More than five months after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home, a theory suggesting internal disagreement within the FBI over how to handle the case has gained significant traction online, even as “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie faces renewed public criticism over a network decision to have her cover an unrelated missing-persons story.
The FBI discord theory originated with retired FBI agent Steve Moore, who said in a recent interview that the bureau’s conflicting public statements about ransom notes sent in the case point to a deeper disagreement among investigators. “The more I see this, the more I think that there is some significant disagreement within the FBI investigation on what they’re dealing with,” Moore said. “Right down to the validity of certain pieces of evidence.” Moore has suggested the discrepancy may stem from differing perspectives between the FBI’s Phoenix field office, which has jurisdiction over the case, and bureau headquarters, noting that such internal divergence is common in complex investigations. A number of social media users and true-crime followers have since embraced the theory as a plausible explanation for the shifting statements coming out of the investigation.
Separately, Savannah Guthrie has faced a wave of public criticism after “Today” assigned her to report on the rescue of a 70-year-old man who had gone missing for nearly a week in the California wilderness. The segment, which aired July 6 and was later posted to the show’s TikTok account before being deleted, showed Guthrie covering the story from the anchor desk even as her own mother’s disappearance remains unresolved. The clip drew a sharp backlash on social media, with critics questioning the network’s judgment in the assignment. “Bosses really out here assigning ‘missing elderly’ stories like it’s not your own mom missing. Heartless,” one user wrote, while another asked, “They had an entire anchor room of people who could report and she was the only one?” Other viewers came to the network’s defense, arguing that covering the news, including stories that echo a journalist’s personal circumstances, is simply part of the job. “It’s her job … should she also not report on any story that involves a mother?” one commenter wrote.
Guthrie has continued to speak publicly and emotionally about her family’s ongoing search throughout the broadcast schedule. She has previously described the experience as “months of agony and trauma that never ends,” and has repeatedly used her platform on “Today” to appeal directly to the public for information, saying in one on-air moment, “I want to just take the opportunity to ask people, to really to beg people to come forward.”
The renewed attention to the case comes amid a summary of the evidence investigators have gathered since Guthrie’s disappearance on the night of January 31 or early morning of February 1. That evidence includes bloodstains found on the porch and street outside her Catalina Foothills home, later confirmed to belong to Guthrie; surveillance footage gathered from cameras throughout the neighborhood; a single strand of hair recovered from inside the home and currently undergoing DNA analysis; signs of forced entry; and data from a mobile app connected to Guthrie’s pacemaker, which the FBI has said recorded activity until 2:28 a.m. before abruptly stopping. Doorbell camera footage released by the FBI in February also showed a masked individual, sometimes referred to by followers of the case as the “porch guy,” tampering with the camera outside Guthrie’s home using a gloved hand, with authorities describing the person as between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10 with a medium build.
Separately, a discovery of human remains near Guthrie’s home in early May generated significant public attention but has since been determined to be unrelated to her disappearance. Anthropologist James T. Watson of the University of Arizona, who responded to the scene, said the bones belonged to someone buried several hundred to as much as 1,000 years ago, likely an ancestral Native American individual, based on contextual evidence including nearby pottery fragments. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office characterized the discovery as a “prehistoric anthropological investigation” rather than part of the active criminal case, and the remains have since been transferred to the Tohono O’odham Nation for appropriate handling.
No suspects have been officially named in Guthrie’s disappearance. Local fugitive Coral Michelle Smith, whose name had circulated among some online commentators as a possible person of interest, has been formally ruled out of involvement in the case, according to investigators. The masked individual seen in the doorbell footage remains unidentified and continues to be sought by authorities.
The FBI’s Phoenix field office continues to seek videos and information from the public related to the case, and a combined reward exceeding $1 million is currently being offered for information leading to Guthrie’s safe return, drawing on contributions from the FBI, the crime-tip organization 88-CRIME and the Guthrie family itself. Despite the substantial reward, investigators have said the public has not yet come forward with information leading to a breakthrough. Former FBI agent Raymond Carr has expressed continued optimism that a witness or tipster will eventually emerge as circumstances shift over time. “I believe that time changes everything. Relationships change over time,” Carr said, adding that he expects someone with relevant knowledge will eventually decide to come forward.
The investigation remains active and is being jointly conducted by the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which has said it continues to follow up on leads and pursue the facts surrounding Guthrie’s disappearance. As the case approaches its sixth month without a confirmed resolution, both the swirling theories about internal FBI disagreement and the public scrutiny surrounding Savannah Guthrie’s continued on-air work underscore how deeply the prolonged, high-profile investigation has intertwined with the personal and professional life of one of network television’s most recognizable anchors.
