Private investigator Dan Ribacoff has said that Nancy Guthrie's body is 'unlikely' to ever be found if she was murdered during a botched abduction. The 84-year-old mother of US TV journalist Savannah Guthrie vanished on February 1, sparking a huge manhunt. The Pima County Sheriff's Department, alongside the FBI, believes she was taken 'against her will' in a 'targeted' crime.
Ransom Notes and FBI Response
Despite a massive search, blanket news coverage, and a family reward of up to $1 million, Nancy's whereabouts remain unknown five months later. During that time, three ransom notes demanding millions in cryptocurrency have been sent. Initially treated as genuine, Reuters reported that the FBI now considers them fakes. However, the Phoenix FBI later posted on X clarifying that while some notes 'have been deemed extortion attempts without legitimacy,' other 'ransom demands may potentially be legitimate.'
Expert Analysis
Speaking as the case remains unsolved, Ribacoff told the BBC that if Nancy died during the abduction, 'now it's a murder and not just a kidnapping.' He added, 'It probably drove the criminal underground. He doesn't want to release … where the body is buried, because he doesn't want to expose himself.' Ribacoff, founder of the International Investigative Group, suggested the situation would have differed if the abduction went to plan: 'I believe that a ransom would have been paid. She probably would have been released, causing additional leads to be generated — maybe through IP addresses or telephone records, things along those lines, but it went cold very, very quickly evidence-wise right after that kidnapping.'
Disappearance and Family Pleas
Nancy, who has limited mobility and relies on medication, vanished from her home in the Catalina Foothills outside Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1. Doorbell footage captured a masked individual carrying a backpack approaching her porch before the camera was disconnected. Her family was alerted the next day when she didn't show up at a friend's house for church, leading to a search. Since her disappearance, three notes have been sent to a US outlet demanding millions in crypto. The first allegedly demanded $4 million in Bitcoin, rising to $6 million if not sent within a timeframe. A later note offered an 'apology' for her death and claimed her body could be returned for $4 million.
Savannah Guthrie, 54, has made several emotional public pleas for her mother's safe return. In a direct appeal to the abductors, she said: 'We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.' The Pima County Sheriff's Department previously told Metro: 'The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie remains active and ongoing. The Pima County Sheriff's Department continues to work closely with the FBI as investigators follow up on leads, review information, and pursue the facts surrounding this case.'
