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Nancy Guthrie update: Ex-FBI agent asks investigators to learn a lesson from 40-year-old Thelma Gaston case
Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer wants more searches for Nancy Guthrie, saying old missing cases prove answers can still be found.
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The search for Nancy Guthrie has taken another turn after retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer called for more search operations in the case. In a post on X, Coffindaffer said investigators should not stop looking for the missing 84-year-old, pointing to another decades-old case that was eventually solved.
Nancy, the mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her Catalina Foothills home near Tucson, Arizona, on January 31. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI are still investigating the case, and no suspect has been identified so far.
Retired FBI agent cites 40-year-old case
Jennifer Coffindaffer shared her views in a July 17 post on X, comparing Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance with the case of Thelma Gaston, whose remains were identified decades after she went missing.
She wrote: “Thelma Gaston/Nancy Guthrie. Thelma was a millionaire who went missing 40 years ago when she was 80 YO. Her remains were finally found near Sugarloaf Mountain in a desolate area. She was murdered by her paramore, Lawrence Remsen, who received life for killing her.”
She then explained why she believes search teams should continue looking for Nancy. “This is exactly why searches need to be conducted for Nancy. Unless they know where she is, search that desert.”
Coffindaffer referred to Thelma Gaston’s case because, according to The New York Times, her remains were identified through advanced DNA testing decades after she disappeared in 1981. Coffindaffer believes that even old missing-person cases can still be solved if investigators continue searching.
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FBI investigation into Nancy Guthrie case
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the evening of January 31 at her home in Catalina Foothills. Investigators believe she was abducted during the early hours of February 1, and the investigation has remained active ever since. The case is being handled jointly by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.
This is not the first time Coffindaffer has shared suggestions about the investigation. Earlier, she urged authorities to replace roadside billboards with updated images of the masked “Porch Guy” seen in doorbell camera footage outside Nancy’s home.
She also suggested investigators should “tickle the wire” by depositing money into the Bitcoin account linked to two alleged ransom demands, saying it could help generate new leads. She has also asked for a larger reward to encourage more people to come forward with information.
Savannah Guthrie has separately offered a $1 million reward in addition to other available reward money for information that helps investigators find her mother.
Even after months of investigation, authorities have not announced any arrests or named a suspect. The search for Nancy Guthrie remains ongoing as investigators continue to follow new leads.
