Private investigator claims cartel behind Nancy Guthrie abduction
A private investigator believes missing Arizona woman Nancy Guthrie may have been abducted in a criminal scheme linked to drug traffickers — but likely remains somewhere in southern Arizona rather than Mexico.
Bill Garcia, a California-based investigator with more than 35 years’ experience, told Border Report he suspects the 84-year-old was targeted in what he called a “money-making venture by people involved with a cartel.”
“That particular area of Arizona is a high drug- and money-transporting area,” Garcia said. “It has deepened my belief that this is related to a money-making venture by people involved with a cartel.”
Guthrie — the mother of Savannah Guthrie of NBC’s Today — was reported missing from her home in Tucson on Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was taken overnight. The FBI released surveillance images showing a masked person at her front door, but the motive remains unclear.
Investigators have ruled out a botched burglary. Chris Nanos, sheriff of Pima County, has suggested Guthrie might have been taken in retaliation for something, though few details have been disclosed.
Garcia said the surveillance video suggests the suspect was not highly trained. He pointed to how the person approached the camera and attempted to obscure it with shrubbery, which he said would not effectively block the view. He also noted the suspect’s holster — typically made in Mexico — appeared too large for the firearm carried.
“Just the appearance and mannerisms make me believe it is a low-level associate,” Garcia said. He added that if Guthrie answered the door, a struggle likely occurred after the camera was removed.
Authorities have said blood was found on the porch but not leading away from the home. Garcia believes Guthrie may have been forced back inside, where an accomplice could have been waiting.
Law enforcement has not endorsed Garcia’s cartel theory. While some speculation has suggested Guthrie might have been taken into Mexico, Garcia doubts that, citing heavy policing along routes between Tucson and the border. He thinks she may instead be held somewhere north of Tucson, in the corridor stretching toward Phoenix and Mesa.
Federal sources told reporters this week Guthrie could be in Mexico, whereas Nanos has said local evidence indicates she remains in Tucson. Unnamed sources told TMZ the FBI has contacted Mexican authorities about the case.
However, Leon Boyer, a Border Patrol officer described as an expert on Mexican security, previously told New York Post he does not believe cartels would be involved.
Garcia, known in Southern California for solving difficult missing-person cases, said he is not seeking to join the investigation and “would never push himself onto” it. In 2002, he located the body of a missing child after weeks of unsuccessful official searches, according to Border Report.
About Post Author
