Did Nancy Guthrie’s kidnappers abandon ransom demands or did investigators miss a trick? Ex-FBI agent’s theory grabs attention

Nancy Guthrie Case Update: Five months have passed since the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance began, yet no suspects have been named or arrested. Authorities — the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI — are still scrambling to follow leads. The federal agency recently clarified that it continues to treat the disappearance of Nancy, the 84‑year‑old mother of NBC’s Today show co‑host Savannah Guthrie, as a kidnapping for ransom, despite determining that some purported ransom notes in the case were extortion attempts by imposters.

As the case remains shrouded in mystery despite intensive investigation, ransom notes, and rewards offered, retired FBI Agent Steve Moore spoke with NewsNation’s Brian Entin to discuss the latest updates. Federal investigators have dismissed three widely reported kidnapping‑related messages in the Guthrie case as not credible. Two of these had been described as ransom notes, an FBI official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

What did Moore say about the investigation?

Speaking about the Nancy Guthrie case investigation, Steve Moore said, “The more I see this, the more I think that there is some significant disagreement within the FBI investigation on what they’re dealing with. Right down to the validity of certain pieces of evidence”. He emphasized that viewpoints often diverge between FBI field offices and headquarters, and likewise between frontline case agents and those in management roles.

Nancy was kidnapped from her Tucson, Arizona, home in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2026 and investigators soon believed that she was taken away “against her will.”

Moore’s take on ransom notes

In the days after Nancy Guthrie vanished, the Guthrie family and several media outlets received multiple ransom notes, including one demanding payment in bitcoin. A second note, reported shortly afterward, claimed that Nancy had died. Despite repeated deadlines set by the senders, no ransom exchange ever took place.

“Regardless of whether or not ransom notes from the actual takers of Nancy ever existed, they still believe it remains a kidnapping,” Moore said. He noted that if a kidnapping victim dies, abductors may abandon ransom demands they had initially planned to make. “With blood on the porch of Nancy’s house, I think you have to put into play the very strong possibility that Nancy didn’t survive long enough for them to even get a ransom note,” Moore said.

Did the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Office miss a trick?

Both the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office have faced criticism over the lack of progress in the investigation. More than five months after Nancy Guthrie disappeared, no suspects have been identified.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the sheriff’s office delayed requesting FBI assistance, a decision he suggested may have hindered the case. At times, the two agencies have deflected questions to one another and denied being the lead investigative body. Moore acknowledged that it is possible both are attempting to avoid responsibility for mistakes made during the investigation.

Moore suggested that Pima County investigators may have initially treated the Guthrie case as a routine situation involving a missing senior citizen, focusing their efforts on search operations. However, he argued they should have shifted quickly to a criminal investigation once evidence such as blood at the scene and a damaged Ring camera was discovered. “Pima was slow in pivoting from a lost senior to a violent crime,” Moore said.

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