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- US News. An Arizona couple discovers a new clue that may help find Nancy Guthrie
Bill Garcia believes the=84-year-old Nancy Guthrie may still be in Arizona despite being abducted in a suspected cartel-related operation, sparking a new twist in the ongoing case.
Guthrie, mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Tucson home on February 1 as surveillance footage shows a masked suspect at her front door, but authorities have not confirmed a motive.
Garcia, a California-based PI with more than 35 years' experience suspects the kidnapping was "a money-making venture" but doubts she was taken to Mexico by "people involved with a cartel".
"That particular area of Arizona is a high drug and money transporting area," Garcia said to Border Report. "It has deepened my belief that this is in some way related to a money-making venture by people involved with a cartel."
Garcia analyzed the surveillance footage, noting the suspect's apparent lack of sophistication, believing a lack of professionalism was on display by the abductors.
The PI also questioned the suspect's gear, describing a holster typically made in Mexico that seemed too large for the gun he carried.
He theorized Guthrie may have struggled at the front door, before being forced back inside where another kidnapper was waiting. Police found blood on the porch, but none leading away from the home.
"He does things a professional would not do," Garcia added. "Just the appearance and mannerisms makes me believe it is a low-level associate."
Despite speculation she may have been transported south of the border, Garcia doubts that scenario due to heavy law enforcement presence. He suggests she could be north of Tucson, between Phoenix and Mesa.
Authorities have not publicly endorsed Garcia's theory, and the FBI has suggested she could be in Mexico, while Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos maintains evidence places her in Tucson.
Donald Trump questions Nancy Guthrie media coverage
President Donald Trump called the disappearance "a very sad situation," but suggested media coverage should also focus on other matters.
Since her disappearance, authorities have released doorbell camera footage, shared suspect descriptions, and gathered DNA evidence. A glove found two miles from her home did not match any profiles in the FBI database.
Pima County Sheriff's Office has ruled out family involvement. Earlier media speculation suggested Savannah Guthrie's brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, might be a lead suspect, but no evidence supports this.
"Boy, it's so crazy. It's so bad," Trump said to Fox News. "We have to start reporting on other subjects also and see what happens. It's a very sad situation."
He had previously directed all federal law enforcement to assist local authorities and Trump also told the New York Post he would have the Department of Justice seek the death penalty for anyone responsible if Guthrie is not returned unharmed.