Four months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Arizona home, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is now working a second kidnapping case in the same area and while authorities say the two are not connected, investigators are not ruling anything out.
Who is Coral Michelle Smith and is she connected to Nancy’s case?
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is searching for 40-year-old Coral Michelle Smith, who is wanted on kidnapping and aggravated assault charges involving an unidentified female victim, according to Fox News Digital’s Mike Ruiz.
The case occurred less than seven miles from the Catalina Foothills home where Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, was abducted in February.
In an update on Wednesday, June 10, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to Ruiz that the two cases are not related. “This is not connected to the Guthrie investigation,” the spokesperson said. Ruiz also confirmed that the female victim in the Smith case had been located, though her name has not been released. It remains unclear whether the victim knew Smith.
Also Read: Nancy Guthrie update: Body found in Arizona pond as search for missing 84-year-old continues
What experts are saying
Despite the official statement, retired homicide detective Chris McDonough said investigators will still take a close look at Smith. Speaking on “Jesse Weber Live,” McDonough, who is the director of the Cold Case Foundation and has worked on high-profile cases including those of JonBenet Ramsey and Elizabeth Smart said law enforcement would be especially interested in anyone with a “violent kidnapping history” operating near the area.
“In any major missing person or abduction-type of investigation, the investigators are going to cast a wide net,” McDonough said, per Style Caster. “This would be a very standard protocol to try to find her and see if they can connect her in any way, shape or form.”
Even if there is no direct connection, McDonough said investigators will still question Smith about anything she may have seen or heard. “They’re going to ask her about any familiarity around the Guthrie home,” he said. “What’s the word on the street?” He added: “She may not be involved in any way, shape or form, but she may have information that may connect something.”
Also Read: Nancy Guthrie update: Retired detective says suspect may have left a major clue; ‘could break it wide open’
Where does the Guthrie investigation stand?
Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing since February 1. Authorities believe she was abducted from her home in the middle of the night, sometime after her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni dropped her off. The FBI has released footage of a possible suspect seen on Guthrie’s front stoop that night, but despite thousands of tips, that person has not been identified.
Reports have also emerged that law enforcement has scaled back its search. Retired FBI agent Jason Pack told Page Six that a pullback in resources is standard procedure. “They have definitely scaled back resources in this continuing phase. That happens in every case. Add resources at the front end to make sure they can cover what needs to be covered,” he said.
And the Pima County Sheriff’s Office maintains the case remains active.
