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As the search for Nancy Guthrie drags on for 50 days without answers, one woman who has spent more than two decades searching for her missing sister says this is the time families fear the most – when the urgency begins to fade and the fight for answers becomes more difficult.
Julie Murray, the sister of Maura Murray who disappeared in New Hampshire in 2004, said what the Guthrie family is going through right now is something she can see right away.
“What they’re going through is something you’ll never forget,” said Murray. “You see it on their faces. You hear the desperation in their words.”
Murray said cases often start with a lot of attention, resources, media coverage and community outreach, but that momentum can fizzle out, leaving families burdened.
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Maura Murray excelled in long distance running, according to her sister Julie. (MauraMurrayMissing.org)
“Many families … have to fight to be heard and ask for attention,” she said. “And some families don’t get it at all.”
He emphasized that such care can save lives.
“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 of NBC)
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on Feb. 1 after being evicted from his home in Tucson, Arizona. Authorities believe she was taken against her will in the early hours of the morning.
Surveillance video captured a masked man, described as being of medium height, coming to the home carrying a black backpack and what appeared to be a gun in his hand. Investigators said Guthrie’s phone and watch were later found in the house, while his heart monitor was last synced with his Apple devices around 2:30 a.m., helping establish a possible timeline.
Despite weeks of investigation, authorities have yet to name a suspect. Pima County Supervisor Chris Nanos said Guthrie may have been targeted.
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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos gives an update on the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie on Feb. 5, 2026. (Rebecca Noble/Reuters)
The case has drawn national attention, driven in part by emotional public complaints from Guthrie’s daughter, NBC “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie.
“Someone has to do the right thing. We’re in pain,” Guthrie said in a preview of her first interview since her mother disappeared.
In the same interview, he described the amount of uncertainty created.
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“I wake up every night in the middle of the night … and in the dark, I think it’s his fear,” she said. “He has to come home now.”
Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the FBI’s tip line.
Murray said the level of attention surrounding Guthrie’s case could generate more tips, but not all of them would work.
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Deputies examined a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie’s mailbox on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. They were called to the scene after volunteer detectives and multiple dispatchers entered Guthrie’s property with a shovel. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
“You ask for information from the public but at the same time you get guesses and hearsay,” he said. “Some of those tips you can’t rush.”
He said his family is still receiving tips more than 20 years after his sister’s disappearance, none of which have led to answers.
However, each has emotional weight.
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“I call it the hope roller coaster,” Murray said. “He wants to be the one who opens the case … and then he doesn’t.”
Retired LAPD Detective Moses Castillo said the emotional toll is evident in the Guthrie family’s public pleas.
“You can feel all of his pain, his strength, and his desperation,” Castillo said. “That kind of decision is important. It moves people. It commands attention.”
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A familiar source tells Fox News Digital that the two images of the suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell video were taken on different days. (FBI)
He described Savannah Guthrie’s interview as a “call to action” that could help generate new leads.
Murray warned that one of the most difficult problems in turning a case around comes when investigators come up with leads quickly.
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For the Murray family, that moment came just weeks after Maura disappeared.
“The worst day is not the day he gets lost,” she said. “It was the day we were told to do everything they could.”
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From that point forward, he said, the onus has shifted to the family to continue searching for answers — through media coverage, public pressure and independent efforts.
“You can’t handle pressure,” he said.
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The FBI has released a new photo of a suspect in the February 1, 2026 disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. (X/ @FBI DirectorPatel)
Investigators said Guthrie’s case is still active, but cautioned the public not to assume there is no ongoing threat.
The families also face increasing challenges as the cases come to light, including online speculation and bad actors.
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“Trust becomes dangerous,” Murray said, warning that some people try to exploit high-profile cases or spread false information.
More than two decades later, Murray said her family has come to terms with the possibility that her sister is gone—but they’re still looking for answers.
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“There is no such thing as closure,” he said. “The solution.”
For families like the Guthries, that means continuing to push for answers, while hoping the right tip finally comes through.
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Authorities are asking anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. A combined 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 crime, including missing persons, homicide and immigration crime. Send news tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
