A shocking new theory is adding fuel to the already chilling mystery surrounding Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
According to a veteran private investigator, Nancy’s disappearance may not have been random at all — and could instead be tied to what he calls a cartel-driven “money-making venture.”
Nancy vanished from her Tucson home on February 1. Since then, investigators have released surveillance images of a masked suspect captured at her front door in the overnight hours. Blood was later discovered on the porch, but authorities say there was no visible trail leading away from the property.
Now, California-based private investigator Bill Garcia, who says he has more than 30 years of experience, believes the crime may be financially motivated and connected to organized criminal activity in southern Arizona.
“That particular area of Arizona is a high drug and money transporting area,” Garcia told Border Report, explaining why he suspects cartel involvement. He added that the circumstances surrounding the case have “deepened my belief that this is in some way related to a money-making venture by people involved with a cartel.”
Despite floating a cartel connection, Garcia does not believe the individual seen in the surveillance footage appears to be a seasoned criminal mastermind.
In fact, he argues the opposite.
“He does things a professional would not do,” Garcia said, pointing to how the masked suspect approached the home’s camera and awkwardly tried to obscure it with shrubbery. “Why would he pick up some shrubbery as it didn’t effectively cover up the camera?”
Garcia also questioned the suspect’s gear, claiming the holster visible in the footage appeared oversized for the weapon and resembled a style commonly manufactured in Mexico. The overall behavior, he said, suggests a “low-level associate” rather than a highly trained operative.
Investigators have confirmed blood was found on Nancy’s porch, though no trail was discovered leading away from the residence. Garcia theorizes that if Nancy answered the door and made contact with the suspect, a struggle may have occurred after the camera was disabled.
He even suggested the possibility that another individual could have been waiting inside the home.
Local officials have previously dismissed the idea that this was a burglary gone wrong. Chris Nanos, the Pima County Sheriff, has publicly floated the idea that Nancy may have been taken as “revenge for something,” though he has not elaborated.
As speculation swirls online, some have questioned whether Nancy may have been transported across the U.S.-Mexico border. Garcia, however, believes that scenario is unlikely due to heightened law enforcement activity between Tucson and Mexico.
Instead, he suspects she could be somewhere north of Tucson — possibly in the stretch between Tucson and the outskirts of Phoenix or Mesa.
At the same time, federal sources have reportedly indicated that Mexico remains a possibility, and unnamed sources told TMZ that the FBI has been in communication with Mexican authorities.
For now, Sheriff Nanos has maintained that evidence gathered so far suggests Nancy is still in Tucson.
Garcia has emphasized he is not attempting to insert himself into the active investigation.
“I would never push myself onto an investigation,” he said, making clear he is not seeking to be hired or formally involved.
Nancy’s disappearance has gripped viewers across the country, especially those who have watched her appear alongside her daughter on television over the years. As the theories grow more dramatic, one fact remains unchanged: an 84-year-old woman is still missing.
And until authorities provide definitive answers, the mystery — and the speculation — are only intensifying.
Either illegal aliens or extraterrestrial aliens. I’d say the former, but Barack Obama would say the latter.