Nancy Guthrie Case: FBI Profiler Claims Savannah's Mom Was 'Threatened' By 'Overwhelming Force'

Retired FBI profiler Jim Clemente believes 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was threatened and controlled by her abductor using a gun at his waist or crotch area to force her to the front door.

He told NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin on Wednesday, April 22, that blood spatter evidence at Nancy’s Tucson, Ariz., home shows she fought back, resulting in her being "blitzed with overwhelming force" or punched, causing her to cough up blood on her porch.

“I believe that Nancy fought him, either inside the door, or just outside, depending on where the first appearance of this blood splatter evidence is,” Jim told Brian. “And at that point, she was likely either blitzed with overwhelming force, punched in the face or the nose, and she began bleeding. She went down, either on her knees or just hunched over. And then coughed up this blood, which is why we see this pattern.”

Jim suggested the offender controlled her using a gun — most likely held at his waist or crotch area — to force her from the house toward the front door.

“I believe that she was threatened — she was controlled by, most likely, the gun that the offender had at his waist or his crotch area,” Jim mused. “And that he used the gun to threaten her, control her, and get her down to the front door. At that point or shortly thereafter, she realized he was trying to take her out of the house.”

He also suggested the kidnapper may have lifted Nancy away from the home.

“I think at that point, she was likely picked up by the offender. They, having stepped in and smeared, or another body part of hers touching the blood that she had coughed up already, and smearing in the patterns that we see here,” he explained.

He stated the abductor was likely watching the media coverage of the case, and based on the lack of multiple shoe print patterns in the blood, Jim is "adamant" that only one person likely carried out the kidnapping.

He believes the offender conducted surveillance before the crime, but made several "big mistakes" during the abduction — such as not covering his mouth and accidentally revealing a potential tattoo on his right wrist to a doorbell camera.

The FBI recently took over analysis of an original hair sample that had been at a private lab in Florida for 11 weeks. There are reports that Astrea Forensics — the lab that helped solve the Gilgo Beach serial killer case — may be involved in analyzing this rootless hair evidence.

After taking an extended leave of absence, Savannah returned to the Today show on April 6.

The Guthrie family continues to offer a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery.

Based on the blood spatter, he concluded, “And then from that point forward, she was carried to whatever vehicle he had. And at that point, she was likely turned with her face up so that we see no further blood dripping from the face wounds that likely caused this pattern.”

Jim indicated the offender aimed to take her to a place with more privacy.