Experts Weigh In on Unclaimed $1M Reward for Missing Nancy Guthrie: 'It’s Too Risky'

Fifty one days and counting since Nancy Guthrie went missing and there are still no positive updates about the 84-year-old’s current whereabouts. Though authorities presumed that putting up a million-dollar reward for information regarding her would aid them, such was not the case.

A journalist closely covering the updates of the case recently stated that Nancy’s abductors will not accept the reward. He claimed that doing so would be simply “too risky” for the kidnappers.

In a recent episode of Brian Entin Investigates, journalist Brian Entin discussed the possibility of Nancy’s abductors preferring to ignore the lucrative payout of $1 million. Entin opined that despite the profitable nature of the reward, the kidnappers will not take it.

Acknowledging that Nancy’s family came up with the reward money to ensure the 84-year-old’s safe return, the journalist said, “There's no specificity with [whether] we want her alive. We just want her.” The comments come after he said that the suspects are within the law enforcement authorities' fingertips.

Entin pointed out that despite the million-dollar reward, no one has dared to take it, except for a couple of fake calls to make some easy money. According to him, Nancy might have already passed away. Entin stated, “My theory is that they have nothing. They, being the perpetrators, really have nothing with which they can bargain any further. And what they may have done with her, I don't know.”

The journalist connected the dots from Nancy's daughter Savannah Guthrie’s past statements, in which she made it clear a number of times that the Guthrie family was willing to pay the reward for the 84-year-old’s safe return. Savannah had clarified that they want Nancy back, even if she’s not alive.

However, according to Entin, the abductors are “thinking it’s too risky” because now they might very well be charged with first-degree murder as well.

Former Pima County Sheriff Rick Kasitgar was also present on Entin’s show. He mentioned that in the state of Arizona, the felony murder law states that even if Nancy died of medical causes, the kidnappers will be held liable because they would be responsible for causing those circumstances.

Kasitgar said that the perpetrators would then be charged with murder. As a result, the perpetrators are neither coming forward to collect the $1 million reward nor to negotiate, Kasitgar added.

According to a report by Tucson.com, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated that the missing case of the 84-year-old is far from being a cold case. He said, “We have some DNA that we think is still workable.”

During a press conference, Nanos discussed the ongoing investigation, and claimed that the Sheriff’s Department is still working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding the case. He added that forensic examiners are analysing thousands of hours of video footage to gather evidence against the suspects in the case.

Though Nanos did not give a detailed report on the current investigation, he mentioned that they have some DNA that appears “workable,” and they will work with it. Nevertheless, he assured that a real breakthrough is possible in this case at any given time.