A former FBI agent shared expert insights into the status of the Nancy Guthrie investigation, seven months after the 84-year-old went missing. The mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie was reported missing on February 1, and authorities believe she was kidnapped from her Catalina Foothills home near Tucson, Arizona, the night before.
However, authorities have not shared any major update with the public yet by way of suspects or Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts. This has led many to wonder whether the case has been unofficially closed. Notably, the Pima County Sheriff's Department is the lead investigating agency and the FBI is acting in a supporting capacity.
Despite no information coming to the public, a law enforcement expert has shared his insights into where the case actually stands. Here's what retired FBI agent Scott Augenbaum had to say.
What ex-FBI said about Nancy Guthrie investigation
Augenbaum said that just because the authorities have nothing new to share regarding the case does not mean that it has gone cold.
“This is by no means a cold case. A cold case is something that has been closed, it’s been put away…So in my opinion, this case is not closed at all. It’s still being held very tightly guarded by law enforcement, which I would expect at this point in time,” he said, while speaking to KOLD News.
{{/usCountry}}“This is by no means a cold case. A cold case is something that has been closed, it’s been put away…So in my opinion, this case is not closed at all. It’s still being held very tightly guarded by law enforcement, which I would expect at this point in time,” he said, while speaking to KOLD News.
{{/usCountry}}Sheriff Chris Nanos of the PCSD has also reiterated that the Nancy Guthrie case remains active. The former FBI agent also noted that sometimes investigations can range from cases with no leads to ones where law enforcement has an idea of who is responsible, and must then build a case against that person.
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Speaking about the Nancy Guthrie case, the ex-FBI agent added “There were cases where we didn’t really have any leads or anything like that and we just played that close. There was situations where we kind of had a really amazing idea. We knew who did it, but we had to build the case against that person. So it could be anywhere between those two things and somewhere in the middle.”
He also did not feel there was much to read into the sheriff's decision not to have further press conferences unless there's something substantial to be shared. “When I was with the FBI, you know, we didn’t tell anyone until we had a bad guy in handcuffs. We weren’t giving regular updates, and that drives a lot of people crazy,” Augenbaum added.
Latest statement from Pima County Sheriff's Department
The latest statement from the PCSD meanwhile, notes, "The Pima County Sheriff’s Department remains fully committed to the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. This is an active and ongoing investigation, and we continue to work closely with our partners at the FBI. DNA and video analyses remain ongoing, supported by laboratories nationwide. Advances in technology are aiding investigative efforts, and tips continue to be received and reviewed.
We appreciate those who have come forward and urge anyone with credible, actionable information to contact investigators. Even small details may be significant. Please contact 88-CRIME or the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. At this time, we do not have any additional information to provide."