Former Investigator Suggests Nancy Guthrie's Kidnapper Was 'Someone Close'

Savannah Guthrie's mother remains missing after February 1 abduction from Tucson home.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 3:22pm

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Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since her abduction from her Tucson, Arizona home on February 1. A former FBI agent and investigator, Morgan Wright, suggested the kidnapper is likely someone familiar with the area due to the complex, non-grid road layout near Nancy's neighborhood, indicating the perpetrator had local knowledge and was comfortable staying at the scene for an extended period of time.

Why it matters

The case highlights the challenges of investigating a kidnapping in an area with a confusing road network, as the perpetrator's ability to navigate the location suggests they had prior familiarity. The lack of a suspect named so far also raises concerns about the investigation's progress and the potential involvement of someone close to the victim.

The details

According to former investigator Morgan Wright, the kidnapper's comfort and extended presence at the scene of around 40-47 minutes indicates they had local knowledge of the Catalina Foothills neighborhood where Nancy Guthrie lives. The non-grid-like road patterns in the area would require either a navigation app or prior familiarity to traverse, leading Wright to speculate the perpetrator was someone close to Nancy rather than a stranger from out of state.

  • Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson residence on the evening of January 31.
  • Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home on February 1.

The players

Nancy Guthrie

The 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona home on February 1.

Savannah Guthrie

The co-anchor of the Today show, whose mother Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Tucson home.

Morgan Wright

A former FBI agent and investigator who speculated that Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper was likely someone familiar with the area due to its complex road layout.

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What they’re saying

“This tells me, when I look at everything that goes on around it — and I look at how comfortable that person was, how comfortable that were staying in that area from 1:47 until no later than 2:28 — that is a lot of time… That guy was on the X for at least 40, if not 47 minutes.”

— Morgan Wright, Former FBI agent and investigator

What’s next

As of writing, no suspect has been named in Nancy Guthrie's abduction, and the investigation is ongoing.

The takeaway

The case of Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping highlights the challenges of investigating a crime in an area with a complex, non-grid road layout, as the perpetrator's ability to navigate the location suggests they had prior familiarity with the area. The lack of a named suspect also raises concerns about the potential involvement of someone close to the victim.