The Pima County Sheriff's Department warned the public over the weekend to watch for a 40-year-old kidnapping suspect wanted in connection with a violent incident that occurred less than seven miles from the Catalina Foothills home where 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was abducted in February.
Authorities have not drawn any connection between the suspect, Coral Michelle Smith, and Guthrie's still-unsolved disappearance. But the proximity, and Smith's long criminal record, adds another layer of unease to a case that has gripped Tucson for four months and drawn national attention as the family of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie continues to plead for answers.
The sheriff's department issued a "be on the lookout" message for Smith, saying she is wanted in a kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon investigation. The alleged incident took place May 29 near the intersection of River Road and La Cholla Boulevard in Pima County, roughly 6.8 miles from Nancy Guthrie's home.
The department declined to release additional details about what happened that day.
A suspect with a long record
Smith is described as approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall and about 136 pounds. Court records show she has been accused of kidnapping, assault, and disorderly conduct in the past, with prior charges stretching back to 2010. A 2020 kidnapping charge against her was dismissed, though she was convicted of residential robbery in the same case, one in which the victim was a person under 15.
Local reports cited by Fox News indicate Smith has served multiple prior stints in prison and has used a number of aliases. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to her arrest, and anyone who spots her is urged to call 911 or Tucson's 88-Crime anonymous tip line at 1-520-882-7463.
The New York Post reported that authorities called on the community to "be on the lookout" for Smith, confirming the same core details about the May 29 incident's proximity to the Guthrie residence.
No public suspects in the Guthrie case
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been abducted from her Catalina Foothills home on Feb. 1. FBI imagery shows an armed individual appearing to tamper with the doorbell camera at her front door that day. Authorities described the person captured on her Nest camera as "average height and build," between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and wearing a black, 25-liter "Ozark Trail Hiker Pack" backpack.
Those physical details do not match Smith's listed description. Fox News contributor and California attorney Josh Ritter, who has been following the case, noted that the wanted-person flyer for Smith does not include any information about wrist tattoos, a detail that has surfaced elsewhere in the Guthrie investigation.
No suspects have been publicly identified in connection with Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. Deputies detained multiple people earlier in the investigation, but all were released without charges. The case remains open, and the Guthrie family is asking anyone with information to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Questions about the investigation's progress have mounted as the case passed 100 days without a public breakthrough.
A community on edge
The Smith alert, even if unrelated to the Guthrie abduction, lands in a neighborhood already shaken. Aerial drone footage from Feb. 3 showed the Guthrie home and surrounding grounds. On Feb. 23, Pima County deputies were photographed examining a flyer taped to the mailbox outside the residence.
Investigators have explored a range of leads. Retired detectives have pointed to car-tracking data and address searches as potential keys to identifying where the kidnapper went after leaving the home.
Separately, a piece of physical evidence found in the Arizona desert drew attention earlier in the investigation. A pajama top recovered in the desert raised the possibility of a direct connection to the crime scene, though its evidentiary value has not been publicly confirmed.
And analysis of the scene itself has suggested a violent confrontation. Blood evidence led a retired FBI profiler to say Nancy Guthrie fought back before being taken.
Savannah Guthrie's return to air
Savannah Guthrie took just over two months away from NBC's "Today" show during the early stages of the investigation before returning to air in April. She discussed the case with colleague Jenna Bush Hager on Monday, offering a brief window into the toll the ordeal has taken on her family.
Fox News reported her remarks during that on-air conversation:
"It's really hard to come back."
The statement was spare. It did not need to be more.
What remains unanswered
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has withheld specifics about the May 29 incident involving Smith. It is unclear what weapon was allegedly used, who the victim was, or what circumstances led to the kidnapping allegation. The department has not said whether Smith is still believed to be in the Tucson area.
In the Guthrie case, key facts still do not add up months after the abduction. No arrest has been made. The armed figure on the doorbell camera has not been publicly identified. The people detained and released early in the investigation have not been named.
The two cases may have nothing to do with each other. Authorities have said as much. But the fact that a violent kidnapping suspect is now wanted within a short drive of the same quiet neighborhood where an 84-year-old woman was taken from her home, and where no one has been held to account, tells its own story about what residents of the Catalina Foothills are living with.
Four months, no arrest, and now another suspect on the loose. The people of Tucson deserve better than silence and open questions.
