Law enforcement sources say investigators are exploring whether the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie may have resulted from a burglary that went awry, rather than a planned abduction, according to multiple local media reports citing inside sources.
CBS 5 true crime correspondent Briana Whitney also said in her weekend report that Nancy “could be alive,” two weeks after she went missing from her Tucson, Arizona home. Whitney stated that is the “widespread belief” among investigators in her report, which she said is based on an “inside source.”
“We can now report investigators now believe this was a burglary gone wrong,” Whitney said in a video posted on X. “We’ve interviewed multiple experts since this began who also said based on the evidence, the surveillance video, and other aspects of this case, that they also believed this was not an intended kidnapping.”
Whitney, who works for the CBS affiliate in Phoenix, reported that DNA evidence from the Range Rover, which investigators picked up about two miles away from Nancy Guthrie’s house on Friday, is currently being tested.
“And last but probably most important, the widespread belief by investigators tonight is that Nancy Guthrie could be alive,” Whitney added.
The outlet also reported “authorities are leaning away from several people previously scrutinized, including the man whose home was searched Friday night, a man named Carlos who was stopped in a car last week and any of Guthrie’s relatives.”
FBI Director Kash Patel released pictures and video footage of a masked “potential suspect” wandering around Nancy Guthrie’s front porch on Wednesday. However, little progress has been made in the investigation since then. Patel stated that the footage and images were obtained from a surveillance camera that was previously inaccessible. As of Sunday evening, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been identified.
Shortly after this report was published, Fox News correspondent Matt Finn mentioned that the FBI had “no idea where that came from” regarding Whitney’s details.
Officials have not publicly confirmed the burglary theory, and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has emphasized that no motive has been conclusively established in the case. Authorities are continuing to investigate all leads as part of a multi-agency effort involving the sheriff’s department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Reports indicate that investigators reviewing surveillance footage and forensic evidence — including DNA collected from a glove found near Guthrie’s home — are considering the possibility that an attempted break-in escalated to the 84-year-old’s disappearance. Some sources quoted in media coverage say there remains “widespread investigative belief” that Guthrie could still be alive.
Guthrie was last seen at her Catalina Foothills residence on January 31 and was reported missing the next day; her disappearance has drawn national attention as law enforcement continues to solicit public tips and analyze evidence.
Meanwhile, “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie has released a new video urging the safe return of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, as the search for the missing woman entered its third week.
In the video shared on social media Sunday, Guthrie appealed directly to whoever may be holding or know the whereabouts of her mother, saying “it’s never too late” and that “you’re not lost or alone.” She emphasized the family’s continued hope that Nancy Guthrie will be found and urged anyone with information to come forward, the UK’s Independent reported.
“It’s been two weeks since our mom was taken, and I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope, and we still believe,” she said. “I wanted to say to whoever has her, or knows where she is, that it’s never too late. And you’re not lost or alone, and it is never too late to do the right thing, and we are here.”
“We believe in the essential goodness of every human being, and it’s never too late,” she added.