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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A retired FBI agent has suggested the case of missing Nancy Guthrie is cooling down.
Steve Moore said during an interview with NewsNation's Brian Entin on Brian Entin Investigates that he believed the case was not cold but had "cooled off quite a bit."
Moore added that it was his understanding, although he said he could not confirm the information, that agents on the case were "being told that they may be going back to their divisions at least until more information comes up." Newsweek has contacted the FBI for comment in an email sent outside regular working hours.
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The Context
The search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has entered a fourth week.
She was last seen at her home just outside Tucson, Arizona, on January 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will and said her blood had been found on the front porch of her home. Authorities have also expressed concerns about her health because she takes daily medication.
On February 10, authorities released surveillance footage showing a masked man outside Nancy Guthrie's front door on the night she disappeared. The FBI later released a description of the person, whom they called a suspect.
What To Know
Moore told Entin that there were positives and negatives to the case being drawn down: "One of the good things is less visibility, and all of a sudden the case agent becomes able to work the case the way they wanted to work it.
"When you get a case like this, when the president of the United States has commented on it, when the director of the FBI is commenting on it, the problem is that there are 20 or 30 people in a very small kitchen."
Moore added that he could guarantee that "pure investigative action has been compromised by political concerns" in the case.
He continued, "When the case starts to draw down a little bit, all of a sudden you find you have a lot more freedom to explore things the way you want."
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a statement late on Monday that it was aware of differences in the masked person's clothing depicted in various images that were released. That came after reports that said the masked man seen on doorbell camera footage was spotted at Nancy Guthrie's house at an earlier date.
"There is no date or time stamp associated with these images," the department said. "Therefore, any suggestion that the photographs were taken on different days is purely speculative."
The FBI said the suspect seen on the surveillance footage was a man about 5 feet, 9 inches or 5 feet, 10 inches tall with an average build. They said he was carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
What People Are Saying
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said on Monday: "We are aware that doorbell images released earlier in the investigation depict a suspect in different stages of attire, including with and without a backpack. There is no date or time stamp associated with these images. Therefore, any suggestion that the photographs were taken on different days is purely speculative.
"This remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation. As with any investigation, conclusions will be guided by verifiable evidence and established facts. Speculation, without factual support, does not advance the investigative process."
Savannah Guthrie said in a recent video posted on Instagram: "We still have hope and we still believe. And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it's never too late. And you're not lost or alone. And it is never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it's never too late."
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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