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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Former FBI officials have discussed the theory that the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie could be connected to elder abuse.
Jim Clemente, a retired FBI special agent, told NewsNation’s Brian Entin on Brian Entin Investigates that the theory is "absolutely" something that investigators should look that.
Clemente said that anyone who had a "tangential" relationship with Nancy Guthrie, such as through working in her house, carrying out repairs or delivering parcels, should be looked at by investigators.
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"All of those people should be looked at because that could have been the nexus that allowed them to understand that she was living alone and that she was vulnerable," he said.
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The Context
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for more than a month. She was last seen at her home near Tucson, Arizona, on January 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped and said drops of her blood were found on the front porch.
Since the first days of her disappearance, authorities have expressed concern about her health because she needs vital daily medication.
On February 10, the FBI released video from a doorbell camera showing a masked man on Nancy Guthrie's porch on the night she disappeared. The FBI later described the person, who they said is a suspect, as being about 5 feet, 9 or 10 inches tall with an average build and carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
What To Know
Another retired FBI special agent, Maurren O’Connell, told Entin that she agreed with Clemente.
She noted that elderly people can sometimes be too trusting of strangers, noting she has an elderly neighbor the same age as Nancy Guthrie.
"The bottom line is they tell everyone anything someone asks them," O’Connell said. "If someone asked her, walked up to her door and said, "Can I come in and use your restroom?" A stranger. She would say yes."
Clemente also spoke about scams that often target older people.
"So many elderly people are getting calls from their ‘bank’ or calls from Social Security or calls from the IRS and they think, ‘Oh, oh my, I have to take care of this.’ Unfortunately, they're just being scammed. And there are people who take it further, who don't just want to scam older people, they want to take advantage of them in a number of other ways.
"And it’s disgusting because they are so vulnerable. And there's no way to protect them unless you're with them 24/7."
Their comments come after Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News last week that investigators were "definitely closer" to tracking down the suspect.
He said investigators had not identified any of the clothing the suspect seen in the surveillance video was wearing but were looking into the possibility the suspect's backpack, which is sold exclusively at Walmart, may have been purchased online.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed last week that DNA from black gloves that were recovered about two miles from Nancy Guthrie's home have been traced to a local restaurant employee who is "not part of this investigation."
The sheriff's department did not disclose how the gloves were traced to the employee, but have previously said investigators would seek to use investigative genetic genealogy in the investigation.
Authorities said last month that DNA from the gloves did not match any entries in CODIS, the FBI's national database. The FBI had earlier said the gloves appeared to match those worn by the masked person seen in the surveillance footage.
Nanos also said that investigators were still facing challenges processing mixed DNA found at Nancy Guthrie's home that did not belong to her or those in close contact with her. The sheriff suggested the mixture could contain DNA from several people.
Last week, Savannah Guthrie and her family returned to Nancy Guthrie's home in their first sighting at the house since she went missing. The family is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of their mother.
What People Are Saying
Retired FBI special agent Jim Clemente said on Brian Entin Investigates: "I think every single person who had any even a tangential relationship to Nancy Guthrie, anybody who worked on the house, on the yard, on the pool, anybody who worked in the house repairing things, delivering things, even driving her in an Uber or Lift, all of those people should be looked at because that could have been the nexus that allowed them to understand that she was living alone and that she was vulnerable."
Savannah Guthrie wrote on Instagram last week: "We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country."
She added: "Please don't stop praying and hoping with us. bring her home."
What Happens Next
Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), 520-351-4900 or 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov.
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