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By Jenna Sundel
News Reporter
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A retired FBI agent said the man seen on Nancy Guthrie’s porch in surveillance footage released by law enforcement is the “key” to solving the case.
“The reason he’s the key is he honestly is the only viable lead now, at least that we in the public know,” Jennifer Coffindaffer said on X.
Why It Matters
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for over two months. Her disappearance has prompted a multiagency search involving local law enforcement and the FBI. She was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, on January 31.
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Alleged ransom notes have been sent to multiple news outlets.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a news conference in February that there were clues at the crime scene indicating that Nancy Guthrie "did not leave on her own." He also said Guthrie needs daily medication, and it could be fatal if she did not take it every 24 hours.
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What To Know
In February, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department released surveillance photos and videos of a potential subject as part of the investigation into Guthrie's disappearance.
"Working with our partners, as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance," the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department said.
Coffindaffer said she believes the footage is the “best possibility to solve” the case. She said the DNA analysis in the case has faced issues.
Nanos has suggested that the mixture could contain DNA from several people, according to Today.
“With that kind of DNA complexity, it is my understanding and never in my knowledge have they been able to divide something like that up,” Coffindaffer said.
Coffindaffer said the alleged ransom notes have also remained unsolved. She said she believes cyber specialists are pursuing that lead and are probably collaborating with private specialists.
“They haven’t solved who made them or who sent them, which it’s easy to hide them with a VPN and with an out-of-country email and using public Wi-Fi access. That’s a recipe for an extremely difficult journey to try to solve who sent those emails,” she said.
Coffindaffer said investigators are still going over tens of thousands of leads and reviewing submitted video footage.
“They still have all this video footage they’re looking at, but it’s a really tight time frame in an area that is not well traveled, so I think that’s a lead that could possibly be productive, even though we haven’t seen the production yet,” Coffindaffer said.
Coffindaffer said she thinks investigators are still following leads on the backpack, holster, clothing and shoes worn by the individual in surveillance footage released by law enforcement.
What People Are Saying
Savannah Guthrie, in an interview with Today: "We need answers. We cannot be at peace without knowing, and someone can do the right thing, and it is never too late to do the right thing. And our hearts are focused on that."
Pima County Sheriff’s Department, in a statement last month: "The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to analyze various forms of evidence in the Nancy Guthrie case, including material from laboratories as well as images and videos captured by cameras. At this time, we will not comment on the details or status of this analysis."
What Happens Next
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the recovery of Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
"To help keep the tip line available for actionable investigative law enforcement leads, please submit only serious and detailed fact-based information, no well-wishes or case theories. The tip line is not for personal messages to the Guthrie family," FBI Phoenix said.
Additionally, 88-CRIME is offering a $102,500 reward for the arrest of the person or persons involved in the disappearance.
Savannah Guthrie announced on Instagram that the family is offering a reward of up to $1 million, payable only for her mother's recovery.
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