In a chilling twist, a retired FBI agent has proposed that Nancy Guthrie may have been abducted from her Arizona residence as part of a ‘revenge’ scheme.
As the investigation into the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother stretches into its sixth day, authorities have yet to pinpoint a motive or identify any suspects.
James Gagliano, a former FBI supervisory agent, has pointed to a ransom note demanding Bitcoin as the ‘most compelling piece of evidence’ in the case so far.
“Kidnappings typically occur for one of two reasons: either for financial gain or out of revenge,” Gagliano, an expert in crisis negotiation, explained during an appearance on Fox & Friends Friday morning.
He drew parallels with past high-profile kidnapping cases, such as those involving Frank Sinatra Jr. and newspaper heiress Patty Hearst, to illustrate how prominent individuals have been targeted historically.
However, Gagliano described the circumstances surrounding Guthrie’s kidnapping as ‘baffling and beguiling,’ noting that it doesn’t align with the conventional patterns seen in typical abduction scenarios.
‘We still don’t know if this was a targeted attack, if this was a targeted abduction,’ he continued, before addressing ‘very strange’ way the alleged captors contacted the Guthrie family.
Gagliano said it is unusual for an abductor to provide a ransom note to the media instead of delivering it directly to the victim’s family.
Nancy Guthrie could have been kidnapped from her Arizona home as part of a ‘revenge’ plot, a retired FBI agent has suggested
Guthrie vanished from her $1 million Tucson home last weekend. Authorities believe she was taken against her will
He added that the ‘multiple deadlines’ detailed in the notes are also peculiar.
‘Normally when captors put out multiple deadlines there is a negative consequence if law enforcement or the family doesn’t meet the first one,’ the former agent said.
‘The family has been pleading for the captors to reach out to them and directly negotiate with them and sadly, that has not happened as of yet.’
Gagliano also pointed to a devastating possibility that, due to Tucson’s close proximity to the southern border, she was long out of the United States before anyone even knew she had been taken.
‘The border is 60 miles away. And, you know, with that 12-hour, 10-hour gap…that is a long period of time,’ he said.
‘These people, the person or people who did this, they could have been a long way away before anyone would have been alerted at church the next morning that Ms Guthrie was missing.’
Authorities believe the-84-year-old was taken against her will from her home in Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood found on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, the sheriff said.
‘Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,’ Pine County Sheriff Nanos Chris said at a news conference Thursday. He acknowledged, however, that authorities have no evidence she’s OK.
Former FBI supervisor agent James Gagliano says ‘kidnappings happen for one of two reasons: it’s either for profit or it’s for revenge’
Blood was spotted on the walkway of Nancy’s $1million Tucson, Arizona home
Investigators said they are taking seriously notes seeking ransom that were sent to some media outlets. It’s unclear if all of the notes were identical.
Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn’t met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch.
‘To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,’ Janke said.
At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.
A note e-mailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN.
‘When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,’ she said.
Los Angeles resident Derrick Callella was arrested Thursday after texting Guthrie’s daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni demanding Bitcoin payments, according to a criminal complaint.
He contacted the family shortly after Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, Annie and their brother Camron posted a video to Instagram begging for their mother’s return.
Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, (center) accompanied by her siblings Annie (left) and Camron (right), posted a video to Instagram in which they spoke directly to their mother’s captors and begged for her safe return
Callella allegedly admitted to sending the messages and told investigators he was ‘just trying to see if the family would respond.’
The sheriff said it’s possible Nancy Guthrie was targeted, but if she was, investigators still don’t know if that’s because her daughter is one of TV’s most visible anchors.
Authorities say any decision on whether to fulfill ransom demands ultimately is up to the family.
