Nancy Guthrie Investigation Takes Dark Turn as Former FBI Officials Raise Chilling Elder Abuse Theory
The search for Nancy Guthrie takes a darker turn as retired FBI officials warn she may have been targeted due to her vulnerability.
March 9 2026, Published 12:32 p.m. ET
The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has taken a troubling turn, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Weeks into the search for the missing 84-year-old, retired FBI agents are pointing to a disturbing possibility: she may have been targeted through elder abuse tactics.
Nancy Guthrie's Disappearance
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of 'Today' co-host Savannah, has been missing since January 31.
Nancy, the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for more than a month after vanishing from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on January 31.
Authorities believe she was kidnapped after drops of blood were discovered on her front porch, and officials have since expressed concern about her health because she requires vital daily medication.
'They Are So Vulnerable'
Retired FBI agent Jim Clemente said anyone with even a 'tangential relationship' to Guthrie should be investigated.
Jim Clemente, a former FBI special agent, said investigators should consider anyone who had even a remote connection to the missing woman.
"Anybody who worked on the house, on the yard, on the pool, anybody who worked in the house repairing things, delivering things, even driving her in an Uber or Lyft, all of those people should be looked at because that could have been the nexus that allowed them to understand that she was living alone and that she was vulnerable," Clemente said during an appearance on Brian Entin Investigates, per Newsweek.
Clemente warned that elderly individuals are frequently targeted in scams or other schemes because criminals perceive them as easier victims.
"So many elderly people are getting calls from their 'bank' or calls from Social Security or calls from the IRS and they think, 'Oh, oh my, I have to take care of this,'" he explained. "Unfortunately, they're just being scammed. And there are people who take it further, who don't just want to scam older people, they want to take advantage of them in a number of other ways."
"And it's disgusting because they are so vulnerable," Clemente added. "There's no way to protect them unless you're with them 24/7."
Major Concern
Clemente warned that criminals often target elderly victims because they are seen as vulnerable.
Another retired FBI agent, Maureen O'Connell, echoed those concerns and said older adults can sometimes be overly trusting of strangers.
"The bottom line is they tell everyone anything someone asks them," O'Connell said, referencing her own elderly neighbor who is around the same age as Guthrie. "If someone asked her, walked up to her door and said, 'Can I come in and use your restroom?' A stranger. She would say yes."
Progress in the Search
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Another former FBI agent said older adults can sometimes be overly trusting of strangers at their door.
Meanwhile, investigators say they are making progress in the case.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos recently claimed he believes authorities are "definitely closer" to identifying the suspect seen in surveillance footage from Nancy's home.
The FBI previously released doorbell camera footage showing a masked person on Nancy's porch the night she disappeared.
Officials described the suspect as about 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 with an average build and carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
Authorities have also been analyzing black gloves recovered roughly two miles from Nancy's home. However, DNA from the gloves was traced to a local restaurant employee, who officials say is "not part of this investigation."
