Elizabeth Smart says Savannah Guthrie’s mother ‘could absolutely still be alive’
Kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart is sharing her belief that Nancy Guthrie could still return home more than four months after police believe she was abducted.
The 84-year-old mother of Today anchor Savannah Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home on the morning of February 1, prompting a nationwide search for the missing woman. No suspect has been identified in the case, and there is no evidence shedding light on whether Guthrie is alive.
Smart, who was abducted from her home as a teenager in 2002 and was held captive for nine months before her rescue, shared her thoughts on the search for Guthrie in a recent interview with CNN host Erin Burnett.
In response to Burnett asking Smart if she thinks there is a possibility of Guthrie surviving, Smart responded: “Absolutely. Absolutely. She could absolutely still be alive. There are cases that span many more years than mine does and they came back alive. And we’re talking years and years. So she could absolutely still be alive.”
She added that there is the “alternative,” but went on to say, “until we know…we have to keep looking. She deserves, either way, to be brought home.”
Smart was abducted at knifepoint from her Salt Lake City home when she was 14. While she was held captive by her kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, and his wife, Wanda Barzee, she was abused and raped for nine months.
After her rescue in March 2003, Smart has advocated for child safety and created the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which provides self-defense training and trauma support.
She also recently started her career as a bodybuilder, which she said helps her to reflect on all that she has survived.
“My body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish grueling experience, it’s created and nurtured three beautiful children, my body has risen to every single challenge life has presented it with, and carried me through so I refuse to be ashamed of it,” Smart wrote on Instagram at the time. “I refuse to feel embarrassed about trying something new and am embracing my chance at life to the absolute fullest I can.”
Guthrie was last seen outside of her home on the night of January 31. After she was reported missing, DNA evidence was found in her home, and video surveillance footage showed a masked person at her house on the night of her disappearance. Her blood was also found on her porch.
Investigators believe Guthrie was taken from her home in the middle of the night. Savannah and her siblings have offered up a $1 million reward to anyone offering information leading to the recovery of their mother.
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
