Tucson Search for Missing Nancy Guthrie Continues
TUCSON, Ariz. — Just a short distance from the home of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, there’s a desert “wash,” a natural drainage area overgrown with thick brush. So thick, in fact, that it obscures many of the nearby luxury homes, some valued in the millions.
This type of landscape is common in the area, weaving its way through Tucson and Pima County, with miles of untrammeled desert stretching beyond the city.
Dave Smith, a former lieutenant and consultant with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, highlights the difficulties police face in locating Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie. “The entire Tucson Valley is quite literally designed around these arroyos—ephemeral rivers. It offers a green space, but instead of parks, you have this beautiful desert interspersed between homes, functioning almost like a giant alley.”
However, these places can also serve as hiding spots, albeit tricky once rain washes away evidence quickly. “Evidence is fleeting here,” he explained. “If it rains, footprints vanish, and sunlight can damage other clues. Honestly, this is a tough area to conduct a crime investigation.” He suspects the missing woman may have been taken further out.
Smith described a suspect seen in surveillance footage from Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera, reportedly wearing a holstered pistol in a “Mexican carry” style. “One can’t help but think there’s a lot of notable crime in Mexico, which can make tracking things down really difficult,” he pondered. “But it seems clear someone deliberately took her, possibly across the border.”
Confusion has arisen between Sheriff Chris Nanos and FBI Director Kash Patel regarding the involvement of federal authorities in the investigation. Reports indicate that federal assistance was brought in days after the incident, but the crime scene had already been disturbed for various reasons, including enabling journalists and delivery personnel access.
Smith suggested that if there’s suspicion of abduction into Mexico, it would trigger a federal investigation. He noted that there appears to be an effort to keep federal authorities out of the loop and rule out any possibility of the case crossing state or international lines.
Interestingly, Guthrie’s neighborhood is about 90 miles from Nogales, a border town. “Once you cross into Mexico, it flips from a smaller community on the Arizona side to a larger metropolitan area with a significant population,” he added, which could help a suspect blend in.
Still, the alleged kidnapper hasn’t been publicly identified since Guthrie reportedly went missing on February 1. Although two men were briefly detained in relation to the case, they were released without charges, and her whereabouts remain unknown.
Pima County Sheriff Nanos has previously stated that there isn’t any concrete evidence suggesting Guthrie was taken across the border. However, the FBI has reportedly reached out to Mexican authorities as part of their investigation. Disagreement continues on the pace and manner of evidence processing between local and federal officials.
Patel has voiced frustration over the FBI’s delayed involvement, asserting that the agency was kept from the investigation for several days. “We just wanted to help. For four days, we were sidelined,” he mentioned.
Interestingly, as part of the investigation, the FBI, in collaboration with Google, acquired footage that appears to show a masked suspect at Guthrie’s door. This occurred even though her doorbell camera didn’t utilize a cloud subscription for saving images, which complicates matters further.
Amid rising tensions over evidence handling, Patel expressed concerns that delays could lead to missed opportunities for critical information. “Had we analyzed things sooner, we might have gained vital insights,” he said.
In response, Nanos issued a statement emphasizing ongoing cooperation with the FBI and assuring that evidence analysis is being handled collaboratively. “We’re working closely together on this from the very start,” he said, making an effort to quell worries about jurisdictional disputes.
Despite a reward pool exceeding $1.2 million for information in the case, no one has come forward yet. The family is urging anyone with relevant information to reach out using the designated hotline.
