Nancy Guthrie Kidnappers Likely Made This Fatal Mistake, Says Investigator

A veteran cop has suggested that Nancy Guthrie may have suffered a medical emergency while in the hands of her presumed kidnappers, and that she likely died before they could get ransom money and return her.

Detective Brian Martin, of Indiana’s Fort Wayne Police Department, spoke with NewsNation’s Brian Entin about the case, sharing his thoughts on what might have happened to the 84-year-old mother of Today‘s Savannah Guthrie. Martin stated how the presumed abduction appeared to be based on financial gain, but it’s possible that a medical situation changed the plans.

“What really bothers me is we’re dealing with an elderly female, who’s not living, by all accounts, she’s not living an at-risk lifestyle,” Martin told Entin. “It would appear to me that this is potentially driven by something monetary. They were hoping to get some kind of monetary reward or gain from doing this. That bothers me.”

Nancy has been missing since January 31, when police believe she was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona. While investigators have released doorbell camera footage of a masked suspect and a description of that individual, no suspects have been named.

The detective told Entin that what bothers him the most is that the kidnappers made a fatal mistake and “underestimated Ms. Guthrie’s health.” He said the suspects likely took her and thought they could hold onto her for a couple of days, get their money, and then “leave her in a Walmart parking lot.”

“And then she has some sort of medical event before any of that could take place,” Martin theorized, saying how it “scares” him that Nancy could have had a medical emergency in such an “incredibly stressful” and “very taxing” ordeal.

Previous reports noted that Nancy’s pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple Watch on February 1. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos also revealed Nancy had limited mobility and required daily medication for high blood pressure and heart issues.

Last month, Rick Kastigar, the former boss of Nanos at Pima County, told Brian Entin Investigates that he believes Nancy could have been taken to Mexico in hopes of getting her the medication she needed to keep her alive. However, he said it’s likely she died in the process, meaning the kidnapper(s) no longer have leverage.

On Monday (April 6), TMZ received a new ransom note from the same individual who sent the initial ransom notes in February. In the new letter, the individual claimed to have information regarding the location of Nancy’s body and asked for 1 Bitcoin in return for the details. As of writing, the police and FBI have not responded to the ransom demands.