Nearly five months since Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson, Arizona home, a new thread has emerged - and a former FBI agent says the person behind it may be exactly who investigators need to hear from.
Nearly a dozen emails have been sent to TMZ from an unknown sender claiming to have information about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. Authorities have not verified the claims, and the identity of the sender remains unknown. But retired FBI special agent Jason Pack says the sender's potential value to the case is real.
"What matters more is that whoever sent those emails knows something," Pack said. "TMZ was hopefully encouraging them to contact the FBI or Pima County directly. Tips can be left anonymously. The reward is real. Whatever fear is keeping that person quiet isn't worth it. Not with a family still waiting for answers."
Meanwhile, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is tempering expectations on the latest ransom-style communications. He described recent ransom notes as likely fake, saying, "I think the FBI has done a number of arrests for false or fake ransom notes - we're looking at another one of those today." But former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer pushed back on any suggestion the investigation has lost momentum.
She described the case as "red hot," citing the volume of evidence collected and indicating that a major break could still come as forensic analyses continue.
Pack also acknowledged the toll the case has taken on Savannah Guthrie, Nancy's daughter and NBC Today co-anchor. "Savannah has handled an unimaginable situation with grace and professionalism that most people couldn't manage on their best day," he said. "That family deserves answers and they deserve peace."
Nancy, 84, was first reported missing on February 1 after she failed to show up for a Sunday morning church livestream - something her family said she never missed. A combined reward of over $1.1 million remains active. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or Tucson's 88-Crime tip line at 520-882-7463.
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