Expert: Nancy Guthrie Investigation 'Becomes Much Harder' as Time Goes On

Lack of new leads and surveillance footage hampers efforts to find the 84-year-old mother of 'Today' co-host Savannah Guthrie.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 1:34am

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The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of 'Today' co-host Savannah Guthrie, has become increasingly difficult as time goes on, according to a retired FBI supervisory special agent. Despite additional surveillance footage being obtained from Guthrie's Tucson home, the images showed nothing suspicious, and the only known footage of the suspect remains the doorbell camera video shared by the FBI in early February. With a lack of meaningful leads and the DNA analysis process taking time, the expert warns that 'it becomes much harder to keep the investigation going' as the case approaches the seventh week since Guthrie's disappearance.

Why it matters

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has garnered national attention, as she is the mother of a prominent television personality. The case highlights the challenges law enforcement can face in high-profile missing persons investigations, especially as time passes without significant breakthroughs. The use of forensic genetic genealogy to analyze DNA evidence is also a technique that has gained prominence in recent years, though it can be a lengthy process.

The details

Authorities obtained additional surveillance footage from cameras installed at Guthrie's Tucson home, but the images only showed family members, landscapers, and pool workers, and did not capture anything suspicious or the suspect. The doorbell camera video shared by the FBI on February 10 remains the only known footage of the suspect. DNA evidence is still being analyzed, with investigators turning to forensic genetic genealogy in hopes of identifying the perpetrator. Over 1,500 potential leads have been received by the FBI since the Guthrie family announced a $1 million reward, but law enforcement has not held a news conference to discuss the case in more than a month.

  • Nancy Guthrie has been missing for 45 days.
  • The doorbell camera video shared by the FBI was released on February 10.
  • The Guthrie family announced a $1 million reward nearly three weeks ago.

The players

Nancy Guthrie

An 84-year-old woman who is the mother of 'Today' co-host Savannah Guthrie and has been missing since February 1.

Savannah Guthrie

The co-host of the 'Today' show and the daughter of the missing Nancy Guthrie.

Lance Leising

A retired FBI supervisory special agent who provided expert commentary on the investigation.

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What they’re saying

“It becomes much harder to keep the investigation going, keep it current and fight for new leads.”

— Lance Leising, Retired FBI supervisory special agent

“Maybe you've got multiple people within the same DNA family that could potentially be suspects. You have to investigate each one of those independently.”

— Lance Leising, Retired FBI supervisory special agent

“I'd like to be hopeful that — and I'm sure the family is incredibly hopeful — that the silence is because they're on to something. They just need to investigate harder.”

— Lance Leising, Retired FBI supervisory special agent

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the suspect out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges law enforcement can face in high-profile missing persons investigations, especially as time passes without significant breakthroughs. The use of forensic genetic genealogy to analyze DNA evidence is a technique that has gained prominence, though it can be a lengthy process, and the lack of new leads or surveillance footage makes it 'much harder to keep the investigation going' according to the expert.