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By Joshua Rhett Miller
Senior Reporter
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One of Nancy Guthrie's neighbors is taking steps to fortify security at her home as the search for the missing 84-year-old woman continues, Newsweek has learned.
Lisa McIntire, 73, said she plans to install a doorbell security camera following the suspected abduction of Guthrie, who was reported missing one day after she was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills section of Tucson, Arizona, on January 31. Authorities have said they believe she had been taken against her will.
"We aren't too concerned," McIntire told Newsweek on Friday. "I mean, there have been property incidents in the neighborhood, but other than that, this is the first time, you know, when somebody has been abducted."
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McIntire said the scenic neighborhood is predominantly populated by retired residents who largely keep to themselves. It's unclear how many other nearby residents have taken steps to increase security at their homes, she said.
"We don't see that many children," she said. "I mean, there's one or two bus stops, but I don't really see too many children walking around. Also, the neighborhood is intentionally without exterior lighting in order to benefit from the astronomical [sights] of Tucson."
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McIntire, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2021, said she had never met Guthrie, the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, who has announced a $1 million reward for information leading to her recovery.
"Someone knows how to find our mom and bring her home," Savannah Guthrie wrote to her 2 million followers on Instagram late last month.
But the high-profile case has prompted McIntire to review safety precautions at her own 3,000-square-foot property on North Cerrada Chica, which already has a fortified front door and metal gates covering windows and entrances.
"So, it would be pretty difficult for someone to break in, which is probably why we haven't rushed out to get a system," she said.
McIntire, who has been interviewed by FBI investigators, said Guthrie's suspected kidnapping ultimately compelled her to act.
"It seems like it would be wise to do so," she told Newsweek.
McIntire said she wasn't optimistic about Guthrie's safe return, particularly given the daily medication Guthrie needs for a heart condition and other ailments.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said that the suspect in Guthrie's disappearance could "absolutely" strike again, although investigators believe the kidnapping was targeted.
"We believe we know why he did this, and we believe that it was targeted," Nanos told NBC News on Thursday. "But we can't—we're not 100 percent sure of that, so it would be silly to tell people: 'Yeah, don't worry about it. You're not his target.'"
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FBI officials have released footage from a doorbell camera showing an armed and masked man outside Guthrie's home prior to her disappearance, but no suspects have been publicly identified.
Nanos declined to discuss the suspect's possible motive, citing the ongoing investigation.
"I think from day one, we had strong beliefs about what happened, and those beliefs haven't diminished," he said.
Investigators have inquired with Guthrie's neighbors about possible internet issues on the night of her disappearance, including whether a Wi-Fi jammer had been used. DNA evidence culled from the home is still being processed and could lead to a suspect, Nanos said.
Nanos, who has been criticized by former FBI agents for insisting investigators were "definitely getting closer" to solving the case, has conceded that his moment in the national spotlight has been difficult at times.
"I'm not used to everybody hanging on my words and then trying to hold me accountable for what I say," Nanos told reporters during a news conference last month.
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