TRUE CRIME NEWSNancy Guthrie's Kidnapper May Be Visiting Memorial Amid Potential 'Obsession' With Famous Daughter Savannah, Crime Expert Suspects
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for over a month now.
March 5 2026, Published 3:05 p.m. ET
Has Nancy Guthrie's abductor returned to the crime scene?
A law enforcement expert warned that it's possible as visitors continue to visit a memorial outside the missing grandma's Tucson, Ariz., home, leading some to question whether the site is being monitored by investigators.
"They could [have eyes on the memorial], we’re just not seeing it," Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association and a retired police sergeant, told an outlet on Thursday, March 5. "They could be keeping track of it, but we’re not seeing the cameras."
Retired police sergeant Betsy Brantner Smith said investigators may be monitoring the memorial.
The 84-year-old mother of Today star Savannah Guthrie remains missing after mysteriously vanishing in the early hours of February 1.
Investigators believe Nancy is the victim of a "targeted kidnapping," as a terrifying masked suspect was captured on her Nest doorbell camera just prior to her disappearance.
A trail of the retiree's blood was also notably found on her front porch.
Savannah Guthrie Visited the Memorial With Her Sister
Savannah Guthrie and her sister left flowers and a card at their mother's memorial on Monday, March 2.
Savannah, 54, paid a visit to the growing memorial set up by the public for the first time on Monday, March 2.
The television personality was accompanied by her older sister, Annie, and brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni, who all had their arms wrapped around each other as they put down flowers and a card.
A handwritten message on their card read: "Though we are surrounded by so much darkness and uncertainty, our love burns bright. We love you Mommy. We miss you so much."
- Former FBI Agent Reveals a 'Positive Sign' in Nancy Guthrie Investigation as Search Stretches Into Fourth Week
- Weeping Savannah Guthrie and Family Visit Memorial for Missing Mom Nancy Outside of Her Arizona Home: Watch
- Nancy Guthrie Investigation: Sheriff Confirms Officers Are 'Definitely Closer' to Solving Missing Mom's Disappearance
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Was Nancy Guthrie's Abductor Obsessed With Her Daughter?
Betsy Brantner Smith theorized Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper might be 'obsessed' with her famous daughter.
Authorities have yet to publicly share whether they have identified a person or persons of interest in the case.
Betsy speculated that whoever took Nancy may have been "obsessed" with the anchor and got the idea after seeing her mom appear on Today multiple times.
The grandma was notably featured in November 2025 segment about Savannah's hometown of Tucson, in which the NBC star revealed that Nancy still lived in the area.
The Guthrie Family Has Offered a $1 Million Reward for Nancy's Return
Savannah Guthrie recently revealed the family was offering a $1 million reward for their mother's 'recovery.'
Nancy's abductor also might be "someone who is obsessed with notoriety...celebrity," Betsy theorized, adding, "There’s a lot of pathology involved in that."
Meanwhile, a former FBI agent posited on Monday that it's possible the crime was deeply "personal," as a hefty $1 million reward for her "recovery" remains on the table.
"If they don't react to this $1 million reward with virtually no strings attached," Jim Fitzgerald said on Megyn Kelly's show, "That would lean me toward the fact this is a highly personal crime done for highly personal reasons and money was never a factor."
