“Dave said he came to rely on those around him a great deal in the months after Natalee disappeared.
“If it hadn’t been for family, all of us sticking together, that support,” Dave said, choking up. “I had a lot of friends. I wasn’t alone very much during that time.”
The frantic search for Nancy Guthire has entered its second month with no leads on her abductor, leaving her family in the awful position of having more questions than answers. Very few have gone through what they are, but those who have offer hope and advice to “Today” host Savannah, sister Annie, and brother Camron as they try to find out what has happened to their 84-year-old mom. The Post spoke with parents of Elizabeth Smart — who was kidnapped for nine excruciating months aged 14 in March 2003 — and Dave Holloway, father of Natalee Holloway who went missing, aged 18, on a graduation trip in 2005. Natalee’s body has never been found, but in 2023 her murderer, Joran van der Sloot, finally admitted killing her.
“Not knowing [if Elizabeth was dead or alive] was the most difficult thing of all. It was like this open wound that will not heal. It’s raw and very difficult and you want it to be over with,” her father, Ed Smart, told The Post. In a separate interview, Dave said the Guthries’ search awakens old feelings in him.
“The thoughts going through [Savannah’s] mind, I know exactly what she feels,” Dave said, reflecting on what it was like one month into Natalee’s disappearance.
“Whether it’s a parent or brother or sister or your own child, I can tell you this: if it’s a family member and you’re close to them, it will overwhelm you. Every day.
“I guarantee you, [Savannah’s] thinking every day: What happened? Was it this, that or the other?” he said.
Savannah, 54, was spotted back in New York on Wednesday, after weeks in Tucson, Arizona, helping with the search. The family has offered a $1 million reward for Nancy’s return after she was snatched from her home on the night of Feb. 1 by an unidentified masked intruder. The case has been one of the most featured stories in the nation by news outlets, which has had both positive and negative effects on the search. Ed — who has written a letter to the Guthries — knows this only too well, saying speculation and conspiracy theories were massive distractions when searching for his Elizabeth.
“I was frustrated with the number of psychics that came into our area during the investigation. Well-meaning, perhaps, and others just wanting the notoriety. But the bottom line is, it takes away from finding our missing person,” he said.
For the Guthries, the 2026 equivalent is ghoulish streamers camping outside Nancy’s home to film content and brawl with one another. Elizabeth went missing from her Utah bedroom and was held captive for nine months, enduring rape and physical abuse before her kidnappers, Brian David Mitchell and wife Wanda Barzee, were eventually caught. Mitchell was sentenced to life while Barzee was released in 2018 after serving 15 years but re-arrested last May for violating the terms of her sex offender registration.
Her mother, Lois Smart — who divorced Ed in 2019 — told The Post she understands how the longer the search goes on, the harder it gets.
“Because of what’s going on in the world, [Nancy’s] not in the news anymore,” Lois said, referring to the US-Israel war in Iran.
“Hopefully it won’t drag on as long as Elizabeth’s,” Lois continued. “It’s a hard situation to be in, and they are different. We hope Nancy is found. I really do. And that it’s a good ending.”
Elizabeth, 38, now works as an activist and advocate for missing persons and sex abuse victims.
Dave said he came to rely on those around him a great deal in the months after Natalee disappeared.
“If it hadn’t been for family, all of us sticking together, that support,” Dave said, choking up. “I had a lot of friends. I wasn’t alone very much during that time.” The disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005 during a graduation trip to Aruba continues to haunt her family, particularly her father, Dave. Despite years of searching, her body has never been found, leaving many unanswered questions for her loved ones.
Dave has spared no expense in trying to find out what happened to his daughter. For five years, he paid for health insurance, life insurance, and child support for Natalee, as well as funding investigators and trips to Aruba. However, the financial strain became too much, and in 2010, he made the difficult decision to have Natalee legally declared deceased.
This decision brought some “peace of mind” to Dave, but the pain of not knowing what happened to his daughter still lingers. In 2012, Natalee was officially declared dead, with Joran van der Sloot emerging as the prime suspect. Van der Sloot, who was already serving time in a Peruvian prison for another murder, later confessed to killing Natalee.
In a shocking turn of events, van der Sloot was extradited to the US in 2023 to face wire fraud and extortion charges. During this time, he admitted to bludgeoning Natalee to death with a cinder block on a beach after she rejected his advances. He claimed to have disposed of her body in the ocean, but despite extensive searches involving multiple agencies, her remains have never been found.
The emotional toll of not knowing the truth has been immense for Dave and his family. The stress and heartache of the situation have taken a heavy toll on them over the years. The search for closure continues, but for now, the family must come to terms with the fact that some answers may never be found.
Natalee’s story remains a captivating mystery, one that has gripped the nation for years. The search for justice and closure continues, but for now, all they can do is hold on to the memories of Natalee and hope that one day, the truth will come to light.
