Former New York Police Department hostage negotiator Wallace Zeins has come forward with a chilling theory about the suspected abduction of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy.
The law enforcement expert expressed in an interview on Tuesday, February 3, that Nancy could have been taken from her Tucson, Arizona home on Sunday night by more than one person.
Highlights
- A former NYPD hostage negotiator believes Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance likely involved more than one person.
- Investigators have not identified any person of interest, despite reports that ransom notes were sent to media outlets.
- Savannah Guthrie has asked the public for prayers and information, stepping back from work to be with her family during the search for her mother.
Zeins’ view comes after Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, in a recent media interaction, issued a plea to anyone who may have abducted the Guthrie matriarch.
“Just call us. Let her go. Just call us,” the officer said on Monday, February 2. “We do not need another bad, tragic ending,” he added.
The former NYPD officer based his assessment of Nancy’s abduction on her physical fitness
Image credits: savannahguthrie
Nancy Guthrie, according to several news reports, was last seen on Saturday, January 31, by Savannah Guthrie’s sister, Annie. The pair had dinner together, and Nancy was brought to her home at around 9:30 p.m.
Nancy was reported missing by her family around noon on Sunday after she failed to show up for a church service.
Image credits: NBC
The same day, Sheriff Nanos, in a press conference, rejected the possibility of Nancy having wandered off on her own, stating that she does not suffer from cognitive impairments such as dementia.
Image credits: CNN
When officers searched her residence, they found her Apple Watch, with a law enforcement source saying her pacemaker had stopped syncing with the device at around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday.
“She is 150 pounds, 5 feet 5, waking up in the middle of the night, not in the best health, cannot walk or run, so I would think there is more than one person involved in this particular crime,” Zeins told CNN, as the search for Nancy continued with no person of interest named.
Image credits: savannahguthrie
According to Chris Nanos’ briefing earlier in the day, investigators are working to determine key details such as what Guthrie was wearing at the time of her potential abduction and whether she was taken away in a vehicle.
Image credits: KGUN9
The sheriff’s department, according to him, is also looking into why a security camera was missing from the front of Guthrie’s house.
He added that evidence from the scene, such as fingerprints and DNA, has been submitted to laboratories for analysis.
Alleged ransom notes were sent to various media outlets, and Zeins has analyzed how they could help Guthrie’s case
Image credits: JLRINVESTIGATES
At least three different media organizations, including TMZ and CNN Tucson affiliates KOLD and KGUN, received notes demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin for Nancy’s safe return.
The outlets stated that the notes described specific evidence from Nancy’s home.
Nanos refused to confirm whether the evidence matched the crime scene but told CBS News that the notes were shared with Savannah.
Zeins, in his hypothesis of the plausible ransom messages, said that the demand for payment with Bitcoin suggests that people behind Guthrie’s abduction understand digital currency and may be social media savvy.
If the notes were written by hand, they could offer DNA evidence, and if they were written on a computer, that could assist the FBI, which is known for electronic surveillance, he added.
Image credits: savannahguthrie
Police helicopters were seen scouring the desert near Nancy’s home recently.
Zeins described the process as a “grid search,” where investigators examine an area piece by piece to ensure no evidence is missed.
In Nancy’s case, they could be confirming whether or not she was taken through the fields, he opined.
Savannah Guthrie has asked the public to keep her family in their prayers
“We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him,” the TV host expressed via an Instagram post on Monday.
“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” the message added.
Image credits: savannahguthrie
Savannah ended her post with three heavy words: “Bring her home.”
In a statement shared with Today on the same day, she encouraged anyone with a lead on her mother to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900. The FBI is offering $2,500 to those with helpful tips.
Image credits: savannahguthrie
Savannah was set to host the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony from Italy on Friday.
But she will no longer be part of the event “as she focuses on being with her family” during this difficult time, NBC Sports said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Targeting an elderly person like this is really sick," a Netizen asserted about Nancy Guthrie's case
Image credits: esp55716757
Image credits: MagaNomuck
Image credits: sheri_lenard
Image credits: reportdrops
Image credits: ChristiCotlow
Image credits: reportdrops
Image credits: BatesDeedr87015
Image credits: nerdy_girl_573
Image credits: pam188888
Image credits: dieworkwear