Nancy Guthrie kidnapping updatecentres on a fresh theory from attorney RJ Dreiling, who toldHELLO!that the 84-year-old mother of NBC journalist Savannah Guthrie was likely taken by someone who knew her after she vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home on 31 January and was reported missing on 1 February.
The case quickly drew national attention after investigators in Pima County, later joined by the FBI, said they believed Nancy Guthrie had been taken from her home against her will.
Authorities recovered evidence near the property, including DNA samples and gloves, and doorbell footage showed an armed person in a balaclava apparently trying to disable the camera outside her front door.
In the latest Nancy Guthrie case update, former prosecutor turned criminal defence attorney RJ Dreiling toldHELLO!magazine he is still persuaded by the original theory that Nancy was taken by someone she knew who prepared the kidnapping with care and patience.
He argued that the apparentransom anglemay have been staged, saying 'The lack of follow‑through on any ransom demand makes it look like it was a distraction meant to throw off investigators.'
In his view, whoever is responsible appears 'intelligent enough to completely hide their tracks, including DNA, fingerprints, and electronic data, but also deranged enough to kidnap this woman out of her home and hold her hostage.'
Pushing that point further, Dreiling drew a striking parallel with one of the most notorious celebrity obsessions in US history. 'What is worth considering are parallels to the Jodie Foster / John Hinckley Jr. case. Someone who is methodical in preparation but has a motive that makes no rational sense,' he said.
Hinckley, who became fixated on Foster after seeing her inTaxi Driver, attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981 in what he later claimed was an effort to impress the actor.
Dreiling is not suggesting the Guthrie case is political, only that investigators should keep in mind the prospect of a highly organised offender driven by a private, incomprehensible logic rather than money or an obvious vendetta.
That idea fits awkwardly with the few hard facts that have been released. The doorbell footage, obtained by the FBI days after the investigation began, shows an individual in a backpack and balaclava, armed and wearing gloves, first trying to cover the camera with a hand, then yanking up a plant from the garden to block its view. It is, in its own way, both clumsy and careful.
Source: International Business Times UK
