Nancy Guthrie Investigation Shifts Focus Away From Family Members
Investigators searching for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie are now leaning away from any of her family members as potential suspects, according to a revelation on NBC's Today show. Reporter Liz Kreutz shared this update on Monday morning, citing two law enforcement sources who indicated the probe is moving in a different direction.
Family Members Cleared From Suspicion
Kreutz reported that officials say investigators are leaning away from a Tucson family whose house was raided by SWAT on Friday and from the driver of a Range Rover stopped by the FBI the same evening. Those same officials confirm investigators are also leaning away from any of Nancy's relatives as potential suspects, marking a significant shift in the case.
Nancy's daughter Annie Guthrie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni were among the last people to see her before she vanished from her $1 million Tucson home. Almost two weeks ago, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos had stated that neither Cioni nor other Guthrie family members had been ruled out as suspects. Monday's update suggests the investigative focus has clearly shifted away from them.
Surveillance Footage Could Be Key
Kreutz added that officials believe surveillance video footage could be crucial in solving the case and are working with Google and other private companies to access additional videos. The fact this information was reported on Savannah Guthrie's own television program, which has covered the case cautiously, lends additional credibility to the theory that the abduction was carried out by someone outside Nancy's immediate family circle.
Timeline of Disappearance and Investigation
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson home on January 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities discovered her blood on the front porch, and purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets demanding at least $6 million in bitcoin from the Guthrie family. Two deadlines for payment have passed, and it remains unclear if the notes were authentic.
Police have expressed concern about Nancy's health because she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues.
FBI Releases Surveillance Footage
Last Wednesday, the FBI released surveillance videos of a suspect wearing a handgun holster outside Guthrie's front door the night she vanished. A porch camera recorded video of the person with a backpack who was wearing:
- A ski mask
- Long pants
- Jacket
- Gloves
The FBI described the suspect as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build, carrying a 25-liter 'Ozark Trail Hiker Pack' backpack.
Conflicting Theories Emerge
On Sunday, conflicting reports emerged about the possibility of Nancy's disappearance being the result of a burglary gone wrong. A law enforcement source told local outlet Arizona Family that investigators are weighing up whether Nancy just fell victim to someone trying to burglarize her $1 million home.
If that were the case, the source said there is hope that the 84-year-old could still be alive even as the search for her extends into a third consecutive week without any arrests. However, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos later disputed that theory and told the Daily Mail that his department still believes Nancy was abducted.
Evidence Collection and Testing
Late Friday, law enforcement agents sealed off a road about two miles from Nancy's home as part of their investigation. Investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot. The Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation.
On Sunday, a glove found in a field by the side of the road two miles from Nancy's home was linked to one being worn by a figure seen on doorbell camera on the night of the abduction. The nitrile hand-covering has now been sent off for FBI DNA testing, with results expected later on Monday.
If the DNA matches that of someone already in the federal database, it could give investigators a significant break and help bring the Guthrie family's anguish to an end.
Massive Tip Collection Effort
The Pima County sheriff and the FBI have announced phone numbers and a website to offer tips. Several hundred detectives and agents have been assigned to the case, according to the sheriff's department.
The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since February 1, while the sheriff's department has taken at least 18,000 calls. The sheriff's department has not said whether any tips have advanced the investigation.
Questioning and Release of Individuals
Several people have been questioned in connection with her disappearance but were later released. On Tuesday, sheriff deputies detained delivery driver Carlos Palazuelos for questioning after a traffic stop south of Tucson. Authorities didn't say what led them to stop the man but confirmed he was released without charge later the same evening. Palazuelos spoke to multiple reporters denying all involvement in Nancy's case.
Family's Emotional Appeals
Savannah Guthrie, her sister Annie, and her brother Camron have gone on social media and shared multiple video messages to their mother's purported captor. The family's Instagram videos have shifted in tone from impassioned pleas to whoever may have their mom, saying they want to talk and are even willing to pay a ransom, to bleaker and more desperate requests for the public's help.
A video on Thursday was simply a home video of their mother and a promise to 'never give up on her.' On Sunday night, Savannah posted an Instagram video in which she issued an appeal to whoever abducted her mother or anyone who knows where she is being kept.
'It is never too late to do the right thing,' she said. 'And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it's never too late.'
