The abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie, has gripped Americans like few other recent cases have. Several theories have emerged about what may have happened to Nancy, with some believing it was the work of a lone abductor and others theorizing that there exists a “boss” – someone who orchestrated the crime from behind the scenes.
True crime stories have long made popular shows, frequently dominating streaming charts by satisfying human curiosity about dark motivations, providing the thrill of a real-life mystery, and offering insights into the justice system. Amid the search for Nancy, let us take a look at five real-life abduction cases that have featured in popular shows and films.
Here are five true crime abduction shows and films you can watch:
Abducted in Plain Sight (Netflix): The 2017 true-crime documentary takes viewers back to the 1970s, when a family falls prey to a neighbor, who abducts their adolescent daughter.
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart (Netflix): The show is a documentary directed by Benedict Sanderson, telling the story of Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted by Wanda Barzee and her husband Brian David Mitchell from her Salt Lake City bedroom at knifepoint back in 2002.
Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter (Netflix): This is a two-part documentary by Ryan White, where a teenager who gave birth in 1974 learns that the baby girl she gave up for adoption went missing in 1989.
Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey (Netflix): The film is based on the story of Lisa McVey, 17, a Florida native who was abducted and sexually assaulted by Bobby Joe Long, one of Tampa Bay's most notorious serial killers.
Chowchilla (CNN Films and HBO Max): The 2023 documentary delves deep into one of the most shocking mass kidnappings of all time, where three masked men hijacked a bus carrying 26 school kids and loaded them into soundproofed vans.
