Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper was local handyman who buried body in desert, crime expert believes Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today Show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has remained missing since February 1, 2026, after failing to attend a church service. She was last seen the night before, following a dinner and games night at her daughter Annie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, where she was dropped off by her son-in-law. Despite a $1 million reward offered by her family, no credible leads or sightings have emerged. A forensic expert, Barbara Butcher, has suggested that Nancy was likely taken by a local handyman motivated by financial gain. Butcher, speaking to Fox News, theorized that the suspect, possibly someone familiar with her routines and home, discovered her wealth through her connection to Savannah. “This kidnapper... probably, unfortunately, took her body into the desert and buried her there,” she stated. The expert emphasized that the absence of ransom demands or information aligns with the possibility that Nancy died shortly after being abducted. Butcher speculated that the kidnapper may have buried her body in the desert near the Mexican border, approximately 60 miles from her home. She noted that Nancy’s medications were left behind, and if she did not take them, her death could have occurred quickly. “After time, when there was no valid ransom demand or any information forthcoming, it’s probably likely that Mrs. Guthrie died of shock, fright, heart disease, whatever it was, very soon after being taken,” Butcher explained. Authorities have not publicly endorsed this theory, with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department stating that Nancy was “targeted” but offering no specific details about the suspect’s identity.#nancy_guthrie #tucson_arizona #savannah_guthrie #pima_county_sheriff #barbara_butcher
