Cross-Border Cooperation in Nancy Guthrie Case
US investigators have reportedly engaged with Mexican authorities regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of American news anchor Savannah Guthrie, as the search enters its third week.
While the sheriff's department in Arizona and the FBI have declined to confirm contact with Mexican officials, the Guthrie family has reached out to a Mexican non-profit organization dedicated to locating missing persons in the region.
Investigators have reviewed approximately 40,000 leads since the 84-year-old was reported missing earlier this month. Despite public appeals by her daughter, an NBC presenter, no significant breakthrough has been achieved.
FBI and Mexican Authorities Coordination
According to US news outlet TMZ, the FBI has contacted Mexican authorities, considering the possibility that Nancy Guthrie may have been taken across the border. ABC News cited law enforcement sources confirming that the FBI notified Mexican officials of Guthrie's disappearance, although no evidence currently supports cross-border abduction.
A Mexican security official informed the New York Times that the FBI reached out to officials in Sonora, the Mexican state bordering Arizona, to investigate an alleged "purchase" related to the case; however, this lead did not develop further.
Fox News reports that federal investigators routinely communicate with Mexican counterparts, especially in cases near the border.
Assistance from Mexican Non-Profit
The Searching Mothers of Sonora, a Mexican non-profit focused on finding missing individuals in Sonora, often in cases linked to drug cartels, confirmed to CBS, the BBC's US partner, that a member of the Guthrie family requested their assistance in the search.
Authorities have not suggested that Nancy Guthrie was abducted by narcotics traffickers.
Ransom Notes and FBI Involvement
TMZ reported receiving a new ransom note via email demanding approximately $6 million in cryptocurrency. The outlet, which had previously received another possible ransom note concerning Guthrie, forwarded the new communication to the FBI.
Timeline and Investigation Details
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson, Arizona, residence on 31 January when a family member dropped her off after an evening at her daughter's nearby home. Investigators believe she was abducted in the early hours of 1 February.
Officials have excluded family members as suspects.
On Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos informed the BBC that DNA evidence from a glove found near Guthrie's home did not match any entries in an FBI database. The glove resembled those worn by a masked individual captured on surveillance footage the night Guthrie disappeared.
"I am confident we will find her, whether it takes 10 days, 10 months, or worse," Sheriff Nanos said.
The sheriff also expressed belief that Guthrie is being held somewhere close to her home.
Additionally, on Wednesday, Sheriff Nanos told CBS News that investigators have not ruled out the possibility of an accomplice involved in the suspected abduction.
Use of Technology in Search Efforts
Law enforcement sources told CBS that investigators are employing a device capable of detecting Bluetooth signals from Guthrie's pacemaker. This "signal sniffer" is mounted on a helicopter to aid in the search.
It was noted that Guthrie's pacemaker was disconnected from its phone application on the night she disappeared.
