EXCLUSIVE: Bungled Nancy Guthrie Investigation 'Is Going to Be Written Into the Textbooks' on 'What Not to Do'
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31.
March 12 2026, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
The investigation into Nancy's Guthrie's abduction could go down in history for how it's seemingly been mishandled, according to a private investigator.
Lisa Ribacoff-Mooney, a polygraph expert and the owner of Interpoint Investigative Services, exclusively told RadarOnline.com that police failed to properly secure the crime scene, and stumbled yet again by holding too many unnecessary press conferences.
Nancy Guthrie's Shocking Disappearance
Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from her Arizona home.
Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy, 84, was reported missing to local police on February 1. Upon search of her home, her keys, phone and wallet were all left inside, but the ailing elderly woman was nowhere to be found.
Signs of forced entry and blood discovered on the door, porch and driveway all pointed to the worst – Nancy had been taken.
The situation only became more harrowing when authorities released photos and videos of a seemingly armed man in a ski mask that were captured by Nancy's doorbell camera.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Pima County Sheriff's Office has been accused of not properly protecting the home from contamination or destruction of potential evidence as they continue the desperate search for the 84-year-old.
'What Not to Do'
Pima County Sheriff's Office has been accused of not properly securing the crime scene.
"This investigation is going to be written into the textbooks being used by many police academies of how and what not to do when it comes to investigative work," Lisa Ribacoff-Mooney exclusively shared with Radar.
"First mistake made was not securing the crime scene longer," she noted. "To close the house off and then open it and reclose it was a disaster."
"The amount of DNA and fibers that were brought into the home after securing it a second time was now contaminating the original crime scene," she continued. "Preservation of chain of custody is now also disrupted."
Defense Attorneys Could 'Challenge' Evidence in Court
Blood was found at Nancy Guthrie's home.
Contamination of potential evidence left at the home could be a major problem if a suspect is eventually charged and the case goes to trial, as defense attorneys could "challenge evidence handling," Ribacoff-Mooney added.
The solution would have been to lock down the house for longer and allow for "forensic sweeps to take place" before the home was ever re-opened to the public.
Nest Camera Footage Flubs and Too Many Press Conferences
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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos faced backlash for his handling of the Nancy Guthrie case.
Ribacoff-Mooney also pointed out that it took days for authorities to "obtain" and later release the Nest camera footage that revealed the potential kidnapper.
"This should have been done right away due to device settings and data being overwritten," she claimed.
On top of that, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos made frequent statements with only minor updates in the case.
"The sheriff was making too many press conferences releasing no information and it appeared he just wanted to keep his name out there for his own political gain," the private investigator theorized. "These public statements not only scare the general public but also alert suspects and influence anyone that may have information which could affect memory and accuracy."
Nancy has now been missing for nearly six weeks.
A suspect has yet to be identified.
