Nancy Guthrie update: Case takes new turn as report alleges early investigative missteps; 'blood evidence overlooked'
A new report has raised questions about the early investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie.
According to The Wall Street Journal, investigators allegedly overlooked dried blood found on Nancy’s front porch, delayed securing the scene and spent crucial hours deciding whether they were dealing with a kidnapping or a missing-person case.
Report claims investigators overlooked blood found at Guthrie’s home
Investigators looking into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance allegedly ignored dried blood found on her porch at the start of the probe, thinking it was unrelated to the case, according to the Wall Street Journal. Deputies from Pima County, Arizona, failed to properly seal off Guthrie’s home despite the blood being found near her front entryway, the report said.
Sergeant David Stivers, the head of homicide for Pima County, arrived at Nancy’s home in the late afternoon of February 1, hours after she was reported missing. Despite seeing the blood stains, Stivers allegedly paid little attention to them, with investigators believing it came from an unrelated injury such as a head bump or nosebleed, as per NY Post. However, DNA analysis later confirmed the blood was Nancy’s, and investigators now believe it is connected to her kidnapping.
Which allowed reporters, influencers and even Amazon and pizza delivery drivers to approach the scene during the early days of the investigation, as authorities didn’t put up crime-scene tape until three days after Nancy disappeared.
Also Read: Is Nancy Guthrie alive? What disturbing ransom notes claim about Savannah Guthrie’s missing mom | Full transcript
Did delays slow the search for Nancy Guthrie?
Investigators reportedly spent hours during the crucial two days after Nancy’s disappearance debating whether she had been kidnapped or had simply gotten lost.
Meanwhile, the department’s $1.7 million surveillance plane stayed on the ground for several hours because officials could not find a deputy qualified to operate its camera system. The plane reportedly did not begin searching until around 6:30pm, by which time darkness had limited what its zoom camera could capture, as per TMZ.
Also Read: Nancy Guthrie update: Sheriff Nanos says search is ‘very active’ after ransom notes, vows ‘we are still here’
Additionally, Stivers was reprimanded two months before Nancy’s disappearance over “poor judgment” in an earlier homicide case, where he was accused of delaying the securing of crime-scene evidence, according to NY Post.
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1, 2026. Authorities believe she was abducted. Investigators later released two ransom notes, one demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin for her release and another claiming she died shortly after being taken and was “buried in nature.” Six months later, Nancy remains missing, and authorities have not identified a suspect or found her remains.