Former NYPD hostage negotiator Wallace Zeins speculated that more than one individual is involved in the appearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of longtime NBC News host Savannah Guthrie, while discussing the case with CNN.
“I believe the possibility of more than one person. She’s 150 pounds, 5’5, waking up in the middle of the night, not in the best of health – can’t walk or run, so I would think there’s more than one person involved in this particular crime,” the veteran hostage negotiator said.
Zeins based this assessment on Nancy Guthrie’s physical condition, including her limited mobility and need for daily medication, which would make it difficult for a single perpetrator to handle the situation without assistance.
He also analyzed the purported ransom note, which was sent to TMZ. The note, which investigators are currently analyzing, demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin and made several references to social media and technology.
“What does that tell you, it tells you that it’s some type of group that knows what Bitcoin is all about, and social media, and they know the system,” Zeins told CNN. He pointed out that the note allegedly included details about the crime scene left at Nancy Guthrie’s home, including details on damage to the property.
The veteran hostage negotiator added that the note’s format could provide investigators with additional clues. “If it was on a computer, then that helps also because the FBI is so good at what they do when it comes down to electronic surveillance and electronic stuff of that nature, then they will be able to further that investigation,” he said.
Zeins added that if the note was handwritten, it would require forensic testing.
Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old resident of Catalina Hills, Arizona, was last seen on the evening of January 31. She had dinner with her sister, Annie Guthrie, and returned to her home around 9:30 p.m. that night, according to a timeline provided by law enforcement.
She was reported missing the following day, around noon, after failing to attend a church service. Nancy Guthrie requires critical medication every 24 hours and has limited mobility, which made her absence exceptionally notable.
During a search of her home, authorities found her Apple Watch, and a law enforcement source noted that her pacemaker stopped syncing with the device around 2 a.m. on February 1.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the disappearance as a crime, designating the home as a crime scene due to suspicious circumstances. Evidence includes blood spatters found both inside the home and outside near the front door, though it is unknown to whom the blood belongs
Part of a Ring doorbell camera was missing from the property. In addition, DNA evidence collected from inside the home has been submitted for analysis, but results have not yet identified any suspects, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated during a press conference Tuesday.
Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will, possibly abducted from her bed in the middle of the night. Sheriff Nanos told CBS News that investigators are taking the purported ransom note seriously, adding that it had been forwarded to the FBI.
As of February 4, Nancy Guthrie remains missing, with the investigation entering its fourth day. The FBI has joined the investigation, with agents visiting Annie Guthrie’s home on Tuesday afternoon.
President Trump has stated that all available federal assistance will be provided and told reporters that he intends to call Savannah Guthrie to offer support. Guthrie has withdrawn from coverage of the Winter Olympics as the search progresses.
