Nancy Guthrie Update: Ex-FBI Agent Reveals ‘Number One’ Lead In Search

A former FBI agent has explained why she thinks a Range Rover SUV that was seized by law enforcement is the “number one” lead in the search for Nancy Guthrie.

Federal agents and Pima County sheriff’s deputies were seen photographing and covering the gray Range Rover before it was towed from a restaurant parking lot about two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home near Tucson on February 13.

Jennifer Coffindaffer told Newsweek that the vehicle is, in her view, the most significant lead for law enforcement at the moment.

“The number one lead, I believe, is the Range Rover that was taken,” she said.

She added: “What I think is most disconcerting is the fact that they put a tarp on the back when they opened up that vehicle. I believe that’s because of something they saw in that vehicle and they were concerned for witnesses, passersby, YouTubers, everyone else who was around the scene to see what was inside that vehicle.”

The Context

Law enforcement have been investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, for three weeks.

She was reported missing from her home on February 1 after spending the previous night with family, authorities said. Police believe she was taken against her will, and said her blood was found on her porch.

Last week, authorities released a description of a man seen on surveillance footage outside Guthrie’s front door the night she disappeared and have continued to appeal to the public for information.

Authorities have expressed concerns about her health because she needs daily medication.

What To Know

Authorities have not provided details about who owns the Range Rover SUV or why it was seized, but said the activity was part of the Nancy Guthrie investigation.

Coffindaffer noted that vehicle does not appear to have been released by authorities.

She said: “As far as we know, it has not been released yet. It was treated as evidence judging by the tarp. And so I think is the most viable lead right now.”

She said investigators may also be hoping to see if DNA evidence recovered from the vehicle may match other DNA evidence in the case.

“I think it’s being fully analyzed for DNA and fingerprints and any other markers that might show that Nancy could have been in that vehicle,” she said.

“And then also if there’s any DNA in that evidence that would match either the glove [found] on the side of the road or would match the unknown DNA that’s in the house. So that’s a big prospect for them.”

Earlier this week, authorities said DNA from gloves found a few miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home did not match any entries in CODIS, the FBI’s national database. The FBI has said the gloves appear to match the gloves worn by a masked person seen in surveillance footage outside Nancy Guthrie’s house on the night she disappeared.

Investigators also collected DNA from Nancy Guthrie’s property that doesn’t belong to her or those in close contact with her, the sheriff’s department said.

The sheriff’s department has also said investigators were turning to investigative genetic genealogy in a bid to track down the suspect. Coffindaffer previously told Newsweek that the method could help solve the case, though she said it could take weeks, if not longer, to yield a result.

Last week, the FBI released surveillance videos from Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera of an individual wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket, gloves and handgun holster outside Guthrie’s front door the night she vanished.

The FBI later called the person a suspect and described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 or 10 inches tall with an average build. Authorities said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.

The sheriff’s department said on Friday that although investigators are seeking information “related to the person seen on video, investigators are not ruling out the possibility that more than one person may be involved.”

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said on Monday that the Guthrie family, including “all siblings and spouses,” had been cleared as possible suspects in the case.

What People Are Saying

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said on Friday: “Detectives and agents continue to actively follow up on leads. Neighbors have submitted surveillance video from the area, and investigators are carefully reviewing that footage. DNA analysis is underway on biological evidence recovered during the investigation. This process can be lengthy.

“Investigators continue seeking information to help identify the individual captured on doorbell surveillance video. As the Sheriff has previously stated, while we are requesting information related to the person seen on video, investigators are not ruling out the possibility that more than one person may be involved.”

Savannah Guthrie said in a video posted on Instagram on Sunday: “We still have hope and we still believe. And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late. And you’re not lost or alone. And it is never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it’s never too late.”