Three months following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie from her residence in Tucson, Arizona, two of the FBI's most seasoned criminal profilers have provided their insights on the case — and their hypothesis regarding the people responsible for the abduction of the 84-year-old mother of Today anchor Savannah Guthrie is quite stunning.
'Stalking-type scenario'
Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jim Clemente, who was previously part of the Bureau's Behavioral Analysis Unit, along with fellow retired profiler Jim Fitzgerald, both contend that the kidnapping is linked to Savannah and that the primary target may not have been Nancy at all.
“This has something to do with Savannah on a stalking-type scenario,” Fitzgerald stated to NewsNation.
He stated that investigators must scrutinize all forms of correspondence that Savannah Guthrie has received in the last five years, which encompasses social media messages and emails sent following Nancy Guthrie's appearance on the Today show.
The hypothesis is that an individual who was unable to reach the television personality directly redirected their focus towards her mother instead.
Nancy Guthrie case: Are ransom demands not genuine?
{{/usCountry}}The hypothesis is that an individual who was unable to reach the television personality directly redirected their focus towards her mother instead.
Nancy Guthrie case: Are ransom demands not genuine?
{{/usCountry}}Fitzgerald also challenged the importance of the ransom demands that were sent following Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, expressing his belief that they were not genuine. Instead of suggesting a kidnapping motivated by financial reasons, Fitzgerald described the demands as opportunistic — a secondary aspect of what he perceives to be a crime driven by psychological factors.
“The crime appeared driven by psychological need rather than financial gain,” he stated.
Current status of Nancy Guthrie probe
The case of Guthrie's disappearance is still unresolved. Investigators continue to sift through over 30,000 tips, and a source familiar with the investigation informed NewsNation that progress has slowed, with limited actionable leads. Nancy Guthrie was last observed at her residence in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson on February 1. Authorities suspect she was abducted, as blood droplets were discovered on her front porch, and surveillance footage captured a masked figure near her door on the night of her disappearance.