Nancy Guthrie’s close friend is begging for answers 100 days after Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother went missing.
Lauren Serpa — who became friends with Nancy more than 12 years ago — exclusively spoke with Page Six about how their local community in Tucson, Arizona already seems to be moving on as the investigation remains open.
“Even in Tucson where it happened, it’s starting to fizzle out, and I don’t want that to happen,” she said. “It’s been 100 days, and people are starting not to forget, but not to think about it as much.”
While Serpa confirmed that the community is “very supportive,” she acknowledged that people are moving on with their own lives.
“People are starting to move on basically. That’s what happens when it doesn’t affect their lives,” she said. “So that’s why I’m trying to keep it in the forefront as much as possible.”
Serpa urged the public to continue to keep Nancy at the forefront of the conversation.
“It’s really important that it’s in the back of their head all the time in case they do see something or they hear somebody say something, you know, out of the out of their eyesight,” she said. “Then they can report it. But, you know, if they’re not thinking about it, then they wouldn’t even think about anything that somebody would say.”
Serpa urged the public to “pay attention to their surroundings.”
“Really listen to what people are saying that are standing behind you in line,” she said. “Those are the kind of things that are going to make the difference in this case, I think.”
Serpa — who organized a local memorial for Nancy — is constantly thinking about her loved ones.
“It just breaks my heart. You know, the family is going through so much,” Serpa said, adding, “It just doesn’t make any sense. None of it does.”
Serpa is still in disbelief that more than four months have passed and her friend is still not home.
“What is so sad is that we are at 100 days. I know it shouldn’t take this long,” she said.
Serpa shared the sweet story about how she and Nancy met more than a decade ago with her Facebook followers last month.
“I met Nancy almost 12 years ago at the farmers market,” she wrote in an emotional post on April 1. “My fiancé had died from a brain aneurysm. Having nobody to turn to. I decided to get out of the house and go to the farmers market to hopefully clear my head from my extreme depression for awhile.”
While there, Serpa became emotional and sat under a tree where she proceeded to cry.
“That’s where Nancy comes in,” she recalled. “I had never met her before but seeing me under that tree she decided to come over to see if I was OK. She had a genuine concern for my situation. She ended up spending 25 minutes with me.”
Nancy comforted her and told her she can relate after her own husband died of a sudden heart attack.
“The thing that she told me that for some reason meant the most to me and helped me then and still does today is ‘when it becomes overwhelming, you have to remember to breathe,'” she wrote.
Nancy was last seen alive when her family dropped her off at her home after dinner on Jan. 31. The next day, she was reported missing from her house after she failed to attend a virtual church service.
Investigators concluded that she was most-likely dragged from her bed against her will after a trail of her blood was discovered outside her home.
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In Febraury, cops released a terrifying vidoe of a masked and armed individual breaking into her home on the night she went missing. There were also multiple ransom notes demaning Bitcoin payments.
Last month, a hair sample was reportedly sent out for DNA testing.
“DNA and video analysis are underway, supported by laboratories across the country,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Office previously told Page Six in a statement. “Advances in technology are aiding investigative efforts, and tips continue to be received and reviewed.”
This weekend, Savannah posted a touching tribute to her mom while celebrating Mother’s Day.
Savannah, 54, posted a heartbreaking tribute to Nancy, 84, on Instagram Sunday in honor of Mother’s Day.
“Mother, daughter, sister, Nonie – we miss you with every breath,” the “Today” show co-host wrote. “We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you.”
Savannah — who made an emotional return to the NBC show on April 6 — begged the public for their “help,” pointing out that “someone knows something that can make the difference.”
“Please keep praying. Bring her home,” she concluded.
The journalist is clearly keeping busy with work, announcing on Monday that she would be hosting the “Wordle” game show.
