EXCLUSIVE: Nancy Guthrie Was Taken After a 'Burglary Gone Wrong' Turned Into a 'Kidnapping,' Private Investigator Claims
Nancy Guthrie may have been targeted for a burglary, according to a private investigator.
March 25 2026, Published 7:05 p.m. ET
Nancy Guthrie's apparent kidnapping could have been a crime committed as the result of a snap decision by an amateur, according to a private investigator.
Lisa Ribacoff-Mooney, who is a polygraph expert and the owner of Interpoint Investigative Services, exclusively told RadarOnline.com that while there was a "chance" that Nancy, 84, was specifically targeted because of her daughter Savannah's fame and "financial status," she suspected the elderly woman's home may have been chosen for a different offense entirely.
'Burglary Gone Wrong'
A masked man was seen on Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera footage.
"I think that this was a burglary gone wrong that resulted in a kidnapping," she explained.
According to Ribacoff-Mooney, the ailing 84-year-old may have panicked in a robbery situation and "said who she is and who her daughter is to use that as a motive for the perpetrators to leave the residence."
Instead, the suspect or suspects may have decided to kidnap her for a potential ransom.
'Needle in a Haystack'
Nancy Guthrie's son-in-law dropped her off at her Arizona home on January 31.
However, in the past, Ribacoff-Mooney has shared her opinion that Nancy may have already passed away – something she said could make finding her very difficult.
"It is harder because authorities don’t know where to look," she explained of cases when police are attempting to recover a body. "It is looking for a needle in a haystack."
"If the person that was abducted [was] moved by any mode of transportation, they may not even be in the state where the initial crime occurred," she added.
Savannah Guthrie Speaks Out
Savannah Guthrie returned to 'Today' for an interview about her mother's disappearance.
Savannah took an extensive break from her job as Today co-anchor in the wake of her mother's tragic disappearance.
For the past two months, she's regularly shared heartbreaking videos and posts on social media begging anyone with information to contact authorities amid the ongoing search.
Now, she's finally returned to the famed morning show for her first televised interview since the nightmarish scenario began in early February.
"We are in agony. It is unbearable," she said in a preview for the sit-down. "I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night. And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable, but those thoughts demand to be thought. And I will not hide my face. But she needs to come home now."
The Search for Nancy Guthrie Nears 2 Months
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Nancy Guthrie has been missing for nearly two months.
Nancy was last seen just before 10 p.m. on January 31 after having dinner with her other daughter, Annie, and her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni.
A friend became concerned the next day when the 84-year-old missed a planned get-together to watch a livestreamed church service. When members of the Guthrie family were also unable to reach her, she was reported missing to local police.
Upon search of her Catalina Foothills home, it was discovered that important personal items – including her phone, wallet, daily medications and car keys – were all left inside. Blood found on the porch and driveway also fueled theories that she'd been kidnapped.
In the days that followed, the FBI released terrifying images captured by her doorbell camera of a masked man that appeared to be armed with a weapon.
The suspect has not been identified by police and Nancy is still missing.
