More than a month after the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, law enforcement officials are sounding an unsettling warning: the person responsible could still pose a danger to the public.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators cannot rule out the possibility that whoever abducted the 84-year-old could strike again.
“Criminal minds are criminal minds,” the sheriff said during an interview with NBC.
The troubling statement comes roughly 40 days after the elderly grandmother vanished from her home, leaving investigators with more questions than answers.
Authorities say the suspect may have had a specific reason for targeting Guthrie—but the sheriff is refusing to disclose that motive publicly.
“We believe that it was targeted, but we can’t — we’re not 100% sure of that,” Nanos explained. “And so it would be silly to tell people, ‘Yea don’t worry about it. You’re not his target.’ No, you could be.”
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie — co-host of the Today show — lived alone in the upscale Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson, Arizona. The quiet neighborhood, known for its affluence and scenic desert views, was shaken when she disappeared under suspicious circumstances on the morning of February 1.
Since that day, no confirmed sightings have been reported and investigators have released very little information about the case.
Nanos has indicated investigators believe they understand why the crime may have happened, yet he insists revealing those details could jeopardize the investigation.
Law enforcement experts say that approach is common in active criminal probes.
“When the sheriff says investigators believe they know the motive but won’t share it, there’s an investigative reason,” said Jason Pack, a retired FBI supervisory agent and CEO of the consulting firm Media Rep Global Strategies.
“This is it: You don’t hand the suspect a roadmap of what you know.”
Still, Pack noted that the sheriff’s public warning about a possible repeat crime raises its own set of concerns.
“Once you put that out there, every person watching wants to know who’s at risk and what they ought to do about it,” Pack said. “If you can’t answer those questions, you probably shouldn’t lead with that statement.”
For the public and the Guthrie family, the investigation has been marked by uncertainty and limited updates.
Despite weeks of searching and investigative work, authorities have yet to identify a suspect or explain what may have happened to Nancy Guthrie.
For now, the sheriff’s stark message hangs in the air: until investigators solve the case, the possibility that the person responsible remains free—and potentially dangerous—cannot be ruled out.
