Elizabeth Smart's Father Weighs in on Baffling Nancy Guthrie Case: 'Why Did This Happen?'

Ed Smart, father of kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, expressed deep empathy and offered advice to the family of 84-year-old missing woman Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, praising their public plea as a critical, strategic move to encourage a safe return.

Drawing on his experience, Ed emphasized keeping hope alive, leveraging public support and the importance of continued investigation.

He noted that speaking directly to suspected captors, as the Guthrie family did, can be a crucial decision when time is running out. He said they "had no real choice" but to go public to humanize the victim and put pressure on the culprits.

Speaking with FOX 11 Los Angeles, Ed shared several critical insights based on his experience with his daughter's 2002 kidnapping.

On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth was abducted at knifepoint from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her nine-month ordeal and eventual rescue on March 12, 2003, became one of the most high-profile missing-person cases in U.S. history.

“I started thinking about what Savannah and her sister and brother were going through,” Ed said. “Can this really be possible? Why did this happen? Where is our loved one? How is she surviving? What should we be doing? What are we missing?”

He recalled how his own family was scrutinized when his daughter went missing and said he empathizes with the Guthrie family but knows it is a necessary process in the investigation.

“We realized that they have to get the family out of the way. I mean, they have to basically exonerate the possibility that they are that they're one of the suspects because in many cases, they are. A lot of people have a hard time believing that, but in many abduction cases, there is a family involved. So, I understand that important thing," Ed said.

Elizabeth was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell, a street preacher previously hired by her family, and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was held captive for nine months, enduring repeated sexual assaults and captivity in nearby Utah mountains.

"For us, we thought, okay, everyone's going to do whatever we have to do to basically get ourselves out of the way so that law enforcement can move on and find Elizabeth and find who her captor was. So, for us, it was, 'Let's just get this over with,'" he said.

Ed defended the Guthrie family's decision to release a direct video plea to the kidnappers, calling it "crucially important.”

“[It’s] just important for the public not to forget about the case, right? As a family member, you want it to stay front row center,” Ed said.

He explained that such messages can humanize the victim and let captors know the family is willing to cooperate to resolve the situation safely. He emphasized that even if Nancy cannot hear the messages directly, the effort to communicate brings her hope. He recalled how Elizabeth's captors informed her that the country was searching for her, which helped sustain her spirit during captivity.

He also stressed the "huge" impact of Savannah’s national platform, noting that "the more attention the case receives, the more pressure on the people responsible goes up.”

Ed described the Guthrie case as "heart surgery" compared to typical local police work and expressed deep sympathy for the family, relating to the "unimaginable pain" of not knowing a loved one's whereabouts.

He reached out to the family, but has not heard back from them.

“Our hearts go out to you. I know how difficult this is,” he said.

Elizabeth, 38, lives in Utah with her husband, Matthew Gilmour, and their three children. She is a dedicated child safety activist, author, and founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, focusing on advocacy for survivors of sexual violence. Elizabeth continues to share her recovery story to inspire hope.