Utah Dad Charged with Child Torture After 'Hike from Hell' with Young Children

The 'Hike from Hell'

• 💔 A Utah father, Micah Smith, is accused of taking his three young children (ages 2, 4, and 8) on a nine-mile, difficult mountain hike in freezing conditions.
• ⚠️ The hike, on the Broads Fork Trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon, is considered hazardous even for experienced adults and was not recommended for children.
• 🥶 Smith allegedly ignored warnings and pleas to turn back, including from his 8-year-old daughter who expressed fear of freezing to death.

Harrowing Ordeal and Alleged Neglect

• 🆘 The children struggled, with the 4-year-old son found with no pulse and a body temperature of 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring extensive CPR and suffering a stroke.
• 🩺 The 2-year-old son also experienced head trauma and respiratory distress.
• 👧 The 8-year-old daughter reportedly had to perform CPR on her brother under her father's alleged instruction while he was gone.
• 🚶‍♂️ Smith is accused of leaving the children alone on the mountain to descend by himself.

Criminal Charges and Court Proceedings

• ⚖️ Micah Smith faces six first-degree felonies: three counts of child torture and three counts of aggravated child abuse.
• 🚫 A judge denied his request for pre-trial supervised release, deeming him a danger to the alleged victims and ordering him to remain in custody.
• 📈 Prosecutors cited prior alarming behavior, including a mental health incident with weapons and alleged tampering with his son's hospital equipment, as evidence of a spiraling pattern.

Evidence Presented in Court

• 📱 A video from Smith's phone reportedly captures his daughter's fearful question, "Are we going to freeze to death, Daddy?"
• 📝 Text messages to his wife show escalating warnings about the conditions and the children's deteriorating state.
• 🧑‍ rescuers noted Smith behaved oddly and did not appear concerned about the children when they were found.
• 🏥 Medical records detail the dire condition of the 4-year-old, including being pulseless and requiring a portion of his skull to be removed.