Missing woman’s sister says Nancy Guthrie case now a ‘hope roller coaster’ for family as search continues

As the hunt for Nancy Guthrie stretches past 50 days with nary answers, 1 pistillate who has spent much than 2 decades searching for her ain missing sister says this is the infinitesimal families fearfulness astir – erstwhile urgency begins to slice and the combat for answers becomes adjacent harder.

Julie Murray, whose sister Maura Murray vanished successful New Hampshire successful 2004, said what the Guthrie household is experiencing close present is thing she recognizes immediately.

"What they’re going done is thing you ne'er forget," Murray said. "You tin spot it connected their faces. You tin perceive the desperation successful their voices."

Murray said cases often statesman with an aggravated surge of attention, resources, media sum and nationalist engagement, but that momentum tin fade, leaving families to transportation the burden.

METAL DETECTOR SCANS FRONT YARD OF SAVANNAH GUTHRIE’S MISSING MOTHER AS SISTER TO GET CAR BACK

Maura Murray excelled astatine long-distance running, according to her sister Julie. (MauraMurrayMissing.org)

"Most families… person to combat to beryllium heard and beg for that level of attention," she said. "And immoderate families don’t get immoderate astatine all."

That attention, she emphasized, tin beryllium lifesaving.

"Media unit saves lives."

NANCY GUTHRIE’S NEIGHBOR NOTICED ‘ATYPICAL’ PET BEHAVIOR NIGHT OF DISAPPEARANCE, EARLIER DATE: REPORT

An undated photograph of Nancy Guthrie provided by NBC successful effect to the disappearance of the 84-year-old parent of Today Show big Savannah Guthrie. (Courtesy of NBC)

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was past seen Feb. 1 aft being dropped disconnected astatine her Tucson, Arizona home. Authorities judge she was taken against her volition successful the aboriginal greeting hours.

Surveillance video captured a masked man, described arsenic mean tallness and build, approaching her location carrying a achromatic backpack and what appeared to beryllium a handgun. Investigators accidental Guthrie’s telephone and ticker were aboriginal recovered wrong the home, portion her pacemaker past synced with her Apple devices astir 2:30 a.m., helping found a imaginable timeline.

Despite weeks of investigation, authorities person not announced a suspect. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Guthrie was apt targeted.

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE’S $1M REWARD MIRRORS PAST KIDNAPPING CASES SOLVED BY CASH

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos gives an update connected the probe aft the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie connected Feb. 5, 2026.  (Rebecca Noble/Reuters)

The lawsuit has drawn nationalist attention, driven successful portion by affectional nationalist appeals from Guthrie’s daughter, NBC "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie.

"Someone needs to bash the close thing. We are successful agony," Guthrie said successful a preview of her archetypal ceremonial interrogation since her mother’s disappearance.

In the aforesaid interview, she described the toll the uncertainty has taken.

NANCY GUTHRIE UPDATE: SEARCH FOR SAVANNAH GUTHRIE'S MISSING MOTHER ENTERS SEVENTH WEEK WITH NO ARRESTS

"I aftermath up each nighttime successful the mediate of the night… and successful the darkness, I ideate her terror," she said. "She needs to travel location now."

Authorities are urging anyone with accusation to interaction the FBI extremity line.

Murray said the level of attraction surrounding the Guthrie lawsuit tin make a surge of tips, but not each are actionable.

DID NANCY GUTHRIE'S ABDUCTOR RETURN TO THE CRIME SCENE?

Deputies analyse a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie's mailbox connected Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. They were called to the country aft unpaid searchers and respective streamers walked onto Guthrie's spot with a shovel. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

"You’re begging the nationalist for information, but astatine the aforesaid clip you’re getting speculation and hearsay," she said. "Some of those tips you conscionable can’t pursuit down."

Her family, she said, inactive receives tips much than 20 years aft her sister vanished, nary of which person led to answers.

Each one, however, carries affectional weight.

NANCY GUTHRIE DISAPPEARANCE: SHERIFF SAYS AUTHORITIES LOOKING INTO CAR CAUGHT ON RING CAM, HAVEN'T MADE ID YET

"I telephone it the anticipation roller coaster," Murray said. "You privation it to beryllium the 1 that breaks the lawsuit open… and past it doesn’t."

Retired LAPD Detective Moses Castillo said that affectional toll is already disposable successful the Guthrie family’s nationalist appeals.

"You tin consciousness each ounce of her pain, her strength, and her desperation," Castillo said. "That benignant of resoluteness matters. It moves people. It forces attention."

NANCY GUTHRIE SUSPECT'S DIGITAL ‘BLACKOUT’ MAY BE KEY TO CASE, SAYS EXPERT WHO PROBED KOHBERGER PHONE

A root acquainted tells Fox News Digital that 2 photos of the fishy successful the Nancy Guthrie doorbell video were taken connected antithetic days. (FBI )

He described Savannah Guthrie’s interrogation arsenic "a telephone to action" that could assistance make caller leads.

Murray warned that 1 of the astir hard turning points successful a lawsuit comes erstwhile investigators exhaust contiguous leads.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

For Murray's family, that infinitesimal came conscionable weeks aft Maura disappeared.

"The worst time wasn’t the time she went missing," she said. "It was the time we were told they had done each they could."

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER

From that constituent forward, she said, the work shifted to the household to support pushing for answers—through media coverage, nationalist unit and autarkic efforts.

"You can’t fto up connected the pressure," she said.

SEND US A TIP HERE

The FBI released caller surveillance footage of the fishy successful the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie connected February 1, 2026. (X/ @FBI DirectorPatel)

Investigators person said the Guthrie lawsuit remains active, but person besides warned the nationalist not to presume determination is nary ongoing threat.

Families besides look increasing challenges arsenic cases summation visibility, including online speculation and atrocious actors.

LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST

"Trust becomes a casualty," Murray said, informing that immoderate individuals effort to exploit high-profile cases oregon dispersed misinformation.

More than 2 decades later, Murray said her household has travel to presumption with the likelihood that her sister is nary longer alive—but they are inactive searching for answers.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

"There’s nary specified happening arsenic closure," she said. "It’s resolution."

For families similar the Guthries, that means continuing to propulsion for answers, portion hoping the close extremity yet comes in.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Authorities are asking anyone with accusation astir Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance to interaction the FBI extremity enactment astatine 1-800-CALL-FBI. A combined reward of much than $1 cardinal is being offered for accusation starring to her return.

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

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].