What To Know
- Attorney R.J. Dreiling believes Nancy Guthrie’s abduction was methodically planned by someone familiar to her.
- Dreiling compared the case to the John Hinckley Jr./Jodie Foster situation.
- Despite months without leads, Dreiling urged people to keep hope alive.
As the Nancy Guthrie investigation enters its fifth month with no significant updates or potential suspects, a former prosecutor-turned-criminal defense attorney has shared his thoughts on the case.
Speaking to Hello!, R.J. Dreiling, a Southern California-based attorney, said he believes the theory that the 84-year-old was abducted by someone familiar to her who planned the crime methodically.
“The lack of follow-through on any ransom demand makes it look like it was a distraction meant to throw off investigators,” he told the outlet.
Nancy, the mother of Today’s Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since February 1, when police believe she was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona. Investigators have released doorbell camera footage of a masked suspect and sent DNA for testing at the FBI lab in Quantico, but no suspects have been named.
Early in the case, an alleged ransom note was sent to TMZ and other outlets offering to return Nancy in exchange for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. According to TMZ, the value of the Bitcoin demanded was in the “millions,” and the wallet address provided in the letter was legitimate.
Dreiling shared his thoughts on the type of person who might commit such a crime, describing them as “someone 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.”
He compared Nancy’s disappearance to the case of John Hinckley Jr., the man who was obsessed with actress Jodie Foster and attempted to assassinate then-president Ronald Reagan in hopes it would impress her. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and remained under institutional psychiatric care for over 30 years.
“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,” Dreiling explained.
The criminal expert also urged people not to give up hope. “It’s important to remember that even though it has been a substantial amount of time since she went missing, hope is not lost,” he stated, noting how Elizabeth Smart was found months after her kidnapping. Smart herself has talked about Nancy’s case and also encouraged people not to lose faith.
“Technology has come a long way since then, particularly as it pertains to cell phone data and electronic tracking,” Dreiling continued. “The best possible outcome here would be a DNA profile from the scene or another location matches someone with a clear motive, whether through prior contact, a personal grievance, or even a digital footprint on social media.”