TRUE CRIME NEWSNancy Guthrie Case: TV Star's Mom Was Likely Targeted by Local Worker Who Assumed She Had Money, Claims Expert
'This person is not well,' Barbara Butcher said of the alleged kidnapper.
June 2 2026, Published 3:21 p.m. ET
Veteran forensic scientist Barbara Butcher publicly shared her theory that Nancy Guthrie was targeted by a local worker who was under the impression that her family was wealthy.
Speaking at CrimeCon Las Vegas, Butcher — the host of Oxygen's The Death Investigator — noted it is highly unlikely an 84-year-old woman would be abducted at random.
Instead, Butcher believes a local handyperson discovered Nancy is the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie.
'I Find It Flabbergasting'
True crime expert Barbara Butcher believes Nancy Guthrie's alleged kidnapper is after money.
The suspect likely saw the family name and estimated her property value, prompting a financially motivated kidnapping.
Barbara stated that targeting an elderly woman in this manner indicates the perpetrator is mentally unstable.
"I find it flabbergasting that anyone would take a woman her age, but what I think is probably the case is that someone in the area, maybe a handyman, maybe a service person, had known, had found out that Mrs. Guthrie was the mother of Savannah Guthrie and said, 'Oh, she must be rich. So this person is not well,” Barbara said.
Is Nancy Guthrie Still Alive?
Savannah Guthrie has offered a reward of up to $1 million for her mom's 'recovery.'
Nancy was abducted from her Tucson, Ariz., home on February 1, 2026.
Because no credible ransom demands have materialized, Barbara raised concerns that Nancy may have tragically passed away.
"My second thought was that after time, when there was no valid ransom demand or any information forthcoming that it's probably likely that Mrs. Guthrie died of shock, fright, heart disease, whatever it was, very soon after being taken from her home," she added.
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Authorities Are Still Analyzing DNA Found at Crime Scene
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of January 31.
"And that's just horrifying to me...and so now this kidnapper had nothing and probably, unfortunately, took her body into the desert and buried her there," Barbara added.
Authorities have not officially named any suspects, but the FBI continues to run advanced testing on a partial DNA sample recovered from the home.
A critical "mixed DNA" sample — which includes genetic material from more than one person, as well as a hair sample — was transferred from a private Florida laboratory to the specialized FBI laboratory in Quantico, Va.
Nancy Guthrie's blood was found splattered on the ground near her front door.
The FBI is utilizing advanced technology to isolate individual profiles and attempt to identify the perpetrator.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed that DNA testing has verified that the blood found on Nancy's front porch belongs to her. Investigators believe she was struck during the initial encounter.
A combined reward of over $1.2 million is active for information regarding her whereabouts.
