Nancy Guthrie Investigation: Retired FBI Agent Sees 'Significant Disagreement' Within Bureau on Ransom Notes

A retired FBI agent said this week he believes there is internal disagreement within the bureau over how to interpret key pieces of evidence in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, as conflicting statements about the legitimacy of ransom notes in the case continue to surface more than five months after she vanished.

Speaking with NewsNation senior national correspondent Brian Entin on the program "Brian Entin Investigates," retired FBI agent Steve Moore said the shifting public statements from federal investigators point to a deeper split within the bureau over the case. "The more I see this, the more I think that there is some significant disagreement within the FBI investigation on what they're dealing with," Moore said. "Right down to the validity of certain pieces of evidence."

The comments follow a Reuters report published July 1 that cited a source saying an FBI official had determined none of the ransom notes sent in connection with Guthrie's disappearance were legitimate. That characterization appeared to conflict with a subsequent statement from the FBI's Phoenix field office, posted to X on July 1, which said the bureau had received "several" ransom notes, with some "deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy," while others "may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such." The Phoenix office added that the case "continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case."

Moore theorized that the discrepancy may stem from Reuters having spoken with a source outside the Phoenix field office, which has jurisdiction over the Tucson area where Guthrie disappeared. "It's completely common for the field office — in this case, Phoenix, which covers Tucson — to have a totally different idea, concept, or belief than headquarters does," Moore said. He added that regardless of the internal disagreement over the notes' authenticity, investigators still appear united on one point. "Regardless of whether or not ransom notes from the actual takers of Nancy ever existed, they still believe it remains a kidnapping," Moore said.

Moore also addressed the physical evidence found at the scene, pointing to bloodstains discovered on the porch of Guthrie's home as a troubling sign for investigators. "With blood on the porch of Nancy's house, I think you have to put into play the very strong possibility that Nancy didn't survive long enough for them to even get a ransom note," Moore said.

Guthrie, who lived in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson, Arizona, was last seen at her home on the evening of January 31. Her family reported her missing the following day after she failed to arrive for a planned church service with friends. Investigators have said evidence recovered at the residence indicated she was taken against her will, and bloodstains found at the scene were later confirmed to belong to Guthrie. On February 10, the FBI released doorbell camera footage showing a masked, armed individual outside her home on the morning of her disappearance, an individual the bureau has since described as a suspect.

The case has produced a string of developments in the months since, including multiple ransom notes sent to Guthrie's family and to media outlets, at least two of which set deadlines for payment in cryptocurrency that passed without any exchange taking place. One note, sent in February and not publicly disclosed until June, reportedly claimed Guthrie had died shortly after being taken, according to sources cited by multiple news outlets including CNN, CBS News and ABC News.

In a separate development tied to the case, a California man pleaded guilty July 2 to two federal charges connected to sending a fraudulent ransom demand to Guthrie's family. Derrick Callella, 42, admitted to two felony counts, including sending a ransom demand across state lines and using a telecommunications device to threaten or harass, according to a plea agreement reported by NBC affiliate KVOA of Tucson. Prosecutors said Callella had tested positive for drugs at the time of his plea hearing. A federal judge subsequently ordered Callella into inpatient substance abuse treatment while he awaits sentencing, scheduled for September 10. Federal investigators have said Callella was not responsible for the earlier ransom note sent to media outlets, which remains under separate investigation.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, whose department is jointly investigating the case alongside the FBI, said in comments to Arizona news station KOLD News 13 that investigators continue to pursue new leads tied to DNA evidence, including forensic genealogy techniques that could help identify a suspect through relatives rather than a direct match. "Especially when you throw in genealogy — now, you've got, this may not be the bad guy, but this person might be the bad guy's relative three times over," Nanos said. "So that has to be broken down to see if this might be someone of interest to us."

No suspect has been publicly named in the case, and Guthrie's whereabouts remain unknown. Her family, including Savannah Guthrie, has offered a combined reward of more than $1 million for information leading to her recovery, and authorities have continued to urge anyone with information to come forward. Both the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Department have described the investigation as active and ongoing, even as public frustration has grown over the pace of the case and the limited information authorities have shared.

Nanos has previously acknowledged that his department has withheld certain details from the public, saying the decision was made to protect the integrity of the investigation rather than to conceal information unnecessarily. All members of the Guthrie family, along with their spouses, have been officially cleared as suspects in the case.

As of this week, investigators had not announced any arrests directly tied to Guthrie's disappearance, and the differing public statements from federal officials have continued to fuel speculation about the state of the investigation. Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact the FBI's tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff's Department directly.