More than six months into the search for Nancy Guthrie, a retired FBI agent says early missteps at the crime scene may be part of why the case remains stalled.
Speaking on NewsNation's "Brian Entin Investigates" this week, former FBI special agent Maureen O'Connell was asked whether the current standstill traces back to how Guthrie's Tucson home was processed on day one. "Possibly," she said, adding that if the FBI had been involved from the start, key evidence - including items she says should have been collected, like a doormat near the scene - likely would have been preserved instead of left in place.
O'Connell said the property should have been locked down immediately. "Our crime scene yellow tape would have been - the street would have been blocked off," she said, explaining that investigators would have searched for tire and shoe impressions right away. Deputies who initially responded believed the case might be a "walk-away," she noted, which is true in more than 90 percent of similar cases - but she said the scene still should have been fully secured regardless.
Guthrie, 84, the mother of "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since February 1 from her Catalina Foothills home. The case is being investigated as a homicide, though no suspect has been named. Investigators were reported back at the property earlier this month.
Through it all, Savannah has continued to lean publicly on her faith, repeatedly thanking supporters on-air for their prayers as the search continues.
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