When Elizabeth Smart speaks about missing persons cases, people listen. And on Tuesday, May 5, the 38-year-old survivor delivered a message of cautious hope to anyone following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie.
Smart knows the territory intimately. She spent nine months missing after being abducted from her bedroom in June 2002 by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee—a kidnapping that left an indelible mark on her life and on the national consciousness. So when she told CNN that Nancy Guthrie“could absolutely still be alive,”those words carried weight. Smart pointed to cases spanning many more years than her own that ended in recovery, underscoring a simple but vital truth: time alone doesn’t determine outcome.
Nancy was reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona, home on February 1, after last being seen by family members the night before. More than three months have passed with no public suspects identified, though Pima County police and federal investigators have been working the case. The Guthrie family revealed that Nancy would be in desperate need of her daily medications, adding urgency to the search. By March 21, the tenor of their public appeals shifted—the family acknowledged their grief while insisting they cannot fully grieve until Nancy is found and brought home.
Yet Smart was equally clear-eyed about the stakes.“The alternative”remains possible, she acknowledged on CNN. But that reality only underscores her central message:“Until we know, we can only keep looking. She deserves, either way, to be brought home.”
The investigation itself has become complicated by public friction between FBI Director Kash Patel and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. On May 6, Patel complained on Fox News Media’s“Hang Out With Sean Hannity”podcast that the FBI had been sidelined by local investigators for four days at the start of the case. The Pima County Sheriff’s office countered the next day with a statement defending its coordination with the Bureau from the night of the incident. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche attempted to downplay the tensions on Thursday, May 7, telling NewsNation’s Ali Bradley that the FBI“has worked closely since the day that this happened with the local law enforcement.”
Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie returned to work on NBC’s Today in New York City on April 6, though she made an early exit during the Wednesday, May 6 episode before returning the following day. The case remains open, the search continues, and the Guthrie family waits for answers.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.