NEWSSheriff in Nancy Guthrie Case Believes She Is Victim of 'Targeted Kidnapping,' Declares Abductors 'Knew Who They Were After'
'I believe whoever did that knew what they were up to,' said Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Feb. 18 2026, Published 1:59 p.m. ET
The man at the helm of the search for Savannah Guthrie's missing mother doesn't think this was a random kidnapping.
During an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, February 17, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos shut down speculation that Nancy's disappearance could be the result of a "burglary gone wrong."
"I believe that was a kidnapping, targeted kidnapping," he told Jonathan Hunt. "I believe whoever did that knew what they were up to, knew who they were after," the sheriff stated.
'I believe whoever did that knew what they were up to, knew who they were after,' said Sheriff Chris Nanos.
'Nighttime Residential Burglaries Are So Ridiculously Rare'
A masked suspect was captured on Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera on the night she went missing.
The sheriff confirmed in a prior interview published on Sunday, February 15, that nothing of value was missing from the 84-year-old's Tucson, Ariz., home.
He stated that "nighttime residential burglaries are so ridiculously rare" and pointed to the masked suspect captured on Nancy's doorbell camera on the night she went missing.
"This is somebody who's disappeared from the face of the earth, and now we have a camera that says here's the person who did this," he told the outlet.
Nancy Guthrie Investigators 'Stuck' on Kidnapping Motive
Investigators on the case are unsure why the 84-year-old was taken.
However, investigators are stumped in terms of the motive of her alleged kidnappers.
"The motivation for it is where we get stuck, right?" Chris said. "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 revenge for something?"
In a separate sit-down recorded on Tuesday, he told reporter Brian Entin that "anything is possible" when asked whether Savannah's Today show fame could be a factor in her mother's disappearance.
- Nancy Guthrie Investigators 'Stuck' on Kidnapping Motive, Says Sheriff: 'Is It Revenge for Something?'
- Nancy Guthrie Investigator Shuts Down 'Burglary Gone Wrong Theory': 'This Is a Kidnapping,' Sheriff Declares
- Terrifying New Crime Scene Details Revealed as the Search for Savannah Guthrie's Mother Continues
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
When Did Nancy Guthrie Go Missing?
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Saturday, January 31.
The retiree vanished from her upscale Catalina Foothills home at some point in the early hours of Sunday, February 1.
Her daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, were reportedly the last to see her alive the night before.
Authorities quickly determined based on evidence at the scene, including a trail of blood at scene, that Nancy had been taken against her will.
Nancy Guthrie May Have Been 'Stalked for Some Time'
Savannah Guthrie may have revealed too much information about her mom during a 'Today' segment just months ago.
The sheriff's remarks come after former CIA officer and FBI special agent Tracy Walder expressed her belief that Nancy was likely "stalked for some time" before her abduction.
Notably, Savannah, 54, revealed her beloved mom still lived in the Tucson area during a segment about her hometown in an episode of Today in November 2025.
An insider at the show who spoke to an outlet admitted, "There's a lot of soul searching at NBC about whether their segment made Nancy a target."
