith and he allegedly takes off. running.

SATAR, POLICE, STAY WHERE YOU ARE. Where's he at? Stay over there or next to get that. I. got one. here. Going.

on the suspect. We're running north on. New York. Please stop right there. Please stop. Please stop or YOU'RE GOING TO BE TAGED. STOP OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE TASED. Drop it. Drop it now. Drop it now.

>> Drop it now. or. >> you're going to get tased. >> All right, >> get down on one knee now or you're going. to get tased. >> Let's talk to you. >> No, >> you ran. >> We're going to talk to you. >> Okay, both knees. Get on both knees now. >> Turn around. >> Listen to us and we'll talk to each. other. >> Okay. All right. All right. >> Put your hands behind your back. >> Forehead on the ground. >> What am I? >> Put your hands behind your back. >> We'll tell you.

>> Innocent people don't run. >> Don't move. What's your name, man? >> Micah. >> Why were you running? Micah. >> 21382. The. >> one. sharp on you. Any weapons? >> No. >> Okay.

You're not allowed to take my car. >> right now. We're we're detaining you. >> as [snorts] 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. So, so how did you guys know. it was there? >> Oh, little thing called neighbors. watching those abandoned houses. >> Ah. >> Ah, yes. >> Okay. >> Well, I live right here. Oh, really?

>> Yes. >> So, and you knew those houses were. empty? >> I did. Yeah. >> Okay. >> What was the door for? >> Um, not much. >> Okay. >> I didn't even take anything, so you. can't get anything to maybe. >> It's called burglary. >> Burglary, huh? >> Burglary. You enter into a property to commit. crime such as theft. Well, how do you know I don't work that?

>> How do you know that? Keep on walking, dude. You don't know that. >> Okay. >> Don't put me in front of my neighbors. Come on. Take that. Lie on your stance. Lie in. your stance. Anything that's going to. poke, stick, or stab me,

>> dude. Look at me. >> Away from him. >> Just answer the question. >> Answer the question. Anything that's. going to 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. I don't know if. you're diabetic.

What's up? Okay, back to check your groin area. All. right, we'll step over to this truck. Come on. Let's see what's going on here.

>> I'm not getting in yet. >> Step into the truck. >> You're not taking me away. >> Okay. Step into the truck. >> You're going to talk to me peacefully. right here. >> Nope. Step into the truck. This is an. option. >> So that we can redo your rights and then. we'll move forward with the call. Okay. >> Yep. >> Turn around and put your legs in the. car. >> Come on now. >> I can I can do it. I can do it myself. You were struggling. >> I'm not struggling. >> Got it. >> You got some items. I think that's. >> my drill. That's my house. >> Yeah. You go. >> I don't have any items. I didn't steal.

anything. >> Yep. >> 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. >> We'll read him as. >> 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. >> Mike, how do you spell that? >> 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 each one of these. rights? >> Understand? Yes. >> Okay. And having these rights in mind,

you wish to talk to me? >> Yes, I do. >> Okay. So, why don't you walk me through. about what's going on? >> Okay. Take a. turn. Just catch his breath. >> He was in there. Talk to me. >> I know. I'm all right. I'm all right. Sorry. >> I'm out of 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. >> walk me through what happened. >> All right. So, I just barely moved in. here like a week ago. >> Okay. >> Um, >> did you you live with family over there. or did you buy.

>> my wife and children? >> Okay. >> And um I know these houses are being. wasted. and I have no. >> no no reason to acquire anything for my. own personal gain. So, um, >> I don't need anything in there. I'm not. trying to steal anything. >> This is really dumb. >> Honestly, um, >> I just barely went over there just to.

see what was in there. >> Mhm. >> And there's some door handles. and I needed some new door handles for. that house. And that is all. >> Okay. I was going to I was going to take. apart a few door handles and and. reacquire them to the original owners. I. know you do owns these all all these. homes. So, you're not really doing. anyone a service except for. um. nobody just to hurt me. So, I wish you. guys would understand.

Um I understand now not to come over. here. Um just a hardworking father and. husband and uh this. please. help me out. >> So why'd you run from us? >> On both sides we are. >> I run from you because I don't 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 that's what we're. dealing with, right? Is first going into. the house looking for door handles, right? >> Yes. It's owned by U DOT and you do DOT. 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 cuz it's their property like you. said. Um but then when we identify ourselves, right, and then you flee. >> Yeah. >> It doesn't doesn't make you look great. I'm being completely honest.

>> I know. I'm sorry, dude. I should have. ran. I [snorts] got scared. >> Yeah, I'm sure. Um, so right now. obviously this case isn't done. We have. to contact you do and honestly it'd 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 you do. >> Don't do that. >> But it's up to you dot. You understand, right? If you like punch me in the face, right, I'm the victim, >> right? But 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 the I know the law. 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 don't you go ahead and call you dot? >> Yeah. >> And then I'll move your legs in. got to try and call you do to see if. it's ultimately their property and.

that's that's the main thing and. >> if doesn't want him then we'll just. >> hit him with fleeing from us I guess and. >> issue a trespass notice. >> and the officers return 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. anybody in Okay.

S door, please. Anybody in here? >> Clear coming up. >> You got one. >> Y.

pick up one. This my closet. Take this hallway. Now, in the body cam, the officers note that there's damage to. the garage door's 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 UD. do. 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. Um, we have a. couple abandoned houses in South Jordan. that are actually owned by UD do while. you guys are trying to expand Bangador. Highway. Um, they're the previous owners. left and everything like that and UD. do'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? BS. 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 doorork knobs, but we. caught him before he took any doorork. knobs, but he just forced entry into one. of the doors, so the door is damaged.

>> Okay. And then there's this police. report that states, quote, "After. speaking with UDOT, I advised 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 and questioned 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. It's 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. leadup to the hike and his eventual. arrest. Um, I'm going through a really. hard time. Can't even believe my wife's.

cheating on me. She didn't come home. till 7:00. I have three kids. >> Firearms about to go. Ender, is it? Or. him? >> You're not going to take care of Sono? >> I'm going I'm hiking up to the top of. the mountain, man. >> Today. >> I know it's snowing up there, right? >> I know. >> No way. >> I look forward to that. >> You're going to or. >> No way, man. No way. >> I was just making sure these are things. that we deal 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. it. Don't reach for it. Do not. Okay. For your safety and mine, I'd like to. retrieve it. >> Got it back, bro. Hold on. I'm not I'm. not taking it away from you, but I'm.

going to have you stand right here while. I retrieve it. >> Okay. >> Okay. Please exit the vehicle. Stand. right here. Do not grab for it. >> Hey, [cheering]. right here. Straight. >> Listen, man. Right there. >> Just stay right there. Don't move. >> Any other weapons in the car? Okay. So, I'm going to have you stand in. front of my car. till we figure this out.

We. >> got Hey, man. >> We got an axe. >> So, all things that we would have to be. worried about, right, >> for on a normal stop for safety. >> I wasn't expecting that. >> I wasn't expecting either. I was. stopping to help cuz you're over here on. the side of the road like you're. stranded. Same with the Rivian that I. stopped behind. But then when I came over and saw you. like I'll check on him, see if it needs. help. >> That's why we got to this. So, give me a. second. >> Is it your truck?

>> Yeah, it's mine. >> Not really. >> Is anything ours? >> Are you the registered owner of it? >> I am kind of. honestly I was just going to hike. through a lot of personal things and now. this is it's like it's now 10 times. worse. Yes, he does. >> What's going on? >> What's going on? What a person. >> Yes, >> my marriage is ending in 13 years. >> That sucks. I'm sorry, dude.

Imagine worse than you imag. >> You got somebody to talk to? >> I got staying with my brother right now. >> Okay. I'm going to ask you a serious. question. >> You want to hurt yourself? >> I don't want to hurt myself. I don't. want to hike till I can't hike no more, though. I want to get to the top. >> You going to do that on a rainy day like. this? >> The best time to do it. >> It's dangerous. It's windy if you're not. skilled.

>> Muddy, slippery. >> I'm a ninja, brother. >> You're a ninja. >> I'm a ninja. >> I don't know. >> I don't know. >> Maybe you are a ninja. >> But I don't I don't know that that's the. best thing to be doing today. Might not. be, but I've been wanting to go on this. hike for 5 years. >> Where are you going to go hike? >> I need I need the mental clarity. I need. to I need to go up there. >> How would you say or what would you say. if I said I was concerned about you.

though? >> Thank you, brother. I appreciate that. >> And I would rather you not do that. today. >> I'd say well my brother Jeremiah said. the same thing. time. >> First thing I'll do is get in my truck. and drive there. If I feel like hiking, then I'll see how far I hike. >> If I get to the top, I get to the top. >> Today, you're not getting to the top. I'm telling you now. With the weather, you don't have the gear in the truck for. it. >> You might be a badass, but. >> Well, I'll tell you what, man.

>> I've hiked barefoot. Avalanche area. I go in Ontario. for miles and miles of nothing but my. dog. >> All right. >> So concerned for Smith's mental state, the officer took the handgun, a rifle, and 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, KSL TV. 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 is 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 [music] on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should. get your podcasts. You can follow me on. X or Instagram. [music]. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next. time.

>> [music].