Nancy Guthrie Case: Forensic Expert Shares New Motive Theory

Nancy Guthrie has been missing more than 30 days. Throughout the search for the mother of Today cohost Savannah Guthrie, there has been no shortage of leads or theories.

Forensic analyst Joseph Scott Morgan joined NewsNation Tuesday night to express his own opinions on the case. During his appearance, Morgan theorized that Guthrie's kidnapping could have been a combination of extortion and elderly abuse.

Guthrie possibly 'taken advantage of'

Morgan told host Jesse Weber and journalist Brian Entin that throughout his career in Atlanta and New Orleans, he has worked "zero" cases purely motivated by ransom.

“You know the cases I have worked? Elder abuse," Morgan said. "I’ve had people that have taken advantage of the elderly because they knew that they had money, and they bum rush them into their house and they snatch them out of there, or they do terrible things like murder inside of the house.

“She is a much more valuable target to them if they had foreknowledge of whose mother she was. That doesn't take a deep dive here [to find out], and so if they think that they can get anything out of her, I think that that comes to local knowledge."

That "local knowledge" Morgan mentioned led into a second idea, that someone was either aware of Guthrie's family ties, or there was gang involvement.

“Is this somebody's grandson that might be in the neighborhood that has some knowledge that’s been talking about this for a protracted period of time?" Morgan asked. "I wonder if it’s gang-related. I wonder what they’re pressing relative to the gang associations in Pima County, because this smacks of this, relative to targeting her.”

Police have already said Guthrie's family was not involved in her disappearance and are working several other angles.

Sheriff says authorities 'closer' to breaking case

Last weekend, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he feels progress has been made in discovering the truth about what happened.

“I think the investigators are definitely closer,” Nanos said. “We got a lot of intel, a lot of leads, but now it’s time to just go to work.”

Additionally, retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer dismissed the idea that after more than four weeks, the case was going cold.

“Anyone reporting that Nancy’s case is cold has no idea what that term means and has never worked a day of law enforcement in their life,” Coffindaffer wrote on X/Twitter.

“The FBI has so many video leads that they have relocated to Phoenix for additional analytics resources,” Coffindaffer continued. “They have a glove, DNA from inside the house, videos, Porch Guy leads and so much more we know nothing about.”