Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since February 1. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona home by a masked man in the early hours of February 1.
Ransom notes have been sent to local media outlets, which further support their belief that she was taken against her will.
Savannah took a leave of absence as the search for her mother began. The search has been extensive; however, no suspect has been identified.
On May 12, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos shared an update, saying that his department and the FBI are “working hard to get this resolved.
“I think every day they get closer,” Nanos said. “There’s way too much work to be done, that is ongoing, with some of the physical evidence we have,” the sheriff added, most likely referring to the mixed DNA that was found on Guthrie’s property, which is still being tested.
Savannah has been outspoken about trying to find her mother. On March 21, she and her siblings, Annie and Camron, along with their spouses, shared a statement, thanking the people of Tucson for their support.
The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring from neighbors, friends, and the people of Tucson. We are all family now. We continue to believe it is Tucsonans, and the greater southern Arizona community, that hold the key to finding a resolution in this case, the family said in a statement for KVOA News 4 Tucson’s special, Bring Her Home: The Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
On Mother’s Day, Savannah Guthrie shared a video with clips of her mother.
“Mother, daughter, sister, Nonie — we miss you with our every breath,” Savannah wrote in the video’s caption. “We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you.”
She continued, “We need help. Someone knows something that can make the difference. Call 1800CALLFBI. You can be anonymous, and the reward remains available. Please keep praying. Bring her home.”
Savannah Guthrie is back at work as of now. On Monday, while speaking to Jenna Bush Hager on the Today show, she opened up about her feelings of being back at work
“It’s really hard to come back,” Savannah told Jenna. “I’ve been trying so hard to hold it together, and I promise I will.”
“I’m happy to be back,” she continued. “It’s like the two hours of my day — it’s not that I’m not thinking about it, because I am, but it’s something to do. It brings me a lot of joy to be with everybody. But, no, it’s not easy.”
Now, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the possible abduction of Nancy, has issued an alert. The department has put up another notice against Coral Michelle Smith, a career criminal wanted in a separate kidnapping case which occurred about seven miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills.
Smith, 40, who has a long history of criminal activity, was allegedly involved in a kidnapping that occurred on May 29, the NY Post reported.
Pima County officials warned the community to “be on the lookout” for Carole Michelle Smith, who previously used several aliases, including Corral Albright, Coral Albright-Smith, and Under The Sea Smith, local news station 13 News reported. However, they declined to release additional details about the incident.
Pima County Sheriff issues alert for kidnapping suspect 7 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home
As of now, there is no indication of any connection between Nancy and Carole Michelle Smith.
The career criminal has previously been accused of kidnapping, assault, robbery, and disorderly conduct in Pima County. She served four different stints in prison.
In 2011, she was found guilty of robbery; in 2014, of disorderly conduct and attempted vehicle theft; in 2019, of robbery; and in 2021, of criminal trespass.
Moreover, Carole Michelle Smith was also found guilty of attempted vehicle theft in 2022 and guilty of aggravated assault with physical injury in 2023.
The 2019 case involved kidnapping and drug charges. According to court records, the victim was listed as under 15 years old; however, those charges were eventually dismissed.
Police described her as being 5-foot-6, 136 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. Also, the 40-year-old has several tattoos, including a smiley face and a heart on her right ankle, and the words “love, life, family” on her left leg.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Guthrie family
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