Recent monsoon activity in Arizona might shed light on the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old woman abducted from her home near Tucson six months prior.
Law enforcement officials were seen combing through the brush surrounding Guthrie’s residence in the Catalina Foothills. This search is part of an ongoing investigation linked to her disappearance on February 1, with no arrests made as of yet.
The torrential rains have potentially shifted the terrain, unearthing or relocating items that could be crucial evidence, according to Bob Krygier, a former lieutenant with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, who discussed these developments with Fox News.
“Monsoon season began about a month ago here in Tucson, bringing heavy rainfall that alters the landscape significantly,” Krygier explained. “The intense water flow moves and displaces things—rocks are shifted, changing the search area.”
In certain locations, floodwaters have dramatically surged from a few inches to heights of 12 feet, possessing enough power to sweep away cars, trees, rocks, and even individuals.
Ex-lieutenant says floodwaters created a ‘big blender’
‘All that water, it’s rushing fast and it’s taken not only people, but it’s taken cars, it’s taken trees, branches, rocks, all of this stuff, and basically turned it into a big blender,’ Krygier noted.
However, it is also possible that authorities decided just to return to the area to take a fresh look at the crime scene after six months with no leads, the former lieutenant said, noting he was ‘certain that they’ve searched those areas already.’
Alternatively, new leads in the case may have led investigators to search the brush, looking for something specific, Krygier suggested.
The renewed search came as authorities released two chilling ransom notes that were sent to the Guthrie family, including one that alleged the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie died shortly after she was kidnapped and ‘is buried in nature now.’
Both notes initially were sent to Tucson television station 13 News days after Nancy went missing.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office released both notes in full – one demanding a $4 million ransom and a second, written in a similar tone, claiming Nancy had died, before offering an apology.
Ransom notes contained specific details about Nancy’s home
One of the notes contained specific details about Nancy’s home – a broken floodlight in the backyard and a white smartwatch found on her bedroom floor – that suggested it could be authentic.
The notes, received on February 2 and February 6, both claimed to be from Nancy’s captor and were turned over to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Saturday that investigators released the notes in the hope that someone would recognize the writer’s distinctive wording, expressions or style.
‘There are a number of pieces of information in these notes that just might jar someone to say, ‘You know, I’ve heard that,’ he said.
Nanos said it remains unclear whether the notes were written by the same person and described the investigation as ‘very active,’ with detectives continuing to review tens of thousands of tips, videos and forensic leads.
‘We’re still here. We are not going away,’ he said. ‘We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.’
The sheriff’s office also said Friday that two videos recovered from Nancy’s doorbell camera might have been recorded on two separate days.
The FBI has previously released surveillance videos of a masked man who authorities said appeared to tamper with a camera on Nancy’s front porch and block it with a plant. They described the person as a male about 5 feet, 9 inches tall.
Nancy’s fate remains unknown six months on
Authorities are seeking information on anyone who was behaving differently, changed their physical appearance, suddenly left the Tucson area, or had a noticeable or unexplained interest or disinterest in the case.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the 84-year-old may still be alive.
Blood had been found on the front porch of her home in the aftermath of her disappearance, but homicide detectives reportedly ‘gave little regard’ to it for hours.
Instead, investigators brushed off the evidence, suspecting it may have just come from a head bump, nosebleed, or other injury, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
But the blood was eventually collected as evidence and was confirmed to be Nancy’s.
The outlet also reported that when Nancy’s daughter Annie first walked through the address looking for her mother, the back door had been left propped open.
The family is now offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy’s recovery.
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