Authorities likely ruled out Nancy Guthrie’s family as suspects in the kidnapping, likely through alibi, cell phone data and other methods.
As the search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother enters its third week, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office officially cleared kidnapping charges against the Guthrie family (including “all siblings and spouses”) in a statement to Page Six on Monday.
Tracy Walder, a former CIA officer and FBI special agent, told Page Six of the methods used to exonerate her family:
“They look at your cell phone data to determine if it matches where you were. They also use license plate scanners to see if you were driving at the time and if you were seen on camera.”
A NewsNation contributor speculated that “the sheriff could confidently make that statement.”
A second expert, former FBI agent Jason Pack, told Page Six:
“They seem confident in their work…alibi, phone records, financials, digital forensics and evidence tell them what they need to know.”
Puck believes in Sheriff Chris Nanoz. “He seems to feel a real obligation to intervene. He has a case and is trying to stop further harm to the victim’s family.”
A full statement from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office reads: “To be clear…the Guthrie family, including all siblings and spouses, have been eliminated as suspects in this case. The family has been cooperative and kind, and they are victims in this case.”
“To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family is the victim, plain and simple.”
The announcement means Savannah, her brother Camron and sister Annie are all safe, as well as the Today host’s spouse Michael Feldman and Annie’s husband Tommaso Cioni, who was the last person to see Savannah before she was reported missing.
Cioni became the target of online speculation related to Nancy’s abduction because he was the last person to see her before her abduction.
Follow the latest news about Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother Nancy in real time
The newspaper said people familiar with the investigation were disturbed by the speculation surrounding Cioni.
“Instead of criticizing law enforcement, it might be better to criticize the people and media outlets that have reported certain stories with zero evidence,” the source told the outlet.
Nancy was reported missing on February 1st after failing to attend a virtual church service.
Investigators believed she had been kidnapped and “harmed” after a trail of blood, which authorities confirmed was hers, was found outside her front door.
Authorities have interviewed a number of people, but the suspect remains unknown and the investigation is entering its third week.
Authorities released video and photos of a masked man breaking into Nancy’s home in Tucson, Arizona, on the night of her kidnapping.
Police determined he was approximately 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 tall and of “average build.”
President Trump vowed in an interview with the Post on Monday that he would invoke the death penalty if Nancy was not found alive.
The NBC anchor posted another emotional appeal to his kidnappers on Instagram Sunday night.
“I just want to say to anyone who owns her or knows where she is, it’s never too late,” Savannah said in a video on social media. “And you’re never lost or alone. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
