Federal investigators are “asking questions” about a vacant property near Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home as the search for the missing 84‑year‑old enters its seventh week, according to a new report.
Newsweek contacted the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office via email for comment outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
Authorities have said they believe Guthrie was the victim of a targeted abduction, a theory that has prompted renewed scrutiny of whether the crime involved planning.
Recent investigative activity suggests agents are retracing earlier lines of inquiry.
What To Know
FBI agents have reportedly returned to the Catalina Foothills neighborhood where Guthrie vanished in the early hours of February 1, knocking on doors and asking residents new questions.
According to NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin, investigators are now focusing on a nearby property that was vacated shortly before Guthrie disappeared.
Entin, who has been reporting from the area for weeks, said agents are not suggesting the empty home is directly tied to the crime. Instead, it appears to be one of several lines of inquiry being pursued as the investigation continues.
“I have confirmed through sources that the FBI has been back in Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood over the last 24 hours or so, going back to neighbors’ houses and asking more questions,” he said on his podcast, Brian Entin Investigates.
“There’s one neighbor who moved out before Nancy disappeared, and they have been asking more questions about that situation. Not to say that that has anything to do with what happened, but that is something that the FBI agents are asking about.”
Authorities are also asking neighbors about multiple houses under construction nearby, Entin reports.
Agents have requested the names of contractors and workers who were active in the area in the days and weeks leading up to Guthrie’s disappearance, he said.
Investigators are seeking specific details rather than general information, indicating a broad effort to retrace activity in the neighborhood, Entin added.
“This I found to be particularly interesting: there are several houses that are under construction in the neighborhood, and they are asking specifically for names of contractors and workers who were working in the neighborhood on those houses, on those construction projects,” he said.
“And I’m talking about like specifics, like they want the names of all the contractors and workers who are working on those houses. And I saw the construction while I was there, just driving around. There are several houses under construction in the area. So that to me is an interesting new nugget.”
Retired Pima County SWAT commander Bob Krygier, speaking separately about the case in an interview with Parade, explained why vacant or partially occupied properties often draw attention in abduction investigations. Such locations, he said, can allow suspects to observe a target without attracting notice.
An empty home could offer cover for surveillance activity and may even be used to store equipment or monitor daily routines in the area.
Krygier added that investigators routinely examine these possibilities as cases progress and new tips emerge.
Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen after being dropped off at her home following a family dinner.
Doorbell camera footage later showed a masked individual approaching her residence, though no suspect has been identified and no arrests have been made.
Nancy Guithre Disappearance Timeline
Saturday, January 31
– 5:32 p.m.: Guthrie travels by Uber to a family dinner
– 9:48 p.m.: She is dropped off at home and her garage door opens
– 9:50 p.m.: Garage door closes, indicating she is inside
Sunday, February 1
– 1:47 a.m.: Doorbell camera disconnects
– 2:12 a.m.: Motion detected at the home
– 2:28 a.m.: Guthrie’s pacemaker app disconnects from her phone
– Late morning: She fails to arrive for a scheduled church livestream
– 12:03 p.m.: Family reports her missing
– 12:14 p.m.: Police arrive at the home
What People Are Saying
Brian Entin, NewsNation correspondent, said: “[Investigators] are asking specifically for names of contractors and workers who were working in the neighborhood.”
Former FBI agent Steve Moore, who appeared on Entin’s program, said: “Obviously, it means they’re retracing steps.”
Speaking to NBC News, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said: “We believe we know why he did this, and we believe it was targeted, but we’re not 100 percent sure. So it would be silly to tell people, ‘Yeah, don’t worry about it. You’re not his target.’ Don’t think for a minute that because it happened to the Guthrie family, you’re safe. No, keep your wits about you.”
What Happens Next
Investigators are expected to continue canvassing the neighborhood and following up on tips as they reassess activity around the time of Guthrie’s disappearance.
Authorities have urged anyone with information to contact the FBI while the search remains active.
