Kidnapping Survivor’s Father Issues Plea as Nancy Guthrie Remains Missing Nearly Three Months

Today show star Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing since Feb. 1. As the investigation continues, Ed Smart, the father of abduction survivor Elizabeth Smart, urged the public to avoid speculation. He warned that people should not “go into conspiracy theories," as he believes that it could affect the ongoing investigation.

On April 24, Ed appeared on Jesse Weber Live to discuss Guthrie’s disappearance. "I think that it’s really important to, one, not go into conspiracy theories. I don’t think there’s much value in that,” he said. “Of course, the Guthries have been looked at.”

Previously, there was a lot of speculation about whether Tommaso Cioni, the husband of Savannah Guthrie’s sister, Annie Guthrie, was involved in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. However, authorities have ruled him out as a suspect.

“They’ve supposedly been cleared,” said Ed. He added, “So that should no longer really be out there in the public, regardless of whether people are searching around the house or not."

Early in the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that it was not looking at Guthrie family members. “The family have been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

In the Feb. 16 post, he added, “To suggest otherwise is not only wrong; it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims, plain and simple. I’m begging you, the media, to honor your profession and report with some sense of compassion and professionalism."

Suspicions about Annie and her husband grew after a veteran journalist doubled down on the speculation. Ashleigh Banfield claimed that a source told her that Cioni was the “prime suspect."

Speaking on Dan Abrams’ podcast, Banfield said, "I can tell you that my source every day since has stood by that reporting. And that is the thinking as of the day after Mrs. Guthrie was reported missing. There were a couple of things I reported in that, Dan, if we go back to Tuesday of last week. Number one, Annie Guthrie’s car was towed and is in evidence. That’s borne out. The sheriff did confirm that the car was towed as per warrant and is being processed. That’s what the sheriff said.”

When asked if she still considers Cioni a suspect, the journalist noted, “Nothing’s changed. Nothing’s changed. But I will say this: the day after I did that report, my source said, ‘Things have really tightened up.’ The folks in the Sheriff’s Department are worried about retaliation because of the leak. And I thought to myself, ‘Well, if it’s not true, there wouldn’t be any worry,’ you know? And then on the third day he said, ‘What I can tell you is: when they take shots at you, you’re standing on the target.’”