Former FBI Assistant Director Says Answer in Nancy Guthrie Abduction Is ‘Right There in Tucson’

As of May 1, the abduction of Nancy Guthrie marks three months without any major breakthroughs in the investigation.

Even as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local authorities with the Pima County Sheriff's Department continue to investigate the case and pursue new tips, the mother of Savannah Guthrie of NBC News remains missing.

Michael Hershman, president and CEO of Fairfax Group and host of the podcast Fairfax Files, recently spoke with John Miller about the unusual case.

Miller, who previously served as the FBI’s Assistant Director for Public Affairs and later held intelligence and counterterrorism leadership roles with both the NYPD and LAPD, said he believes the suspect is likely someone local to the Tucson area, where Guthrie was abducted.

“I think the answer is—and I think that the Guthrie family believes this, too—the answer is right there. The answer is in Tucson,” Miller said. “This was probably something hatched locally by someone who thought, ‘Here’s an individual who is relatively defenseless, lives alone, is vulnerable, unable to put up a lot of resistance. If we came and took her away, who is connected to… someone with resources and money.'”

According to Parade, Miller said people in the neighborhood are familiar with the Guthrie family and aware of their living situation.

He noted that, in many kidnapping cases, the people responsible often have some prior connection to the victim such as a former employee, the partner of a current employee, a family member, or someone who previously worked on the property and had access to it.

“I don’t think that this case is going to be vastly different, other than someone local who had enough contact around that house to assess what that would be like, and had some idea, some nightmarish dream about, ‘We’re gonna demand a lot of money, and we’re gonna do it through crypto, and we’re never gonna have to go to a ransom drop or pick up a package or show ourselves, we’re gonna take kidnapping into the digital age, and we’re gonna get a big payday,’” Miller added.

Meanwhile, Brian Entin spoke with Guthrie’s neighbor, Aldine, on his YouTube series Brian Entin Investigates.

“It’s quiet, but there’s a sadness. We all miss Nancy,” Aldine said. “We all would love to know what happened."

Entin, who recently returned to Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood, noted that the area has become noticeably quieter since her disappearance.

Aldine agreed, adding that residents continue to feel a deep sense of sadness and fear that Guthrie may never be found.

“We think about it not getting solved. It’s a worry for all of us for sure,” Aldine said. “I don’t think it’s ever going to go away.”

She described Nancy as “vivacious, kind, open, and nice.”

Guthrie was allegedly abducted from her home after a family dinner on January 31, with authorities later discovering blood on her porch during the early stages of the investigation.