Elizabeth Smart says missing Savannah Guthrie’s mother could still be alive
Elizabeth Smart is encouraging the public not to lose hope in the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, saying it remains possible she could still be found alive.
Speaking to CNN, Smart said people should not assume the worst too quickly, pointing to long-term missing persons cases where individuals were eventually recovered alive.
“She could absolutely still be alive,” Smart said.
“There are cases that span many more years than mine does, and they came back alive. We’re talking years and years, so she could absolutely still be alive.”
Smart was abducted at 14 in 2002 and held for nine months before being rescued. She said her own experience reinforces the importance of continuing to search even when time passes without answers.
“Of course, there is the alternative, but until we know? We have to keep looking… she deserves—either way—to be brought home,” she added.
Nancy Guthrie, 84. Was last seen on January 31 after being dropped off at her home in the Catalina Foothills by her daughter, Annie Guthrie, and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni.
She was later reported missing after failing to appear for a scheduled streaming church service the following morning.
Since her disappearance, there have been few major public developments, with investigators continuing to follow up on leads and evidence.
However, some independent experts have expressed more caution about the nature of the case.
Morgan Wright, CEO of the National Center for Open and Unsolved Cases, previously suggested the investigation may need to be treated differently given Guthrie’s age and medical condition.
“At some point you have to realize it’s not a missing person anymore,” he said in March. “We have to realize Nancy was 84 years old [and] cardiac compromised.
You need to treat this as a no-body homicide.”
Despite those concerns, Guthrie’s family continues to push for answers. Including offering up to $1 million in reward money for information leading to her whereabouts.
While speculation continues, authorities have not ruled out any possibilities and say active lines of inquiry remain open as the search continues.
