More than six weeks have passed since Nancy Guthrie disappeared, and investigators still have not located the 84 year old or identified the person responsible. Authorities believe she was abducted, but the case remains unresolved, leaving officials and family members searching for the one lead that could finally break things open.
A retired FBI agent recently weighed in on what might eventually solve the mystery. Jennifer Coffindaffer spoke with the news and said the most likely breakthrough will come from someone connected to the suspect deciding to speak up, possibly someone close who recognizes what happened and decides to report it.
“I think the number one way this case is going to be solved, in my opinion, is somebody coming forward that knows him,” she told the news outlet, adding that it could even be “a girlfriend that gets angry at him or a family member that finds some sort of moral compass.”
Nancy is the mother of television co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Investigators believe the 84-year-old was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona on Jan. 31, and since that time authorities have released doorbell footage that appears to show a masked suspect moving around the property.
Officials also described details about the possible abductor while asking the public for help. Savannah Guthrie and relatives have offered a reward of one million dollars for information leading to Nancy’s safe return, while the FBI added two hundred thousand dollars for information leading to arrest and conviction.
Investigators hope someone who sees the suspect in the footage will recognize him. Coffindaffer pointed to several visible details in the video, including accessories and facial features that might stand out to someone familiar with the person involved.
“You have the ring, you had the tattoo, you have the clothing, you have the eyebrows, you have the mustache – somebody knows who he is,” she said in the interview, explaining that a recognition like that could eventually bring investigators the break they need.
Authorities recently examined another possible clue after gloves discovered about two miles from Nancy’s home were tested for DNA. The sample led investigators to a local restaurant employee, but the sheriff later confirmed that the individual was not connected to the disappearance.
Testing on other evidence is continuing, and officials have not ruled out the use of genetic genealogy. But Coffindaffer noted that approach could take a long time because it depends on whether relatives of the suspect have submitted DNA to genealogy databases.
Because of that delay, she believes the most likely outcome is still someone stepping forward after recognizing the suspect in the footage. According to her, the information investigators need may already exist, it just depends on when someone decides to come forward.
