Kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart stated that there is still a possibility for Nancy Guthrie, 84, to be returned home safely, 25 weeks after the elder's suspected abduction from her Tucson, Arizona home. "I want to remind people that there isn't a body, so there is still reason to have hope that she is alive and that we shouldn't give up until we find her," Smart told E! News in an interview published Friday.
Smart, who was abducted at knifepoint at age 14 in 2002 from her family's home in Salt Lake City, Utah, by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, was rescued nine months later after the public recognized her captors from news coverage. She expressed hope that investigators possess more information than has been publicly disclosed and that progress is being made behind the scenes.
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reportedly taken by force from her residence in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has been investigating the incident.
The FBI and Google have released home security video footage from Guthrie's Nest doorbell camera, which shows a masked intruder on her doorstep on the morning of the abduction.
Authorities have appealed to the public for any information that could assist in the case, urging anyone with details to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by contacting Tucson's Crime Stoppers affiliate at 520-88-CRIME. "If anyone knows anything or seen anything — or the smallest detail that might seem insignificant can make all the difference — just report it," Smart advised.
While a purported ransom note and a subsequent message claiming Guthrie had died have not been officially confirmed by investigators, forensic testing results have not been made public. The combined reward from authorities, 88-CRIME, and the Guthrie family for information leading to her safe return exceeds $1.2 million.