Veteran forensic investigator Barbara Butcher says missing Arizona grandmother Nancy Guthrie likely fell victim to a local handyman or service worker who realized she was the mother of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie and assumed the family had money, introducing a new theory into a case that has gripped national attention for months.
Butcher, a longtime former chief of staff at New York City's Office of Chief Medical Examiner and now a forensic consultant, shared her assessment during an interview at CrimeCon in Las Vegas, stressing that her view is based on experience with similar crimes rather than inside knowledge of the investigation.
She suggested a worker who had been in the neighborhood, or possibly inside Guthrie's Tucson-area home, could have learned of her connection to the television anchor and wrongly concluded there would be cash or valuables on the property, according to Fox News.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was kidnapped from her home in the early hours of Feb. 1, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI. Doorbell camera footage released by investigators shows an armed, masked man outside her front door, apparently tampering with a security camera shortly before her disappearance.
Authorities have not named any suspects but have said they are not ruling out the possibility that more than one person was involved. A law enforcement source told CBS News that the suspect seen on camera appears to have been at Guthrie's door on an earlier date as well, suggesting he may have been familiar with the residence.
Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Guthrie's family — including Savannah Guthrie and her siblings — have been cleared as suspects in the case. Investigators have also detained at least two men for questioning, including a delivery driver and another local resident, but both were released and are no longer considered likely suspects, ABC News reported.
Forensic testing has identified DNA from an unknown male on a glove recovered near Guthrie's home that appears to match gloves worn by the suspect in the doorbell video, according to CBS News, AZ Central reported.
Officials have emphasized that while theories from outside experts can help the public understand possible motives, the active investigation is being driven by physical evidence, witness interviews, and surveillance video.
Rewards for information leading to Guthrie or her abductor now exceed $200,000, including $100,000 from the FBI and more than $100,000 pledged through local crime tip programs after an anonymous $100,000 donation.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI are urging anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, 911, or the sheriff's office tip line as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues, as per Fox News.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
