Nancy Guthrie’s abduction may have been driven by revenge against her family, particularly her well-known daughter, Savannah, according to a criminal profiler.
The 84-year-old, mother of the Today show host, was taken from her residence near Tucson, Arizona, on January 31, with blood found on her front porch.
“I think something very unusual happened in the house…because there was blood,” remarked Dr. Anne Burgess, a former FBI behavioral analyst, in an interview. She shared these insights on NewsNation’s “The Brian Entin Investigative.”
A psychiatric clinical nurse also suggested it’s possible that Nancy wasn’t the main target of the kidnapping.
“The people close to her—family or friends—are likely to be the ones most affected by her abduction,” Dr. Burgess noted, hinting that the act could be revenge aimed at someone dear to her.
“It’s an incredibly cruel and horrifying thing. If that was the intent and it has worked out, it seems unlikely that Nancy would be targeted for anything other than being kidnapped,” she added.
Dr. Burgess mentioned that investigators likely spoke with Savannah about potential connections between the kidnapping and her mother’s public profile.
“I think law enforcement has asked her about whether she has received any threats or strange letters over time, not just recently,” she explained.
Furthermore, the expert expressed doubt that the kidnappers would come after Savannah’s family again.
“If the motive is personal, it doesn’t usually extend to others. A serial perpetrator wouldn’t typically target the same group repeatedly,” she stated.
Dr. Burgess believes that multiple individuals were involved in Nancy’s kidnapping, and she is optimistic the case will eventually be resolved.
She also urged the FBI to disclose more details about the investigation.
“There are likely other pieces of evidence that could be shared to help the public theorize and speculate. I think more could definitely be released,” she expressed.
Guthrie is thought to have been taken in the early hours of February 1, following the disconnection of her Bluetooth-enabled pacemaker from her phone around 2:30 a.m., indicating it was out of range.
