Nancy Guthrie’s abductor ‘doing what he can to change his appearance’: Retired FBI Profiler on suspect’s likely mindset

Nancy Guthrie Abduction: The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of ‘Today’ show anchor Savannah Guthrie, continues more than 80 days since she vanished from her Tucson home in Arizona. She was reported missing on February 1, 2026 and investigators are continuing efforts to identify a suspect as new analysis and expert insights emerge in the case.

According to authorities, Guthrie was last seen by family members on the evening of January 31, 2026 just hours before she was allegedly taken. Doorbell footage released by investigators shows a masked individual, who appeared to be armed, tampering with her security camera around the time she went missing.

Despite the video evidence and a description, no suspects have been publicly identified so far. The FBI has since obtained “potentially critical” DNA evidence from inside her home, including a hair sample that was initially sent to a private lab in Florida and is now being analyzed using advanced federal technology.

Nancy Guthrie Case: Retired FBI profiler outlines possible mindset of suspect

Meanwhile retired FBI profiler Jim Clemente outlined possible behaviors of the suspect and what may have occurred during the abduction.

While speaking to NewsNation reporter Brian Entin on Wednesday, April 22, on a podcast, Clemente said the individual is likely “doing what he can to change his appearance,” and may also be altering his vehicle while attempting to create “as much distance between himself and this crime scene as possible.”

When asked, “What do you think is going through his mind now?” Clemente responded, ““What is going through his mind is likely, did I actually get away with this? Was I able to permanently conceal her body? And will there be any way that they won't be able to tie it to me?”

Clemente also addressed the possibility of multiple suspects, stating, “Well, I'm pretty sure that was a man we saw in the video. Yeah. And I would be pretty confident saying that I just don't see any evidence of other people involved. Now, could there be other people involved? Sure. Could they have been involved and not at the scene? Sure. But there's no evidence to me that there are more than one offenders here.”

He continued, “Uh, for example, if there's three different shoe print patterns in the blood stains, spatters, that would tell me that's something. But they may get two different kinds of DNA from the house that seemed to be associated, but I just don't see that. I'm not aware of any of that evidence. So, I would withhold any judgment about whether there were more than just the one person we knew.”


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The former FBI profiler further suggested the suspect may already be “setting up an alibi with other people,” allowing him to claim “he was somewhere and else and could not have been involved” if questioned. Clemente also said he believes the individual responsible is “absolutely watching every bit of coverage that there is on this case.”

Clemente suggests gunpoint threat in Nancy Guthrie abduction

Clemente also came up with the theory that Nancy may have resisted her attacker. He said, “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.” He also suggested it is likely the victim had a gun pointed at her during the incident.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive, and the investigation remains ongoing as forensic analysis continues and officials work to determine who was responsible and how the abduction was carried out.