Nancy Guthrie coughed up blood during abduction? Ex-FBI agent offers chilling theory on her disappearance as probe continues

Nancy Guthrie Disappearance: The investigation into the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, has been ongoing for nearly three months, but aside from minor developments, investigators, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have not achieved any significant breakthroughs. Despite the Guthrie family and the FBI offering rewards for information, no suspect has been arrested so far.

More than 80 days into the investigation, several theories about her disappearance have emerged from experts and former agents, but no conclusive evidence has been established. Amid the prevailing suspense, a retired FBI profiler has come up with a fresh theory after analyzing video of the crime scene in possession of the News Nation.

While speaking to Brian Entin on “Brian Entin Investigates," former FBI profiler Jim Clemente made claims regarding the blood evidence. In February 2026, authorities revealed that DNA testing confirmed the blood found on the home’s front porch belonged to Nancy Guthrie. Clemente suggested that Nancy was likely coughing up the blood.


“Medium velocity blood spatters. Uh, we generally categorize them as low, medium, and high. High-velocity blood spatters are very tiny little, uh, almost misty kind of droplets, and that happens only when blood is impacted, for example, in a gunshot wound,” he told Entin on his podcast.

Further elaborating on his claims, Clemente said, “Medium velocity (blood spatter) can be created when somebody actually aspirates blood and then coughs it up,” he said to Entin. “You can see three circular blood spots, but they are hollow. You see mainly the rings. This definitely came from her (Guthrie). She coughed it out. It kind of went out in different directions.”

The former FBI profiler continued with his theory, saying, “Where that blood pattern disappears, I believe she was likely picked up and carried the rest of the way, perhaps with her face up so that there was no more blood deposited on that walkway.”

Nancy disappeared from her home in Tucson on January 31, 2026, and was reported missing by her family members the following day.

ALSO READ: Nancy Guthrie case update: What does the blood spatter found outside reveal about the case?