A crime expert has shared an eerie hypothesis about what could have happened to Nancy Guthrie.
The 84-year-old mom of the Today Show host, Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on January 31 when she took an Uber to visit family members for dinner and games.
At 9:48PM, she was dropped off at her home in Pima County, Arizona, where she lives alone.
After the garage door opened and closed, her doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47AM on February 1.
The camera, which had multiple devices linked to it, has not been located, and police suspect it may have been tampered with.
At 2:12AM, the software detected a person on camera, but no video was available, NBC News reported.
It wasn’t until 11:56AM that Nancy’s family went to check on her and found her missing.
They called 911, and at 12:03PM, deputies arrived shortly after, leading authorities to launch a widespread investigation.
Crime Expert's Chilling Hypothesis
As the investigation unfolds, cybersecurity and law enforcement expert Morgan Wright shared a haunting hypothesis about what could have happened to Nancy.
He suggested that there may have been a 'crossing of paths' between the victim and her abductor before the attack.
"A lot of times you'll find in violent crimes against women, especially sexual assaults, things like that. There was a point in time to where the offenders crossed. It could be within 24 hours. It could have been within 2 minutes, but they will have crossed paths prior to the attack,” he explained.
He speculated that someone in the area could have noticed Nancy coming over to her relatives’ home and, after learning she would be alone that night, decided to break into her house.
Ransom Demands and Ominous Threats
Authorities discovered blood at Nancy’s home and received ransom notes demanding bitcoin for her return.
The first note requested $6 million in bitcoin, but on February 11, a new note was sent, now asking for 1 Bitcoin, roughly worth $66,000. The message also included an ominous warning: "Time is more than relevant."
The FBI has taken the demands seriously, offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the identification of the perpetrators.
Nancy’s daughter, Savannah, and other family members have also been active in sharing updates and urging the public to help locate Nancy.
"We believe she is still alive. Bring her home," she said on Instagram.
Palazuelos Denies Involvement in Disappearance
On February 10, police detained Carlos Palazuelos, a delivery driver from Rio Rico, Arizona, during a traffic stop.
Palazuelos was not immediately questioned in detail, but later learned that his detainment was connected to Nancy’s case.
He strongly denied any involvement in her disappearance, saying: "What the f*** am I doing here? I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent."
He further stated that he did not know Nancy or her daughter, Savannah, and hoped police would catch the actual suspect soon.
The detainment followed the release of disturbing surveillance footage showing a masked individual tampering with Nancy’s Nest camera.
The footage, provided by the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department, shows a person wearing gloves and carrying a backpack, possibly linked to the case.
Cops are closely analyzing the footage as they continue to piece together the events surrounding Nancy’s disappearance.