Did Nancy Guthrie Die in Mexico? Veteran Officer Shares Chilling Theory

As the search for Nancy Guthrie crossed the 50-day mark, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos’ former boss shared a grim theory about what may have happened to the missing 84-year-old and mother of Savannah Guthrie.

On the latest episode of Brian Entin Investigates, a YouTube series covering the Guthrie case, Rick Kastigar told the journalist that this was a very sophisticated abduction. He added the case remains very active, not cold.

Kastigar, who served in the Pima County Sheriff's Department for 46 years, spoke about the possibility of Guthrie being dead. “And to search for a grave site now will be difficult. There has been wind and rain in the seven weeks she’s been missing, and it obscures any evidence one might hope to find,” he said. “It also doesn't make a lot of sense for the abductors to take her somewhere for financial gain and then bury her near her home. It’s not a likely scenario.”

The law enforcement expert shared that the sheriff’s department has information it cannot reveal to maintain the integrity of the case.

“My theory is that the abduction was planned by more than one person, and she probably struggled and was injured in the process before being taken away. I sadly believe, and I think the family is also coming to this conclusion, that she likely passed due to a lack of medical care. We knew she needed specific drugs and medical care to maintain her health. I cannot imagine the abductors had that ability,” Kastigar said.

Kastigar said he thinks the abductors took her to Mexico to access the resources they needed to keep her alive. “I believe she passed somehow, and that negated their opportunity to get what they wanted. A lot of us think it’s money—and that very well may be,” he said.

Kastigar added that there is also no specificity in the family asking the abductors to bring her home alive when they offered the $1 million reward. “However, what they may have done with her, I’m not clear,” he said.

Even if Guthrie died of medical reasons, the abductors caused it, and they are likely to be charged with felony murder if and when caught, the expert said.

“The longer it takes to find the suspect, the chances of her being alive become very slim,” he said.

Guthrie was reported missing from her Tucson home on February 1. After friends and family members called 911, authorities discovered blood on her porch, and a Ring doorbell camera captured a suspicious man there on the night of January 31.

In a statement on Instagram, the Guthrie family thanked the Tucson community for its support during this difficult time and urged anyone with information to come forward.