Ex-FBI Agents Flag Rare Details That Could Shift the Guthrie Case

Nine days after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in Tucson, Ariz., the case remains frustratingly cold. Alleged ransom notes and emotional video appeals from her daughter, Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, have kept the story in the spotlight. Still, authorities have made no significant breakthroughs in the 84-year-old’s case. Former FBI Agent Katherine Schweit now says the troubling incident mirrors scenarios she encountered in her own investigative work, which she undertook about 23 years ago.

​Schweit worked on the case of an 88-year-old grandmother named Hedwig Braun in Wisconsin. According to Schweit, the octogenarian was taken away from her home in the middle of the night. She was thrown in the trunk of a car and kept chained in a snowmobile trailer.

​However, Braun was found five days later. A man who worked at the family’s construction company was arrested, and the motive was revealed to be a $3 million ransom.

​Now, as investigators are trying to find out possible leads in Guthrie’s case, experts are weighing in. Schweit and other former FBI agents say the details released so far suggest the perpetrator likely had prior knowledge of the home or family. The motive appears financial rather than ideological, according to a report on USA Today. Even so, officials are having a hard time verifying ransom claims.

​On February 7, Savannah Guthrie shared another video addressing her mother’s potential abductors.

​“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” said Savannah, in a recent Instagram post.

​Lance Leising, a former FBI agent, said the word “understand” likely refers to details in the ransom note that have not been made public. He said it could point to the kidnappers’ grievances or instructions on how the money should be delivered, while the reference to “celebrate” may suggest some form of resolution.

“I do think investigators are operating under the assumption that she is still alive. However, there are indications in the family’s statement that suggest they are concerned she may no longer be alive,” he said.

​Leising said that the kidnapper could be someone who saw her “at a bank or somewhere and thought she had money,” or someone who knew she was the mother of a celebrity and targeted her for that reason.

​“A true kidnapping for ransom is a throwback to the Lindbergh time,” Schweit said. Aviator Charles Lindbergh’s son was abducted in 1932 from his crib in the family’s rural home. A ransom of $50,000 was allegedly demanded by the suspect.

​Most kidnappings today stem from domestic or family conflicts, human smuggling, or mental illness. While cases involving wealthy or famous victims are uncommon, they often dominate headlines, as seen in the 1974 abduction of William Randolph Hearst’s granddaughter.

​“They’re what movies are made of because they're dramatic and scary. You don't see them playing out in real life. Now you are, unfortunately, in a horrible way for the family and the victim,” said Leising, a former FBI agent.

​Guthrie has been missing from her home since February 1. After monitoring the crime scene, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department claimed that she was definitely kidnapped from her home.

The FBI arrested Derrick Callella in California on February 5. He is accused of sending text messages referencing Bitcoin payments to Guthrie's family after they publicly appealed for her safe return. Court records show Callella has been charged with transmitting ransom-related communications.

On February 6, the FBI confirmed that it was analyzing a new ransom message, although investigators declined to share additional details. Tucson TV station KOLD received both the latest message and one of the earliest alleged ransom notes. The station stated that the new communication appeared to be designed to link the sender to the earlier messages. Despite the developments, no suspects have been named in Guthrie’s disappearance.

Former FBI officials say the key challenge in Guthrie's disappearance is authenticating the unusual ransom notes and confirming proof of life. They warn that high-profile cases often attract copycats and scammers who can divert investigators and exploit desperate families.

Experts note that legitimate kidnappers typically communicate quietly and directly with families. This makes the public, media-directed notes, and the lack of any clear channel for negotiation highly atypical and concerning.

Investigators believe the messages may be designed to pressure the family into paying quickly. Meanwhile, the rise of AI makes verifying proof of life far more difficult than in the past. While authorities see no clear ideological motive and believe money is likely the driver, they issue a caution. They warn that paying a ransom offers no guarantees, particularly with cryptocurrency, which allows abductors to disappear quickly. As the case remains a high priority for the FBI, the Guthrie family faces an agonizing decision amid mounting uncertainty and dwindling time.