‘Are Cops Close to an Arrest?’ Former FBI Agent Questions Strategy in Nancy Guthrie Search

The decision to turn away help from civilian search groups such as Texas EquuSearch and Cajun Navy could suggest investigators have made significant progress in the search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, according to a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent.

Jennifer Coffindaffer, a former FBI agent, said deputies with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department may be getting close to an arrest and therefore no longer need outside help.

“Wondering why Sheriff Nanos keeps turning away proven very capable civilian search experts like EquuSearch and the real Cajun Navy?” Coffindaffer said in a post on X.

“Is LE (law enforcement) close to an arrest and they know what happened to Nancy so they don’t want to waste the valuable resources of these groups? But why won’t the sheriff at least acknowledge these groups? Half glass full. Hoping LE is getting closer,” Coffindaffer added.

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills, Ariz., on February 1. Her children, including Savannah Guthrie, Annie Guthrie and Camron Guthrie, have been actively involved in efforts to find their mother. The family has shared emotional video pleas on social media and offered a $1 million reward for information that could help locate Guthrie.

Several people on social media have criticized Sherriff Chris Nanos for how the case has been handled. Nanos is also facing a lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages in an unrelated case filed by a Pima County inmate.

“Investigate the sheriff and take him off Nancy’s case. He’s hindering the case. Give it to the FBI,” one person said on X.

“You know I feel maybe the PCSD should be cleared of this case. Since the beginning I have read everything about this case. Maybe you should look into the PCSD,” another user said.

Coffindaffer also suggested on X that Sherriff Chris Nanos should reach out to Chief James Fry, who led the investigation into the 2022 University of Idaho murders.

“For those who lived the Idaho 4 case from the beginning, the criticism of Chief Fry (who handled the Idaho case) and Sheriff Nanos (handling the Guthrie case) largely mimic each other in terms of communication mistakes, overall errors, and public scrutiny,” Coffindaffer said.

“Nanos should call Fry ASAP, although it may be too late… Nanos could learn from Fry’s missteps. Fry never recovered in Latah County, losing his bid to become sheriff there. Chief Fry currently is chief of a 22-person department in Washington State. Hoping that LE will have someone in custody within 47 days like what happened in the Idaho 4 case,” Coffindaffer added.

On March 12, Coffindaffer also raised questions about the mystery surrounding the timestamps in the doorbell camera footage from Guthrie’s home.

“To be clear, at least according to the sheriff (who is in the know unlike those guessing) he says there is No Timestamp. (See below). The issue is, people have lost confidence in the sheriff’s messaging. I get it, but again, he is the only one that actually knows, one way or the other, that is communicating with the public,” Coffindaffer said.

“Why would he lie about this detail? Recall, @FBIDirectorKash released the videos without timestamps. Were they somehow removed by the FBI prior to release, or were they not retrieved? Why obscure those details?” Coffindaffer added.

Authorities say they have received about 40,000 tips as the search for Guthrie continues.