This is the kind of update no family ever wants to hear.
The search for Nancy Guthrie has taken a devastating turn, as sources inside the FBI now tell TMZ that her disappearance is inching closer to what investigators say could become a “cold case.” Ugh. Those two words land with a thud. And the implication is chilling: leads drying up, time stretching on, hope becoming harder to hold onto.
Related: Searches For Nancy Guthrie’s Address & Savannah’s Salary Spiked Before Abduction!
The outlet reported so on Tuesday when it cited anonymous FBI insiders who used those exact two words to describe the unfortunate path along which Nancy’s case is currently winding. One investigator involved in the case told the news outlet that it’s quickly heading that way.
However, hope has not been entirely extinguished. In many kidnappings, breakthroughs come months later — sometimes when someone talks too much, brags, or lets something slip. And per the news org, law enforcement sources believe that could happen here, months down the road, when somebody starts talking about their involvement in this ordeal and a keen-eared listener rats them out to the cops.
What makes this even more unsettling is the recent revelation that the man believed to be involved in Nancy’s abduction may have been at her home weeks before she vanished. Authorities have obtained a still image of the presumed kidnapper, but it has not led to any meaningful breakthroughs… yet. And without a clear timestamp, investigators are left piecing together fragments of a timeline that refuses to fully form.
As we’ve been reporting, Nancy’s home security subscription through Nest did not include video archiving with time stamps. The images and clips were ultimately obtained through Google, but crucial metadata that might have pinpointed the exact date is missing. Investigators believe the man could have shown up as early as January 11 — weeks before the February 1 abduction — but they cannot say for certain. And that uncertainty is haunting.
Plus, despite sweeping the surrounding area for surveillance footage of suspicious vehicles or individuals, authorities have ultimately come up empty-handed. Neither the still photo nor any video captured on February 1 has helped identify a getaway car or positively confirm the suspect’s identity.
Related: Pima County Sheriff Reveals MAJOR Testing Update On DNA Sample Found At Nancy’s Home
Meanwhile, the Guthrie family is facing an unthinkable reality. They’ve announced a staggering $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s return, adding to the FBI’s previous $100,000 offer. And in a recent heartbreaking video message, TODAY host Savannah Guthrie acknowledged what no daughter should ever have to say aloud — that it would take a miracle for her mother to still be alive.
Interestingly, to that end, TMZ‘s sources insist investigators never specifically told the family that Nancy’s chances of survival were slim, but that the painful conclusion was one the family arrived at on their own. Ugh. We honestly can’t even imagine.
For now, the waiting and not knowing continues. And the longer the silence stretches on, the heavier it becomes.
[Image via Savannah Guthrie/Instagram]
