{"id":238918,"date":"2026-05-07T21:35:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:35:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/elizabeth-smart-believes-nancy-guthrie-absolutely-could-still-be-alive-as-case-nears-100-day-mark\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T21:35:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:35:54","slug":"elizabeth-smart-believes-nancy-guthrie-absolutely-could-still-be-alive-as-case-nears-100-day-mark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/elizabeth-smart-believes-nancy-guthrie-absolutely-could-still-be-alive-as-case-nears-100-day-mark\/","title":{"rendered":"Elizabeth Smart Believes Nancy Guthrie \u2018Absolutely\u2019 Could \u2018Still Be Alive\u2019 as Case Nears 100-Day Mark"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Elizabeth Smart<\/strong><\/a> still has hope that Savannah Guthrie<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie<\/strong>, could be alive more than three months after going missing in Arizona<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe could absolutely still be alive,\u201d Smart, 38, told CNN<\/a> on Tuesday, May 5. \u201cThere are cases that span many more years than mine does and they came back alive. And we\u2019re talking years and years. So she could absolutely still be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former ABC News commentator has personal experience to draw from when discussing the Guthrie case. Smart was missing for nine months after being abducted from her bedroom by Brian David Mitchell<\/strong> and Wanda Barzee<\/strong> in June 2002. (Mitchell was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the kidnapping while Barzee served 15 years in custody before her 2018 release.)<\/p>\n

Smart \u2014 who was appearing on CNN to discuss her newfound bodybuilding career<\/a> \u2014 acknowledged that \u201cthe alternative\u201d to Nancy being found alive remains a significant possibility as well.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>FBI Debunks New Evidence in Nancy Guthrie Case<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tUPDATE 4\/21\/26 at 4:38 p.m. ET \u2014 Ben Williamson, assistant director for public affairs at the FBI, has responded to ABC News\u2019 report that potentially critical DNA has been recovered at Nancy Guthrie\u2019s home. \u201cStill receiving inquiries on this: this is not new evidence or information,\u201d he wrote via X on Monday, April 20, while [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cUntil we know, we have to keep looking. She deserves, either way, to be brought home,\u201d Smart insisted.<\/p>\n

Nancy was reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona, home on February 1, after last being seen by family members the night before. Pima County police have worked with federal investigators on the case but have yet to publicly identify any suspects.<\/p>\n

The Guthrie family has released multiple statements appealing for their mother\u2019 return, including revealing that Nancy would be in desperate need of her daily medications. On March 21, the tenor of the Guthries\u2019 appeals changed<\/a> with a heartwrenching statement about grief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply grateful for the outpouring from neighbors, friends and the people of Tucson. We are all family now,\u201d the family told KVOA-TV News. \u201cWe continue to believe it\u2019s Tucsonians, and the greater Southern Arizona community, that hold the key to finding resolution in this case. Someone knows something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Savannah and her two siblings, Annie<\/strong> and Camron<\/strong>, acknowledged that they \u201cmiss [their] mom with every breath\u201d and would not be able to find \u201cpeace\u201d until \u201cshe is home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot grieve; we can only ache and wonder,\u201d they said. \u201cOur focus is solely on finding her and bringing her home. We want to celebrate her beautiful and courageous life but we cannot do that until she is brought to a final place of rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Nancy Guthrie<\/span> Courtesy of NBC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Savannah officially returned to work on NBC\u2019s Today<\/em> in New York City on April 6. (She made an early exit<\/a> during the Wednesday, May 6, episode but was back the following day<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

The most recent development in the case has involved public squabbling between FBI director Kash Patel<\/strong> and Arizona police. Patel complained on Fox News Media\u2019s \u201cHang Out With Sean Hannity\u201d podcast on May 6 that the FBI had been sidelined by local investigators<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a state matter,\u201d Patel, 46, noted. \u201cIt\u2019s a state and local law enforcement matter. What we, the FBI, do is say, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re here to help. What do you need? What can we do?\u2019 And for four days, we were kept out of the investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pima County Sheriff attempted to refute those allegations in a statement to Us Weekly<\/em> that same day.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Elizabeth Smart’s Dad Shares His Thoughts on Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tElizabeth Smart\u2019s dad, Ed Smart, is sharing his thoughts on the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie\u2019s mom, Nancy Guthrie. Ed, 70, reflected on Elizabeth\u2019s 2002 abduction while explaining the importance of Nancy\u2019s family sharing public pleas for her safe return home during an interview on Fox & Friends on Thursday, February 5. \u201cWhat are the chances [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cPima County Sheriff Chris Nanos<\/strong> is aware of FBI Director Kash Patel\u2019s recent interview and statement,\u201d a police spokesperson told Us<\/em>. \u201cSheriff Nanos responded to the scene the night of the incident, providing immediate local leadership and oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n

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