Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance was initially thought to be a kidnapping after ransom notes began appearing and the family declared they were willing to pay. However, a new theory now suggests that this was a burglary gone wrong, which clashed with the theory that FBI and Sheriff’s Department are pursuing.
According to CBS 5 crime correspondent Briana Whitney, Guthrie was a victim of a burglary gone wrong. The crime news reporter shared a post on X, citing insiders who reportedly confirmed the burglary theory. Whitney claimed that multiple interviews were conducted with experts who deemed it an “unintentional kidnapping.”
We can now confirm through an inside source investigators believe Nancy Guthrie abduction was intended burglary, and DNA evidence is currently being tested from the Range Rover that was seen being towed away Friday.
Here’s what we know and can report… pic.twitter.com/gr43wwWII4
— Briana Whitney (@BrianaWhitney) February 15, 2026
The reporter also discussed the newly collected DNA samples obtained by investigators from a Range Rover earlier this week. This new evidence, along with the glove collected earlier, is reportedly being processed, as confirmed by Whitney.
Whitney’s allegations about the burglary gone wrong highly contradict the remarks made by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. Both agencies have leaned into the kidnapping theory. In a recent exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Pima County Sheriff’s Department Chief, Chris Nanos, stuck to calling the crime a kidnapping.
He discussed the collaboration with Google, which is reportedly attempting to “scratch” for details about the kidnapping suspect. Chief Nanos claimed that finding the alleged kidnapper could span weeks, months, or even years. But he remains hopeful to find the missing woman.
Newly obtained doorbell camera footage from over a week after Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has provided a breakthrough in the case, with police able to build a profile on the suspect.
US correspondent @marthakelner has the details ⬇️https://t.co/b02rDfnmvH
📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/Y9uZLzi6cu
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 13, 2026
Authorities have shut down Whitney’s allegedly confirmed insider theory of a burglary gone wrong. Per a statement released by Fox News’ reporter Michael Ruiz on X, the Sheriff’s Department and the FBI have denied the new theory, distancing themselves from it. Chief Nanos released a statement about the same.
An anonymous insider speaking to Ruiz told him that it wasn’t a “working theory” and that nighttime burglaries in residential areas of Tucson, Arizona, are exceedingly rare. Chief Nanos confirmed that Whitney’s theory about the burglary gone wrong did not come from them. He added that although it was a possibility, they’d “never speculate” on such a theory.
🗞️NEW: Authorities are distancing themselves from fresh reporting suggesting Nancy Guthrie’s abduction is believed to be a burglary gone wrong and that the “widespread investigative belief” is that the missing 84-year-old “could be alive.”
A local law enforcement source tells…
— Michael Ruiz (@mikerreports) February 16, 2026
Chief Nanos reflected on the DNA evidence collected, followed by surveillance footage, to finally find the elder Guthrie. He said, “We will let the evidence take us to motive.” The FBI reportedly did not comment on the theory when the publication reached out to them.
Although the FBI didn’t comment on the burglary gone wrong theory, former FBI agents have expressed skepticism about whether or not Guthrie was still alive. In another recent interview with Fox News, the former Assistant Director of the FBI, Chris Swecker, expressed doubt about whether or not Guthrie’s disappearance was truly a kidnapping.
He also questioned her mortality in the aftermath of her disappearance. Swecker cited the lack of proof of life as a primary reason why this might not be a kidnapping. Especially, since kidnappers often share proof of life in exchange for a ransom.
As mentioned earlier, the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department continue to lean toward the kidnapping narrative amid speculations and conspiracy theories about Guthrie’s disappearance. Many, including Guthrie’s family, remain optimistic about finding the missing 84-year-old elder.
