RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Six months after Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her Arizona home in the middle of the night, there are no suspects or major leads and the case seems to be stalled, a source close to the investigation tells me.
"There is plenty of blame to go around, but there is growing pressure to solve this case," the source said. "This case has struck a chord — people are watching very closely. This can't go on for another six months."
Savannah Guthrie, the "Today" show co-host and Nancy's daughter, wrote on Instagram on Saturday: "This is our beautiful Mom. Six months ago, someone took her out of her bed in the dead of night. We have lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since."
"We are begging for help," Savannah added. "We are desperate. We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. ... Perhaps they are angry or upset for being in this situation. There is a way out - to tell what you know. You can do so anonymously. The reward is available. There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing. ... We will never stop looking for answers - and we will never stop looking for the light. ... Please. Bring her home. 💛"
Between the lines: A troubling but almost overlooked aspect of the case is that the perpetrator has evaded detection in one of the highest-profile and most closely watched cases in decades. Can shrewd criminals, using the latest technology, now outfox law enforcement?
Behind the scenes: A Wall Street Journal investigation published Saturday night uncovers "a trail of missteps" and finger-pointing between the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department.
"County sheriff's deputies at first minimized the importance of dried blood found on Nancy's front porch," the Journal found.
"They failed to seal off the property with police tape to protect sensitive crime-scene evidence, allowing reporters, livestreamers, and Amazon and pizza delivery drivers entry to the porch. Investigators spent precious hours deciding whether Nancy was kidnapped or lost. A search-and-rescue plane sat grounded until dusk, awaiting a deputy trained to operate its sophisticated surveillance system."
The FBI told the Journal: "The state is the lead in this investigation ... The FBI has met every assistance request asked of us, even when requests came late."
The FBI now may face pressure to take a bigger role, the source told me.
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