Nancy Guthrie Probe: FBI Source Says Abductor 'Wanted Her', Not Her Money

Nancy Guthrie's alleged abductor 'wanted her, not her money', a former FBI agent has claimed, as the search for the 84‑year‑old Arizona grandmother enters its fourth week and a $1 million reward still fails to bring her home.

The Nancy Guthrie probe has now shifted sharply towards a theory of personal grievance rather than ransom, despite the huge sum put up by her daughter, Today anchor Savannah Guthrie, and the rest of the family.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen by relatives on the evening of 31 January at her home near Tucson. Investigators believe she was taken from the property at around 2 a.m. the following Sunday. Pima County Sheriff's detectives and the FBI have called it a 'targeted kidnapping', pointing to a trail of blood on the front porch that was later confirmed to be hers.

Since then, they have released footage of a masked suspect apparently interfering with her doorbell camera and announced that DNA from more than one person was found at the scene.

Nancy Guthrie Probe And The Reward That Has Not Moved Anyone

The reward, however, has not produced the decisive breakthrough the Guthries were clearly hoping for. Appearing on Megyn Kelly's show on Friday 27 February, former FBI agent Jim Fitzgerald suggested that the silence around the $1 million (£751,000) offer might be the most revealing detail of all.

'Why was Mrs Guthrie taken from her home around 2 a.m. that Sunday morning? That we don't know,' Fitzgerald said. 'If it was about money, maybe this is a chance to then capitalise on it.'

He then pushed his theory further. 'If they don't react to this $1 million (£751,000) reward with virtually no strings attached, that would lean me toward the fact this is a highly personal crime done for highly personal reasons and money was never a factor,' he argued.

Fitzgerald went on to raise the possibility that revenge, or some form of long‑running grievance, could be driving the case if it is not about cash at all. He did not name any potential suspect or motive. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not endorsed that theory in public, and no one has been charged.

Nancy Guthrie Probe Hampered By Complex DNA Trail

The broader Nancy Guthrie probe continues to grind through technical evidence. After releasing video of a masked figure at the front door, the FBI confirmed they had recovered DNA at the property.

However, Sheriff Chris Nanos has warned that the sample is mixed, containing genetic material from more than one person, which makes it far harder to interpret.

Savannah Guthrie's reward offer has reportedly generated hundreds of tips in earlier updates, but officials have given no indication that any lead has risen to the level of a suspect. There has been no confirmation of a ransom demand beyond what the family have described, and no public claim of responsibility.

'We Will Pay': Family Keeps Pleading As Hope Narrows

Savannah, 54, has repeatedly used her Instagram account to speak directly to whoever may be holding Nancy.

In a video posted on 7 February, she appeared alongside her siblings, Camron and Annie, to address what she described as a ransom message. 'We received your message and understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so we can celebrate with her,' she said. 'This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,' Savannah added.

In a more recent, tearful message, the NBC presenter acknowledged that her mother 'may already be gone', while insisting the family are still praying for a 'miracle'.

There is still no word on when Savannah will return to the Today studio.