Nancy Guthrie update: Retired FBI agent addresses wrench attack theory, 'I'll be respectful here…'

A retired FBI special agent has challenged the wrench attack theory surfacing amid the search for Nancy Guthrie.

A retired FBI special agent has challenged the wrench attack theory surfacing amid the search for Nancy Guthrie. Jason Pack, a retired FBI agent, addressed the theory that Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother was targeted by a hired assailant working for a remote "mastermind" seeking to extort money from her family.

FILE - An ever-growing collection of yellow flowers and notes sit at the home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie, on March 6, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rebecca Noble, File) (AP)

Pack, in a conversation with Parade, stressed the importance of relying on verified facts rather than public speculation.

"Regarding the wrench attack theory, I'll be respectful here because I know people mean well. But not one of us outside this investigation has read the case file," Pack said. "We haven't seen the forensic reports, the communications records, or the full body of evidence that investigators are working from every single day. The FBI and Pima County aren't building their strategy around outside theories on cable news. They're working from facts the rest of us simply don't have access to."

Pima County Sheriff's Department addresses wrench attack theory

A "wrench attack" (also known as a $5 wrench attack or rubber-hose cryptanalysis) is a physical assault or kidnapping where the suspects use violence or coercion to force cryptocurrency holders to disclose their private keys, passwords, or seed phrases.

Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer wondered in a social media post if a “Wrench Ring” is connected to Nancy’s case. A similar theory was also suggested by Lisa J Miller, a former law enforcement executive at the Colorado Attorney General's Office and a graduate of the FBI National Academy. She told Fox News Digital that the kidnapping bears hallmarks of a wrench attack.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has also addressed the theory.

In a statement cited by Fox News, a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokesperson said, “The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not received any reports referencing "wrench attacks" in our community. The investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance remains active and ongoing. When there is a significant update, it will be shared publicly.”