NEWSNancy Guthrie Investigator Shuts Down 'Burglary Gone Wrong Theory': 'This Is a Kidnapping,' Sheriff Declares
Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home on February 1.
Feb. 16 2026, Published 10:48 a.m. ET
The local sheriff leading the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance rejected the growing theory that the situation is a burglary gone wrong.
In a new interview, Arizona Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed nothing of value was missing from the home of Savannah Guthrie's mother.
Sheriff Clarifies Growing Burglary Theory
Sheriff Chris Nanos doesn't think Nancy Guthrie's disappearance is a burglary gone wrong since no valuable items were missing from her home.
"That’s what makes me say this is a kidnapping," he explained.
"The motivation for it is where we get stuck, right?" Nanos continued. "Is it for money? I mean, we had the one demand where they asked for money? But is it really for money, or is it for revenge for something?"
Sheriff Chris Nanos doesn't have a prime suspect.
Authorities are 'stuck' when it comes to the motive.
The burglary theory spread quickly this past weekend, but he told another outlet that those allegations "did not" come from their department.
"No idea and even though that is one of many possibilities, we would never speculate such a thing," he insisted. "We will let the evidence take us to motive. Nighttime residential burglaries are so ridiculously rare. Crazy rare."
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When Did Nancy Guthrie Go Missing?
Video footage showed a man in a mask disabling Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera.
As OK! reported, Nancy was last seen on the night of January 31 and reported missing the next day. Authorities were able to recover video footage of a male suspect tinkering with her doorbell camera in the early morning hours of February 1, the day she was reported missing, but they have yet to identify the man in question since he was wearing a ski mask.
It's unclear what kind of state Nancy, 84, is in, but police discovered drops of blood at her front door.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of January 31.
Working with the FBI, investigators discovered a glove that contained DNA matching what they found inside Nancy's home.
Since her disappearance, multiple ransom notes have been sent demanding millions in Bitcoin, but despite Savannah and her siblings posting an Instagram video stating they are willing to pay, no progress has been made.
Savannah Guthrie Begs for Her Mother's Safe Return
Savannah Guthrie believes her mother in still alive.
The Today star and her siblings have posted a few videos on social media pleading for Nancy's safe return and asked anyone with information to speak up.
"I wanted to come on, and it’s been two weeks since our mom was taken, and I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope, and we still believe," Savannah expressed in the post. "I wanted to say to whoever has her, or knows where she is, it’s never too late, and you’re not lost or alone, and it is never too late to do the right thing. We are here, and we believe. We believe in the essential goodness of every human being … it’s never too late."
