Cartels, Celebrity, and Internet Sleuths: The Wildest Theories in the Nancy Guthrie Disappearance

It has been a week since anyone in the Guthrie family has seen Nancy Guthrie. Several law enforcement agencies have been hard at work tracking down the octogenarian. While they are busy trying to figure out exactly who might be responsible for her abduction, true crime fans are too. Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has caught the interest of online sleuths. They have their own theories about what happened to the mother of Today co-host, Savannah Guthrie. These are the most popular theories.

Some online sleuths think a drug cartel is involved

One of the most common theories floating around Reddit and social media is that Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is linked to a drug cartel. The only “evidence” backing that theory for online sleuths is the fact that Guthrie’s home, in the Catalina foothills, is about 70 miles from the Mexico border.

The theory gained even more traction when a former law enforcement agent jumped into the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) to advise everyone against dismissing the cartel theory as implausible. Randy Sutton appeared on The Ingraham Angle to discuss the case. He claims that the cartel angle is not as far-fetched as some people believe. Still, there is no actual evidence that the public has been made aware of that supports the theory.

Some online investigators think a family member is responsible for Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance

While the drug cartel angle is one a lot of social media sleuths have latched onto, several armchair detectives believe there might be a far simpler explanation for Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. Not long after the abduction was reported, online sleuths began to theorize that someone within the family is connected to the crime. They point to disabled security cameras and a missing Ring camera as proof that the person who took Nancy Gurthrie from her home was familiar with the house, its layout, and the security devices inside.

The theory gained even more traction when Ashleigh Banfield reported that an insider revealed that Nancy Guthrie’s own son-in-law was being eyed by police. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department later swatted down the claim after it was reported by NewsNation and several other outlets. Law enforcement has not yet named a suspect, nor suggested they were looking at a family member.

Staff who worked with Nancy Guthrie are getting a side-eye, too

While a family member and a drug cartel are two of the more enduring theories surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, they aren’t the only ones. Some interested parties have theorized that a disgruntled staff member could be responsible for the ocogenerians disapperance. While Nancy Guthrie lived alone, she had help around the house. She did not need full-time care.

Online sleuths suggest that a staff member might have grown resentful of the 84-year-old. In this theory, they believe the assaliant was motivated by money. Once again, there is little evidence to support the theory. Still, a staff member would be just as familiar with the home’s layout as a family member. In theory, it is plausible. Online sleuths who buy into the theory also note that someone working for Guthrie would know her schedule better than anyone.

This is a developing story. Multiple law enforcement agencies and task forces are working on the case.