More than six weeks have passed since Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home, and fresh perspectives on the future of the case are being offered. The 84-year-old woman’s disappearance is no longer a missing person case, according to a retired detective.
On Thursday, March 19, Morgan Wright, a former investigator who is now the CEO and founder of the National Center for Open and Unsolved Cases, discussed this case on YouTube on his channel Brian Entin Investigates. Based on his 18 years of experience as a state trooper and investigator in both state and local law enforcement, Wright offered some views on the case as it approached the 47th day of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
However, Wright directed attention to the burglary-gone-wrong theory as he discussed the topic, adding that he was “willing to say the quiet parts out loud.” He added that he had previously discussed this theory with Brian Entin and Elizabeth Vargas.
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These comments were made after a major development in Nancy Guthrie’s case, as it was indicated that someone had left the neighborhood within a matter of days of her kidnapping. “I said … at some point, you have to realize it is not a missing person anymore. We have to realize Nancy is 84 years old, with cardiac compromise. You are violently confronted at 2 o’clock in the morning in your own home. We know it is violent because there was blood,” he said.
Regarding some of the evidence, Wright pointed out that Nancy Guthrie’s blood on the porch and proof that she had been taken from her house suggested a violent altercation. Wright said this was based on a pragmatic strategy that included compartmentalization and the use of both analytical and intuitive thinking in investigations. In reference to this pragmatic approach, he noted that the case should be considered a no-body homicide, which would change public perceptions and assist investigators in the search.
According to the cybersecurity expert, it is clear that how investigators interpret the case determines what they look for in the field. In cases where a missing person classification applies in areas like the Catalina Foothills or the Sonoran Desert, it would not alert anyone to look for abnormalities.
In cases where a no-body homicide classification applies, it would alert investigators to possible grave sites. In such cases, investigators look for concealed, exposed or hidden burial areas. This becomes a significant factor in a search through foothill terrain.
According to information published on the FBI’s Law Enforcement Bulletin website, a no-body homicide classification requires prosecutors to prove that a suspect murdered a person without recovering a body. It also requires them to prove that the victim is no longer alive. It’s worth noting that investigations into a no-body homicide classification begin as a missing person case.
So far, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the case.
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She was reported missing by her family when she failed to attend Sunday church services on Feb. 1. She was last seen when her daughter Annie dropped her off at her home on Jan. 31 after dinner. The investigation into her disappearance is unfolding alongside the disappearance of an Air Force general. That case is drawing public attention due to several coincidences. Authorities believe evidence related to the disappearance may be inside the home.
However, the evidence is not obvious. It is not easily identifiable, as reported by the NewsNation podcast “The Truth of the Matter.” After the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, police began searching for her the following day. Weeks later, the public remains interested in the case.
