Big Cottonwood Canyon Horror: Dad Faces Child Torture Allegations | Crime Alert 12PM 11.28.25

Authorities say 31-year-old Micah Zephan Smith was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. He’s charged with three counts of aggravated child abuse and three counts of child torture—all first-degree felonies.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alert hourly update, breaking crime news Now. I'm Nicole Parton.
The father of three young children rescued from Big Cottonwood
Canyon and faces serious charges. Authority say. Thirty one year
old Micah Smith was arrested Tuesday and booked into the
Salt Lake County Jail. He's charged with three counts of
aggravated child abuse and three counts of child torture, all

(00:23):
first degree felonies. Smith and his children, a two year
old boy, a four year old boy, and an eight
year old girl, were reported missing hours after leaving for
what was supposed to be a simple hike, but investigators
say that hike turned into a nightmare. Court documents reveal
Smith ignored warnings and pushed ahead toward the summit, despite

(00:46):
storm clouds rolling in and his children begging to turn back.
He reportedly called the hike a once in a lifetime experience.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
So the hike itself is not an easy one, and
as we stated in our pabloclast statement that uarienced hikers
from Search and Rescue themselves were injured in the process
of trying.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
To do it. As conditions worsened, one child fell and
hit his head. Smith decided to shelter in place, building
a makeshift wall. The children described the night as hard,
saying they were freezing and their teeth were chattering. At
one point, the child became unconscious. Smith told investigators he
and another child performed CPR to revive them. Search and

(01:28):
rescue teams say the trail was hazardous and rated hard,
not suitable for beginners, not suitable for children. It took
rescuers more than five hours to reach the family. Investigators
called Smith's actions ill prepared and extremely selfish, adding that
one child will never fully recover. They've asked that Smith
beheld without bail, citing concerns his behavior is spiraling. In

(01:52):
a statement, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosy Riviera praised first
responders for the relentless efforts locating the family, providing medical care,
and advancing the case for crime and justice. News after this,
Brian Latrell, a member of the Backstreet Boys, is urging

(02:15):
beach goers in Walton County to stop playing games regarding
the contentious issues of the Mean High water line. In July,
wfla's sister station WMBB reported that Latrelle's family had initiated
legal action against the Walton County Sheriff's Office, claiming a
failure to uphold their private property rights. Now, Latrelle is

(02:38):
taking legal action against Carolyn Hill, a sixty seven year
old woman featured in a video that highlights the sheriff's
deputies in action in protecting the latrell's property rights. In
the video, Hill becomes agitated after being asked to relocate
her position on Santa Rosa Beach. The deputy attempts to
reassure her, expressing his own doubt about private beaches and

(03:01):
suggests she could simply move to a different area. Hill, however,
alleges that Latrelle and their property manager have made repeated
threats against her, including one incident involving an electric drill.
I've been threatened by him, and if he gets within
four feet of me with that drill, I'm going to
pepper spray him, she said. Heill was asked by deputies

(03:24):
again to leave. The property manager acknowledged the drill incident,
saying she comes out here and harasses us owners frequently.
I understand your concern about the drill, but I don't
intend to use it as a weapon. These encounters have
resonated with others as shared by the Shoreline Defenders app's
Instagram account, which advocates for the rights of beach goers

(03:46):
in Walton County. In recent months, the app has highlighted
Hill's interaction with the deputy and the drill, along with
numerous posts reflecting a common sentiment about beach goers feeling
threatened by private beach owner. That's the second person who
has experienced feeling intimidated by you and the drill. That drill,

(04:07):
especially with a metal bar, can be perceived as a weapon.
Perception is key, right, a Walton County Sheriff's deputy remarked. However,
the narrative presented by Latrell's attorney in the lawsuit tells
a different story. The initial court filings from September accused
Hell of repeatedly and intentionally trespassing on Latrelle's property, resulting

(04:28):
in damages and emotional distress for Latrella and his family.
The lawsuit includes multiple counts of trespassing, invasion of privacy,
unauthorized recording, stalking, and calls for a jury trial for
each issue. Hill has requested extensions from the court on
two occasions, citing difficulties in securing a lawyer her semi

(04:50):
retired status, reliance on Medicare, and her ability to take
time off from work to address her legal issues. The
court has granted her these extensions. Recently, the Woman's secured
legal representation, and on November nineteen, her attorney fouled emotion
to dismiss Latrell's complaint, arguing the lack of specific items

(05:12):
to report about rather than a woman walking on the beach. Recently,
He'll secured legal representation, and on November nineteen, her attorney
fouled emotion to dismiss Latrell's complaint, arguing the lack of
specific details rather than just a woman walking on the beach.
The attorney says there's insufficient evidence to support any other allegations.

(05:35):
A hearing for the motion to dismiss the case is
set for December eleven. In the meantime, Latrell says he
continues to press forward, saying this is my beach, it's private,
it belongs to me, and trespassing is not allowed. For
the latest crime in justice news, follow Crime Alert hourly
update on your favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert.

(05:56):
I'm Nicole Partner