More experts are weighing in on the investigation into the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie — a case where they have a particularly important piece of evidence.
East of Savannah today Coworker Katie Couric spoke with retired FBI agent Christy Kotis and 31-year FBI veteran Barbara Daley in a Katie Couric media interview published Thursday, Feb. 12. When asked about the evidence so far, Kotis shared a surprising opinion about the ongoing security footage of a masked man on the front porch of Nancy’s Toys’ home.
“It looked and felt like a staged video to me,” Kotis said. “It was a person, we don’t know if it was a man or a woman, showing us what they wanted to see: head down, close to the house, obviously, me, wearing two sets of gloves, two sets of pants, a big shirt, two masks. First they’re like, ‘Heads down, don’t look at me’. Then it’s like, ‘Oops, look at me. I looked at the camera.’ Then it’s like, ‘I have a gun. I want you to think it’s a gun strapped to the front of my crotch area.’ I have never seen such a gun worn under any circumstances. “
Kotis was also confused by how the man used some weeds from Nancy’s yard to pull them up and cover the security cameras. “If it’s a lookout team or a team that starts doing something from the front, all you have to do is hide your face, walk up, and cover the ring camera, rip it off the wall,” she said. “So I don’t think that person got into the house either.”
Daley, for his part, added, “It’s either the most amateurish thing – or it’s what someone wants us to think. It was very strange … I think it tells us something about the person.” Daley also noted that adult kidnappings are “extremely rare” and that Nancy’s age (84) makes her case a “high-risk crime.”
“These high-risk crimes are rare. There is usually pre-planning: knowing the person’s pattern, whether there are cameras, layout of the house, method of exit,” he explained. “We often never see the spur-of-the-moment [kidnapping]This is what it looks like if this person is an amateur. … Also, it would be very difficult for one person to remove an 84-year-old woman with mobility problems from inside the house. It would be too risky.”
Daley said it’s possible that more than one person was involved, and that the perpetrator(s) “could be someone who entered her circle at some point.” He shared, “Law enforcement may withhold information because conversations may be taking place. There are details that may only be known to investigators and the abductor.”
Aside from security camera images and photos that have been released, authorities have not named any persons of interest in the case. Authorities believe Nancy was taken from her home against her will and are offering a $100,000 reward for anyone with vital information about her disappearance or alleged abductors. Authorities have also not confirmed the authenticity of the ransom note reports demanding millions in exchange for Nancy’s return.
On Thursday, the FBI released a description of the suspect in the security camera footage. “The suspect is described as male, approximately 5’9′ – 5’10” tall, with an average build. In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack,” the organization shared via X . “We hope this updated statement will help focus the public suggestions we are receiving.
Since February 1, 2026, the FBI has received more than 13,000 public tips related to this case. Each tip is reviewed for reliability, relevance, and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement.”
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