Eight weeks after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home north of Tucson, Arizona, investigators have yet to publicly explain one aspect of her daughter, Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, revealed weeks ago — and a former law enforcement expert says it may be one of the most revealing details in the entire case.
When Savannah Guthrie and her family arrived at her mother’s home after she was reported missing on February 1, they found the back door open. There was no sign of Nancy. Her phone, wallet and medication were still inside, and she was taken in her pajamas.
“We thought maybe they came and there was a cloth and they took him out the back,” Savannah said Today colleague Hoda Kotb. “But his phone was there, and his bag was there with all his things. It didn’t make sense.”
To former Pima County SWAT commander Bob Krieger, it makes sense — and that’s what worries him.
Nancy Guthrie’s latest theory
Krieger, speaking with NewsNation reporter Brian Entin about Brian Entin Investigateshe says he believes the doors were opened on purpose by whoever took Nancy Guthrie – not left open carelessly, not by Nancy herself.
“To me, it’s a quick way in and a quick way out,” Krieger said. “Just one little thing to think about – to open the door, you don’t want it to close behind you and maybe open itself.”
In other words: this was not scary. It was to prepare.
Krieger’s theory is that Nancy was barricaded in the house and framed – maybe by one person, maybe by two. The doors were braced to ensure a clean exit, no danger of turning or being locked inside.
“The doors were open to make sure he didn’t get lost in the house,” he said. “Quick in, quick out, whatever it was.”
The Terrain Tells Its Story
The desert brush surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s property also contributes to Krieger’s reading of the event. Although the back doors are open, he believes that whoever took him got out from the front, because the space made it difficult to get out from the back.
“You can’t even see his house very well, there’s a lot of brush and trees back here,” Krieger said. “There’s no way they’re bringing him back like this.” That assessment is consistent with where Nancy’s blood stains were found – near the front of the property, not the back.
On the morning of Nancy’s disappearance, footage from a door camera — obtained by the FBI even though the camera was turned off — showed an armed man hiding outside the house. The pacemaker was disconnected from his phone while the camera was not working.
Investigators have not said publicly whether there were signs of forced entry, nor have they specifically mentioned open doors. The case is considered kidnapping. Gloves found about two miles from the scene contained DNA from an unidentified man that did not match the FBI database or samples collected at the scene.
The Search for Nancy Guthrie Continues
On March 21, the Guthrie family issued a new appeal to the Tucson community, asking anyone with information — no matter how small — to come forward. The family is offering a prize of up to $1 million. The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for any information leading to Nancy’s whereabouts or the identification of a suspect. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Two months in, the doors may have been the fastest part of what happened that night. Finding answers proved too slow.
This story was published by Men’s Journal on March 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Favorite Source by clicking here.
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