Nearly 24 years after surviving one of the most shocking kidnappings in modern American history, Elizabeth Smart is speaking out — and her message is crystal clear: don’t lose hope.
Smart, who was abducted from her Utah bedroom at just 14 years old in 2002 and held captive for nine terrifying months before being rescued, is now urging investigators and the public to keep fighting for answers in the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Nancy, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was officially reported missing on February 1. She was last seen the night of January 31 after visiting her daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni. The next morning, when she failed to show up at a friend’s home to watch a livestreamed church sermon, alarm bells began ringing.
What police found inside her Catalina Foothills home only deepened the mystery. Her wallet, phone, and car keys were left behind. There were signs of blood on her door. And perhaps most chilling of all — doorbell footage allegedly captured a man wearing a ski mask and thick black gloves lurking near the property.
As speculation swirled and fears mounted, Smart addressed the case on the February 26 episode of the Ladygang podcast.
“I know what law enforcement will tell you,” Smart said. “If a person disappears and they’re not found within the first 24 to 48 hours, the chances of their survival drop down to almost zero percent. It’s almost like they’re dead.”
But she refused to accept that mindset.
“If that was the mentality around my case, then I wouldn’t be here today,” she added. “We can’t give up.”
Smart, who has since become a powerful advocate for child safety and missing persons awareness, acknowledged how easy it is for hope to fade as days turn into weeks. Still, she reminded listeners that miracles do happen.
“I did come back,” she said. “There are other victims who do come back.”
She also echoed the Guthrie family’s belief that someone, somewhere, knows something.
“We need everyone to keep their eyes open,” Smart urged. “If you see something strange, don’t hesitate. Pick up the phone. Call law enforcement. Tell them what you know.”
Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie has taken extraordinary steps in her desperate search for answers. On February 24, she offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her mother’s recovery — despite reportedly being warned against putting such a large sum on the table.
“Someone out there knows something that can bring her home,” Savannah said in an emotional social media plea. “Somebody knows. And we are begging you to please come forward now.”
She also heartbreakingly acknowledged the possibility that her mother may have “already gone home to the Lord that she loves,” but vowed the family would not stop searching.
As of now, no suspects have been identified.
But if Elizabeth Smart’s story proves anything, it’s this: sometimes hope is the very thing that changes everything.
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