The search for Today co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, has stretched into its sixth month, and one former federal investigator believes answers could be waiting in the rugged desert surrounding Tucson, Arizona.
Former FBI Agent Points Investigators Back to the Arizona Desert
Former FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffertold The Express Tribune on Sunday, July 19, that authorities should widen their efforts into the desert terrain beyond the areas already covered. In her view, the punishing landscape makes searching difficult, but that same difficulty means evidence overlooked in the investigation’s earliest days could still be out there. She added that investigators should stay open to returning to those areas as the case develops.
Meanwhile, the investigation has involved drones, helicopters, search-and-rescue teams, and forensic specialists, while the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI have fielded an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 leads, according to NBC News.
Coffindaffer also laid out her case Friday, July 17, in a post on X that paired photos of Nancy with Thelma Gaston, a millionaire who went missing from California in 1981 at 80 years old.
Thelma Gaston/Nancy Guthrie
Thelma was a millionaire who went missing 40 years ago when she was 80 YO.
Her remains were finally found near Sugarloaf Mountain in a desolate area.
She was murdered by her paramore Lawrence Remsen who received Life for killing her.
This is… pic.twitter.com/y32QZ5gTe9
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) July 17, 2026
Gaston’s story stayed unresolved for more than 40 years until advanced DNA testing recently identified her remains near Sugarloaf Mountain, The New York Times reported.
Her killer, Lawrence Remsen, a man romantically linked to her, was handed a life sentence. The former agent, who has tracked the investigation since Nancy’s February 1 abduction, drew a straight line between the two cases. “This is exactly why searches need to be conducted for Nancy,” she wrote.
The Masked Figure on Nancy Guthrie’s Doorbell Camera
(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home just north of Tucson around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, January 31. Her family reported her missing the next morning, Sunday, February 1, after she failed to show up for church.
Investigators soon declared the property a crime scene, and authorities continue to believe she was abducted. Weeks into the case, the FBI released the first public images of the footage pulled from her Google Nest system, which showed an individual approaching her front door in dark gloves, a zip-up hoodie, sweatpants, a backpack, and a balaclava. Despite the images, no suspect has been publicly named.
A $1 Million Reward and a Warning About Scams
Statement regarding online and email misinformation in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation. pic.twitter.com/H4QCniYbEA
— Pima County Sheriff's Department (@PimaSheriff) July 14, 2026
Her family has offered up to $1 million for information on her whereabouts. At the same time, the sheriff’s department put up a separate $50,000 reward for tips leading to “the recovery, and/or the arrest and conviction” of anyone involved.
At the same time, Sheriff Chris Nanos has maintained that the case remains fully active and cautioned the public about fraudulent fundraising pages and fake QR codes exploiting the Guthrie family’s heartbreaking tragedy.
Officials repeated that law enforcement will never ask for donations tied to the search. Several purported ransom notes have also surfaced, though investigators believe many are fraudulent. Through it all, Savannah has marked each month since her mother disappeared with heartfelt public appeals, thanking investigators and supporters while holding onto hope that her mother will come home.
The case now stands among the FBI’s most high-profile missing person investigations of the year.
Anyone with information is asked to call Tucson’s 88-Crime hotline at 1-520-882-7463 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
