Father Micah Smith Faces Child Torture Charges After ‘Nightmare’ Hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Salt Lake County, Utah — A Utah father, Micah Smith, has been charged with multiple counts of child torture and aggravated child abuse following a harrowing hiking incident last month in Big Cottonwood Canyon that endangered his three children.

Smith, 33, is accused of being “selfish” in an indictment that formally charges him with three counts of child torture and three counts of aggravated child abuse. He is currently being held without bail.

According to prosecutors, what began as an apparently innocent hike on Saturday, October 11, quickly turned into a nightmare. Smith took his three children, ages 2, 4, and 8, on the Broads Fork Trail. The group was reported missing after failing to return home and sending troubling text messages to Smith’s wife.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said, “Not an easy hike that you would take a child upon.”

Rescue and Medical Emergency

First responders found Smith and the children the following morning. Reports described Smith as behaving oddly and showing little concern for his children, telling rescuers that “one of his children was dead.” The children were found standing next to a boulder with makeshift wind cover, wearing minimal clothing. The 2-year-old was underneath the 4-year-old, who appeared unconscious and lifeless.

Father Micah Smith Faces Child Torture Charges After ‘Nightmare’ Hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Rescuers performed 25 minutes of CPR on the 4-year-old en route to the hospital. His core body temperature was recorded at 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and he later suffered a stroke requiring part of his skull to be removed.

Alarming Details from the Hike

Smith’s 8-year-old daughter told investigators the hike was initially presented as a 9-mile or 9-hour trek. As the family neared the top of the trail, clouds and a severe storm arrived, with snow, hail, and rain. Smith reportedly ignored his daughter’s warnings and encouraged the children to continue, even teaching her how to perform CPR on her younger brother as conditions worsened.

Investigators also discovered that Smith sent multiple texts and photos to his wife during the ordeal. At 5:18 p.m., he wrote: “Yes, [The 4-year-old] is exhausted. We're almost to the very top, but everyone is starting to fail and it's starting to rain. I'm getting tired of carrying [2-year-old]. It's tough with three children and no second parent.”

Past Warning Signs

Authorities say that just one month before the incident, Smith expressed suicidal thoughts and had firearms in his vehicle, claiming he was “going through a really hard time” and intended to hike a mountain. Despite this, he denied any intent to harm himself.

Following the hospital incident, Smith faced additional charges, including trespassing and interfering with his 4-year-old son’s medical care, as well as domestic violence, though details on the latter have not been released.

Laurieann Thorpe, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Utah, emphasized the broader lesson: “It’s an adult's responsibility to keep a child safe. Not a child’s responsibility… Anytime you choose to ignore the instinct to call, it’s you choosing to protect an adult and placing the adult's worries above the child’s. We need to shift that; we’re protecting children first.”

The indictment states: “The defendant’s behavior is clearly spiraling, and he’s not only a danger to himself, but he is a danger to these victims.”