Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, may have been kidnapped by individuals linked to a drug cartel.
But she could still be in Arizona, according to one private investigator.
Bill Garcia, a California-based investigator with over 35 years of experience, told Border Report that he believes Guthrie’s disappearance could be a “money-making venture” carried out by people connected to a cartel.
However, he does not think she was taken into Mexico.
“That particular area of Arizona is a high drug and money transporting area,” Garcia said. “It has deepened my belief that this is in some way related to a money-making venture by people involved with a cartel.”
Guthrie was reported missing from her Tucson home on February 1.
Authorities believe she was likely taken overnight, and the FBI released surveillance images showing a masked suspect at her front door.
While the motive remains unclear, officials have ruled out a burglary gone wrong. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos suggested Guthrie may have been taken as “revenge for something,” though few additional details have been disclosed.
Garcia said the surveillance footage raises questions about the suspect’s experience, noting that the individual “doesn’t appear to be very sophisticated.” He pointed to the way the suspect approached the camera and briefly lifted shrubbery, which Garcia described as an ineffective attempt at concealment.
He also highlighted the suspect’s clothing and equipment, noting a holster he said is typically made in Mexico but appeared too large for the firearm being carried. “Just the appearance and mannerisms makes me believe it is a low-level associate,” Garcia said.
Problems with the DNA
The investigator believes that if Guthrie answered her front door, a struggle likely occurred after the home’s security camera was removed.
Police have confirmed blood on the porch, though none was found leading away from the house. Garcia theorizes she may have been forced back inside, where he suspects a second person could have been waiting.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said there are complications with the DNA collected from Nancy Guthrie’s home, and it could take up to a year for the private Florida lab handling it to resolve.
The DNA recovered doesn’t match Nancy, her family, or anyone who worked in the house, but it’s mixed with her DNA and incomplete, he told NBC News last week.
“Our lab tells us that there’s challenges with it, and we understand those challenges,” Nanos said.
Preparing to scale back the search
While some FBI sources have suggested Guthrie could be in Mexico — and TMZ reported federal agents have contacted Mexican officials — Sheriff Nanos said evidence collected indicates she remains in Tucson. Garcia also disputes that she was taken across the border, citing the heavy law enforcement presence between Tucson and Mexico.
Instead, he believes she may be somewhere north of Tucson, potentially within the 100- to 130-mile stretch between Tucson and areas outside Phoenix and Mesa.
According to the New York Post, authorities have not publicly backed Garcia’s cartel theory. The veteran California-based investigator, known for solving complex missing-persons cases — including locating a missing child’s body in 2002 after weeks of searching — said he is not seeking involvement in Guthrie’s case and would not insert himself into the investigation.
At the same time, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has been facing criticism that his ego may be hindering the search for Nancy Guthrie. Savannah Guthrie, 54, co-host of Today, flew to Arizona at the beginning of February to help with the efforts.
More than three weeks after Nancy was reported missing on February 1, and with no suspects or persons of interest identified, authorities are preparing to scale back the search in the coming days.
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