A former Tucson SWAT officer said the scene in the Nancy Guthrie case “doesn’t add up.”
“This scene doesn’t add up. A frail elderly woman with a heart condition wouldn’t put up much of a fight, but the suspect didn’t look prepared for a calculated ransom scheme,” Brandon Tatum, a former Tucson police officer, wrote on X. “When SWAT deploys, they have a reason. That tells me investigators know more than they’re saying, and the Bitcoin ransom may be a distraction.”
Why It Matters
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, on January 31.
The disappearance has prompted a multi‑agency search involving local law enforcement and the FBI.
Alleged ransom notes were sent to multiple news outlets after her disappearance.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a press conference last week that there were things at the crime scene that indicated Guthrie “did not leave on her own.” The sheriff has also said Guthrie needs daily medication, and it could be fatal if she did not have the medication every 24 hours.
What To Know
Tatum told Fox News that a suspect in newly released photos and videos “doesn’t look like he’s equipped and ready to do anything.”
“It looks staged to me to a certain degree,” he told the outlet.
He said the incident may have been a “burglary gone wrong.”
“This ransom is not really associated,” he told the outlet. “I cannot see a person who’s that unprepared going to now ask for a ransom. I don’t see those two things connected.”
What Happened to Nancy Guthrie?
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department believes Guthrie was taken “possibly in the middle of the night, and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction,” NBC News reported.
Has Nancy Guthrie Been Found?
Law enforcement has not announced that Guthrie has been found as of Thursday morning.
Black Glove Found in Nancy Guthrie Case
FBI agents have recovered a black glove from a roadside near Guthrie’s home, the New York Post reported on Wednesday.
Detectives found the glove, which resembles the pair worn by the potential subject caught on video, about one and a half miles from the home, according to the outlet.
Nancy Guthrie Potential Subject: What to Know
The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department released surveillance photos and video of a potential subject on Tuesday as part of the investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance. The agencies said they had worked closely with private sector partners to recover any images or video footage from Nancy’s home “that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors, including the removal of recording devices.”
Law enforcement said the new video was recovered from “residual data located in backend systems.”
“Working with our partners, as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance,” the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department said on Tuesday.
What People Are Saying
Savannah Guthrie, on Instagram: “Someone out there recognizes this person. We believe she is still out there. Bring her home.”
The White House, on X: “The President encourages any American across the country with any knowledge of this suspect to please call the FBI who continue to assist state and local authorities. The prayers of the entire White House are with the Guthrie family.”
What Happens Next
Anyone with information is asked to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI, 520-351-4900, 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
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