Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said his agency believes it knows the motive behind Nancy Guthrie‘s kidnapping in Arizona, warning that other residents are not immune.
“We believe we know why he did this. And we believe that it was targeted, but we can’t, we’re not 100% sure of that, and so it’d be silly to tell people, ‘Yeah, don’t worry about it, you’re not his target.’ Don’t think for a minute that because it happened to the Guthrie family, you’re safe,” Nanos said.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has been coordinating with federal law enforcement and state officials to find Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie was last seen entering her home north of Tucson, Arizona, on Jan. 31.
Nanos told NBC News in the interview on Thursday that the suspected kidnapper in the case could “absolutely” strike again.
“Keep your wits about you,” Nanos said.
Nanos did not get into specifics about the agency’s theories, telling NBC News he sought to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. However, he did suggest that the findings supported detectives’ initial suspicions.
“I think from day one we had some strong beliefs about what happened, and those beliefs haven’t diminished,” Nanos said.
Law enforcement officials have not arrested any suspects in the search that began on Feb. 1. The FBI has collected 10,000 hours of video footage related to Guthrie’s abduction and is investigating each video. The agency released doorbell camera footage of the possible suspect on Guthrie’s doorstep in mid-February, showing a masked person lurking by her front door.
The Guthrie family has said the investigation to find their mother is up against a clock, because she takes a daily medication she needs to survive.
FBI PARSING THROUGH 10,000 HOURS OF VIDEO IN SEARCH FOR NANCY GUTHRIE
Savannah Guthrie announced her family would offer a reward of up to $1 million “for any information that leads us to her recovery.”
“Someone out there knows something that can bring her home. Somebody knows, and we are begging you to please come forward now,” she said.
