Elizabeth Smart's father says Nancy Guthrie disappearance is "so surreal" as he reflects on daughter's abduction
The apparent abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has brought back painful memories for one American family who dealt with a similar experience 24 years ago.
Elizabeth Smart was 14 years old when she was kidnapped in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was found alive nine months later.
"Something like this happening is so surreal you can't believe that, you know, it's happening, especially to an older woman," Ed Smart, Elizabeth Smart's father, said in an interview Friday with "CBS Mornings."
Investigators said Thursday they believe Nancy Guthrie is "still out there." The search has now stretched into a sixth day after the 84-year-old went missing over the weekend.
In his family's case, Smart said they constantly questioned where Elizabeth was and what she was going through. He explained "not knowing is the worst part of it."
Smart stressed the importance of the Guthrie family continuing to speak to their beloved mother and her possible abductor.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings on Wednesday released an emotional video on social media pleading for their mother's safe return.
"Everyone is looking for you, mommy, everywhere. We will not rest, your children will not rest, until we are together again," Savannah Guthrie said in the video.
On Thursday, her brother Camron Guthrie made another appeal to the potential abductor, saying, "whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you."
When his teenage daughter was abducted, Smart said he was grateful for the community support in the search.
"It brought us great hope that … with all of this effort from everyone and certainly the media played a huge role," he said. "We thought if everyone is out there looking, we are going to find her and certainly we hope the same for Nancy."
Search for a suspect
Authorities have not identified a suspect or person of interest in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
Smart was at one point considered a person of interest in his daughter's case. At the time he said it "seemed so outrageous and unbelievable."
"As time goes on you learn that the family is, unfortunately, the first area that law enforcement have to check off and clear, and that didn't happen for days in our family situation," Smart said. "It is horrendous and it is so difficult to deal with on top of having your daughter, your family member gone."
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie's recovery or the arrest and conviction of people involved in her disappearance.