• #31,621

Sheriff leading Nancy Guthrie search ‘understands’ interest in son-in-law Tommaso Cioni — but warns of jumping to conclusions​

Feb. 16, 2026, 8:51 a.m. ET

The sheriff leading the search for Nancy Guthrie has said he “understands” why some have said her son-in-law should be seen as a suspect, but insisted he didn’t want to put “a mark on somebody who could be completely innocent.”

[…]

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that while “nobody” has been ruled out, he was troubled by “nasty stuff” being circulated about Cioni.

“If he [Tommaso Cioni] is guilty, if he’s the one who did it, and we’re able to prove that, then at that time jump on it but don’t come out of nowhere with this,” Sheriff Nanos told the Daily Mail on Sunday.

[…]

“I understand the pundits are out there. They’re gonna say, well, he’s the last one to see her alive. We understand that stuff. But, my goodness, you’re putting a mark on somebody who could be completely innocent. And more important than that, he’s family,” he added.

“People out there can get pretty ugly and mean and nasty and not have the facts. I tell my journalists, you guys need to be a little more responsible… because that’s just really nasty stuff,” the sheriff said.

[…]

Sheriff Nanos said that he had been in contact “a little bit” with Annie and Tommaso, but had been mainly dealing with Savannah.

[…]

She arrived home at around 9:30 p.m. following the 10-minute drive between the two houses. However, Nanos later changed the wording of reports to say that “family drove her home,” which he admitted was made to try to deflect from the rumors about Nancy’s son-in-law.

“We know who it is but… when we saw everybody was attacking everybody and saying it’s this we just thought, you know what? We’ll say it was family,”
the sheriff said, adding that Nancy’s entire family has been “nothing but cooperative” since the start of the investigation.
[…]


 
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  • #31,622
Regarding Lantana Man (man outside NG’s front door): Can someone venture some theories about the gun? Do burglars breaking into a home usually carry deadly weapons? His weapon was in a holster that wasn’t made for that particular gun, and it was positioned uh, unconventionally, IMO.

He seemed more preoccupied with being undetected and less preoccupied with stealing property, IMO. If I’m not mistaken, armed robbery or armed kidnapping carries a much different sentence than breaking and entering. IMO. JMO.

Since he was dressed head to toe to cover his identity and had a bite light he may be a prolific burglar. He might carry a gun just in case he ever had to use it if caught etc.

Edited: Grammar
 
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  • #31,623
This is exactly what happened in my opinion. There are several factors supporting that theory
In your opinion, what is the reason for them taking her with them?
 
  • #31,624
If Nancy conversed with her perp at any point she could have told him something along the lines that her daughter is Savannah Guthrie from the Today Show.
At that point he knows that the full force of the law is going to come down on him regardless of the outcome. This might be why he decided to take her. Then the ransom idea came later.
Yes, you are on the right track in my opinion. Think lawn maintenance guy, handyman, pool guy...etc. Whoever it was knew Nancy. So what happened? He went there to commit a burglary, thats why he brought a backpack. He thought it was easy in easy out...but Nancy probably recognized him.

Now, he panics and has to take her with him.

If kidnapping is the plan, you typically do not do it alone, you do not go into a crowded neighborhood, and you do not bring a backpack.
 
  • #31,625
I think it depends on the notification options you choose within both the camera app itself and your phone’s own notification settings.

edit: also some people put their phone on “Do Not Disturb”/“Sleep” mode at night, which turns off sounds and notifications until the morning.

JMO
I have no idea how they work other than knowing there is an alert via Alexa and phone but I’m not sure whether that’s Ring or Nest or both.

I have the old traditional method Dog Bell 😁
 
  • #31,626
Regarding Lantana Man (man outside NG’s front door): Can someone venture some theories about the gun? Do burglars breaking into a home usually carry deadly weapons? His weapon was in a holster that wasn’t made for that particular gun, and it was positioned uh, unconventionally, IMO.

He seemed more preoccupied with being undetected and less preoccupied with stealing property, IMO. If I’m not mistaken, armed robbery or armed kidnapping carries a much different sentence than breaking and entering. IMO. JMO.
Yes, armed robbery carries a different sentence than breaking and entering. And with the gloves he was wearing, he'd have to remove them to use the gun. IMOO
 
  • #31,627
Notice the words SG used in the latest video. You are not lost. You are not alone. This is IMO, SG KNOWING the REAL profile that LE has developed. An, obsessed, scorned, socially awkward loner. Someone who has developed an entire fantasy life around SG being his secret lover. Someone who lives with his mommy, perhaps. Possibly, bookish or nerdy. He may have an altar of sorts, erected in his home. Photos, posters, tapes of SG speaking on TV. He could no longer tolerate being spurned. His daily ritual of watching the Today show was the thread that held him together. He HAD to act on his twisted impulses. The fact SG was out for several weeks for surgery made him become totally unhinged. He needed to do this kidnaping before she slipped through his fingers again and went to Milan to cover the Olympics. Delusional Stalker. jmo moo
If that were the case, I'd expect the kidnapper to want more of a dialogue with or access to SG. Instead, we've had several belated ransom requests that don't seem to be about communication of anything but demands for money. They don't seem to be personalised like someone who had a fantasised parasocial relationship with SG would write.

MOO
 
  • #31,628
Feb 16, 2026
A glove containing DNA found about two miles from the house of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her front door in Tucson the night she vanished, the FBI said Sunday. Rachel Menitoff reports Feb. 15, 2026
 
  • #31,629
I’m not gonna complain about amount/type of items to be tested.

The better to make sure everyone is eliminated since they seem to have no idea who did this it could be a person that’s “searching”.

Volunteers, not just sworn officers searched, as noted in the captions of the pictures linked below.

I thought I was going to post pictures of searchers with gloves but after looking at pictures of the search and door to door investigations I realized I don’t see a single back glove, or any other type of glove in any of the pictures.

So instead of posting pictures I thought were interesting I’m linking the lot of them for WSers inspection.
[I know some have seen them before]



Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie is missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona



all imo
 
  • #31,630
Yes, you are on the right track in my opinion. Think lawn maintenance guy, handyman, pool guy...etc. Whoever it was knew Nancy. So what happened? He went there to commit a burglary, thats why he brought a backpack. He thought it was easy in easy out...but Nancy probably recognized him.

Now, he panics and has to take her with him.

If kidnapping is the plan, you typically do not do it alone, you do not go into a crowded neighborhood, and you do not bring a backpack.
His backpack looked full when he was trying to enter the property though.
 
  • #31,631
Celebrity based wealth could be more public and thus easier to recognize than other bases for wealth.

In the end, the daughter's position as a host of The Today show made her far more visible and recognizable than other wealthy people in both name and appearance. Though the crime targeted the mother, the daughterr's daily visibility could have made the link easier to recognize and to confirm.
CONJECTURE

Do you remember the Clutter family murders? Perry Smith and Richard Hickock believed a false rumor about the amount of money Mr. Clutter kept in his safe. Rumors often exaggerate a person's access to wealth, especially if they are famous. In a scenario where bugulars did not find what they were looking for, NG would suddenly become the most valuable thing in the house.
 
  • #31,632
Yes, you are on the right track in my opinion. Think lawn maintenance guy, handyman, pool guy...etc. Whoever it was knew Nancy. So what happened? He went there to commit a burglary, thats why he brought a backpack. He thought it was easy in easy out...but Nancy probably recognized him.

Now, he panics and has to take her with him.

If kidnapping is the plan, you typically do not do it alone, you do not go into a crowded neighborhood, and you do not bring a backpack.

I see your point of view.

I think it could be a complete stranger to Nancy who just decided to burglarize her home that night.

I was specifically meaning she could have told him about her daughter being the host of the Today Show while he was in her home that night.

Everyone knows the Today Show.
He knew he would be SOL regardless of what he decided to do with her at that point so he decided to take her.
I am just thinking out loud.
 
  • #31,633
Since he was dressed head to toe to cover his identity and had a bite light he may be a prolific burglar. He might carry a gun just in case he had ever has to use it if caught etc.
I’ve wondered if he carried/holstered it in what looks like a haphazard way so that it’s accessible by both his right and left hand, if he needed to pull it at a moment’s notice and his other hand was holding something/otherwise busy.

JMO
 
  • #31,634


Editing to add:

There has been a discussion of sliding glass doors leading to her covered patio area. It looks to me like a large picture-type window with three sections and the egress is through the blue door with small panes on the right (facing).
 
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  • #31,635
I think he did walk through the blood because I see repeat square patterns that look like transfer from the sole of a sneaker.

View attachment 645504

cropped section from the full image below

View attachment 645505

I noticed that too in the blood. Definitely seems like more clues of what happened to Nancy can be found in the blood pattern.

I know it’s been mentioned before but I’m absolutely SHOCKED that they still haven’t taken the doormat, that’s like day one stuff!
 
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  • #31,636
They didn’t tow the car at Rio Rico stop—
They didn’t take samples form it

They towed the car at the Culver’s stop because they DID take samples from it—and it has to be further examined and kept until results come back that disqualify it as used in kidnapping or confirm it was used.

Similar cars in some respects (colors, blac rims, shape) but maybe not similar reasons
Now, THAT is interesting. They saw something interesting enough to take samples. I pray this leads to something. Plus, imagine how pi$$ed you would be if LE impounded your car and you did nothing wrong.
 
  • #31,637
His backpack looked full when he was trying to enter the property though.
What in your opinion, was in it? Could it have simply been an internal frame?
In a kidnapping scenario, it would make far more sense to follow the victim until they are somewhat isolated, right?
This criminal looked incompetent, in that he was playing with the doorbell camera, and forced his way in. Why go through that just to kidnap someone, when you could grab them outside a store or while they are on a walk?
 
  • #31,638
CONJECTURE

Do you remember the Clutter family murders? Perry Smith and Richard Hickock believed a false rumor about the amount of money Mr. Clutter kept in his safe. Rumors often exaggerate a person's access to wealth, especially if they are famous. In a scenario where bugulars did not find what they were looking for, NG would suddenly become the most valuable thing in the house.
But then you'd expect the house to have been ransacked first. They're not going to immediately take the elderly lady when nothing valuable is in plain sight. They're going to rummage through her underwear and socks drawers, the medicine cabinet, and the freezer at least. Also, her purse was found in the home.

MOO
 
  • #31,639
Here is a photo taken from the NBC Nightly News/FB Tom Llamas from 02/12 and showing the back sliding door, which we know had been left open, when family arrived for their wellness check:

View attachment 645517


So the subject possibly gained access via back sliding door (forced entry) after trying to enter through the front door (main entrance)? What are your thoughts about the sequence of events and why do you think like that? Just curious.

Cheers,
Nin
Hello, good morning Nin!

What do you think that white thing is lying in the doorway? Is that a sheet, a painters tarp??? Doesn't make sense that it is there.

I do believe the perp removed the camera or tried to at least at the front door @ 1:47 am and was unsuccessful (Lantana capture) I do believe he made his way to the back sliding door via the gate you had mentioned was left open. I do believe he took Nancy out of the house via the front door because a vehicle was parked near the front of the house. But for entry---I think it was the back door.

Now that begs the question. Did she have a bar she could put in that slider? If so, then how did he gain entry thru that door?
 
  • #31,640
Yes! I posted about the pacemaker as a potential use form tracking back on Feb 7th. LE should have been onto that long before me. If it has been my Mom, I would have been driving all of Tucson with her phone and watch looking for a Bluetooth connection no matter how rudimentary that would have been compared to FBI’s technology.
Me too!! At least it’s something and this should be looked into.
 

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