As FBI releases new photos in Guthrie case, friends from KY hope for the best
The FBI on Tuesday released photos that appear to show a masked and armed man on the porch of missing Kentucky native Nancy Guthrie, and her friends from the commonwealth are following the case with hopes she’ll be found.
Among those is Beverly Joseph Crain, of Woodford County.
“I have been glued to my TV,” Crain said Tuesday after the Herald-Leader contacted her.
Guthrie, 84, the mother of NBC Today Host Savannah Guthrie, went missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1.
“Nancy and I have been friends since we were sorority sisters at UK,” Crain said. “She has spent time here in KY with me and I have been to visit her in Tucson. We also met in NYC and visited with Savannah. I love Nancy and I am so worried about her. “
Crain said she and Guthrie were both in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority at the University of Kentucky, and Guthrie enjoyed going to UK homecomings and visiting Keeneland.
“All of her friends here in KY are praying for her safe return to her precious family,” Crain said. Crain said she last texted Guthrie on Dec. 26, and Guthrie had asked Crain to “come visit her soon.”
Others who knew Guthrie or her family previously spoke to the Herald-Leader about how they hoped the 84-year-old mother would be returned home safely. Jack Guthrie, who was editor of UK’s student newspaper from 1962 to 1963, said Nancy Guthrie worked for the paper at the same time. Jack Guthrie, who said he’s not related to Nancy, said she covered Greek life for the Kentucky Kernel.
Nancy Guthrie’s engagement to Charles Guthrie, who she later married, was announced in the Herald-Leader at the time. She was from Fort Wright in Northern Kentucky, her marriage announcement said. Her father was Pierce F. Long of Fort Wright, the announcement said. Nancy and Charles Guthrie met at a UK basketball game, Savannah Guthrie said previously.
Charles Guthrie, who was from Pineville, died of a heart attack, Savannah Guthrie has said. He died at 49 in June 1988 while on a mining exploration project in Mexico, his obituary said.
“Authorities have described the case as a possible kidnapping or abduction, and there have been reports of ransom notes,” NBC reported previously.
On Tuesday, ABC reported that a person had been detained for questioning in connection to the case, but no other details were immediately released.
In Fort Wright, Guthrie attended elementary school at St. Agnes school and graduated from Notre Dame Academy High School.
“Nancy is a graduate of St. Agnes, class of 1955, and Notre Dame graduate, class of 1959,” St. Agnes administrative assistant Beth Love said.
The St. Agnes Parish Office in Fort Wright sent an email to parishioners on Feb. 3 requesting prayers for “a life-long parishioner and friend (of) Nancy Long Guthrie, who was abducted from her home on Sunday.”
They were praying for her safe return.
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This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 5:08 PM.