Missing persons family warns of turning point in Nancy Guthrie case

While the search for Nancy Guthrie went unanswered for 50 days, a woman who spent more than two decades searching for her missing sister says this is the moment families fear most when the urgency begins to wane and the fight for answers becomes even harder.

Julie Murray, whose sister Maura Murray disappeared in New Hampshire in 2004, said she was immediately aware of what the Guthrie family was experiencing now.

“What they went through is something you never forget,” Murray said. “You can see it in their faces. You can hear the desperation in their voices.”

Murray said cases often begin with a wave of intense attention, resources, media and public involvement, but that momentum fades, leaving families to bear the burden.

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“Most families have to fight to be heard and beg for this level of attention,” he said. “And some families don’t get any.”

He emphasized that this attention can be lifesaving.

“Media pressure saves lives.”

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An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie. (Courtesy NBC)

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on February 1 after being dropped off at her home in Tucson, Arizona. Authorities believe the woman was taken against her will in the early hours of the morning.

Surveillance video showed a masked man, described as being of average height and build, approaching his home carrying a black backpack and what appeared to be a gun. Guthrie’s phone and watch were later found at the home, while his pacemaker was last synced with his Apple devices around 2:30 a.m., helping establish a possible timeline, investigators said.

Despite weeks of investigation, authorities did not reveal the suspect. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Guthrie was likely targeted.

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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos provides an update on the investigation following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie on February 5, 2026. (Rebecca Noble/Reuters)

The case gained national attention in part due to emotional public appeals from Guthrie’s daughter, NBC “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie.

“Somebody’s got to do the right thing. We’re suffering,” Guthrie said in a preview of his first official interview since his mother’s disappearance.

In the same interview, he talked about the impact of uncertainty.

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“Every night I wake up in the middle of the night… and I imagine the horror of it in the dark,” he said. “He needs to come home now.”

Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the FBI’s tip line.

Murray said attention to the Guthrie case may lead to an increase in reports, but not all of them are actionable.

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Deputies examine a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie’s mailbox on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. They were called to the scene after volunteer searchers and several streamers walked onto Guthrie’s property with shovels. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

“You’re begging for information from the public, but you’re also getting speculation and rumors,” he said. “You can’t follow some of these clues.”

He said more than 20 years have passed since his sister’s disappearance, but her family is still receiving reports, none of which have led to answers.

But each carries emotional weight.

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“I call it the roller coaster of hope,” Murray said. “You want him to be the one filing the lawsuit… but it doesn’t happen.”

Retired LAPD Detective Moses Castillo said the emotional toll was already evident in the Guthrie family’s public appeals.

“You can feel every ounce of her pain, her strength, her despair,” Castillo said. “That kind of determination is important. It gets people going. It forces attention.”

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A source familiar told Fox News Digital that the two photos of the suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell video were taken on different days. (FBI)

He called Savannah Guthrie’s interview a “call to action” that could help generate new leads.

Murray warned that one of the most difficult turns in a case occurs when investigators exhaust urgent leads.

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For Murray’s family, that moment came just weeks after Maura disappeared.

“The worst day wasn’t the day he disappeared,” he said. “That was the day we were told they were doing their best.”

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From that point on, he said, the onus shifts to the family to continue pressing for answers through media coverage, public pressure and independent efforts.

“You can’t give up on pressure,” he said.

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The FBI has released new surveillance footage of the suspect in the February 1, 2026 disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. (X/ @FBI DirectorPatel)

Investigators said Guthrie’s case remains active, but they also warned the public not to assume there is no ongoing threat.

As cases become visible, families face increasing challenges, including online speculation and bad actors.

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“Trust becomes a casualty,” Murray said, warning that some people were trying to exploit high-profile cases or spread misinformation.

More than two decades later, Murray said her family has accepted the possibility that her sister is no longer alive, but they are still searching for answers.

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“There is no such thing as a shutdown,” he said. “It’s a decision.”

For families like the Guthries, that means continuing to scramble for answers, hoping the right clue will eventually come along.

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Authorities ask anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. A total reward of more than $1 million is being offered for information leading to his return.

Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood, Hanna Panreck and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price covers crimes including missing persons, murders and immigration crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.