Legal Expert Says Search For Missing Nancy Guthrie Will Likely Run Into 'More Dead Ends'

The search for missing Nancy Guthrie is approaching its third week, and according to Arizona law enforcement officers, they're continuing to piece together clues to learn what might have happened. For those unfamiliar with the situation, Nancy, the mother of "TODAY" host Savannah Guthrie, has not been seen since the night of January 31, 2026.

While police have obtained copies of ransom letters, chilling footage showing a masked person tampering with Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera, and even detained and questioned a man before letting them go, nothing has come of the leads so far. According to legal expert John Miller, he expects there will be even more hiccups like those in the coming days.

Miller, CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, informed the outlet that Arizona law enforcement officers are working hard to locate the missing 84-year-old. Miller explained that in abduction cases such as this, police also have to move quickly and aren't always able to think about their next step.

Consequently, Miller stated that police occasionally pursue leads that result in "another dead end," similar to the case of Carlos Palazuelos, who was apprehended on February 10 before his release.

"Ultimately, this lead washed out. That individual was released," Miller said before sharing even more insight into what could occur in the search for Nancy. "I want to point out we may see a couple more of these as this goes on."

As Arizona law enforcement officers and FBI agents attempt to make sense of what happened to Nancy on the night of January 31, a former Galveston County police captain told CNN that he expects a tip from a community member to help lead investigators in the right direction.

Josh Schirard cited his 20 years in law enforcement, adding that "the most powerful tool" he ever had was his community. He explained that collaborative efforts helped him and his team of officers put "some of these puzzle pieces together."

A retired FBI agent agreed, stating that law enforcement appreciates tips, big or small. He also shared that while the investigators will look into all of them, they're especially "looking for these ones with more specific details to put at the top of the list."

Chilling footage depicting a masked individual tampering with Nancy's doorbell surfaced on February 10, according to a previous report from The Blast.

An FBI spokesperson described the person as a "man of average build, between 5'9" and 5'10"," per NBC News.

Echoing the experts above, another retired FBI agent highlighted the images from Nancy's doorbell and stressed the importance of receiving tips in this situation.

"Somebody recognizes the way that person moved," Richard Kolko told CNN.

At the same time, Kolko added that some people are too afraid to "make that leap" and submit tips out of fear of being wrong or embarrassing the person they may have reported.

According to a previous report from The Blast, law enforcement officers remain uncertain about the timeline for locating Nancy.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said on Friday, February 13, that the search could take much longer than anyone expected.

"Maybe it’s an hour from now," he said. "Maybe it’s weeks or months or years from now. But we won’t quit. We’re going to find Nancy. We’re going to find this guy."

Nanos characterized the search as "exhausting" for his team.

"This has to to be it, the evidence, everything’s there," Nanos said. "Then you talk to people, you learn, you do your search, and you think, ‘Maybe not.'"

Investigators said they recovered DNA from Nancy's home during a recent search. The DNA, however, did not match that of anyone who was in close contact with Nancy.

"DNA other than Nancy Guthrie’s and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property. Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to," authorities said in an update.

They also disclosed that several gloves were recovered near and around Nancy's home and that the items were transported to an out-of-state lab for testing.

"No suspect vehicles have been identified. We ask the public to continue submitting actionable tips. All submitted videos are being reviewed," they finished.