Nancy Guthrie Case: Ex-NYPD Sergeant Points to Unexpected Source That Could Crack Case

As the Nancy Guthrie case has seen no breakthrough despite more than two months of investigation, an expert has highlighted how a lead from the most unexpected source could help solve it. According to former New York Police Department (NYPD) sergeant Joe Giacalone, a prisoner could come up with information about Guthrie.

Giacalone recently appeared for an interview with investigative reporter Brian Entin. During the conversation, the journalist asked him how he would have tried to solve the Nancy Guthrie case if he had the opportunity.

The retired sergeant replied that he would have focused on prisoners arrested within a 100-mile radius of the crime scene, which in this case is Nancy Guthrie's Catalina Foothills home. “One of the things that I would be pushing for is to be debriefing every prisoner that gets arrested within that 100-mile radius,” Giacalone said.

He explained that these prisoners often have information about crimes that no one else has, and they are willing to provide it in exchange for their freedom. “Maybe they do know something. Listen, you have to go to the sources where these guys hang out, and these guys know one another, so to speak, and try to get information out of somebody. This is a get out of jail free card,” Giacalone said.

Hence, the ex-officer believes investigators should contact the inmates who have recently been taken into custody. “Asking them if they know anything about the case, asking recently-convicted prisoners as they're sitting in the cell for the first time in the first week,” he said.

Discussing how the prisoners can serve as informants and make a deal with the authorities, Giacalone said, “One thing I found in my career is that somebody who's been sitting in a cell says, ‘You know what, I know something. I got to get out of here,’ and they can try to make a deal.”

Entin agreed with Giacalone’s point and revealed that one of his cop friends had a similar theory. “We were chatting about the Nancy Guthrie case, and that's what he said. He said, ‘I bet at some point someone in prison is going to have the tip.’ And I was like, ‘Why do you think that?’ And he said, ‘I don't know. I just have a hunch,’” Entin recalled.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been probing the case ever since Nancy Guthrie, 84, went missing from her home. Officials believe she was forcefully taken as a masked man was seen tampering with the doorbell camera outside.

Investigators have collected surveillance footage from the neighborhood and DNA evidence from Guthrie’s home. However, the case remains unsolved. Guthrie, who requires critical medication daily due to a heart condition, is still missing, and her alleged kidnapper has not been identified.

After spending two months in grief, her family is beginning to return to normalcy as her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, has resumed hosting the Today show after a long break. The family still hopes for Guthrie’s return and has offered a million-dollar reward for anyone with information about her whereabouts.