Sheriff says Nancy Guthrie was targeted and suspect could ‘strike again,’ reports say

(Gray News) - The sheriff investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance said in an interview he believes the crime was targeted and could happen again.

It has been more 40 days since Guthrie, 84, was last seen outside her home in Tucson on Jan. 31. Authorities believe she was taken against her will that night.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a recent interview with NBC News that he believes Guthrie was targeted.

“We believe we know why he did this, and we believe that it was targeted, but we, we can’t, we’re not 100% sure of that,” he said.

He warned the suspect could strike again and told residents to “keep your wits about you.”

“It’d be silly to tell people, ‘Yeah, don’t worry about it. You’re not his target,’” he said. “Don’t think for a minute that because it happened to the Guthrie family, you’re safe.”

Nanos also said investigators have a theory about the suspect’s motive, but didn’t disclose any further information, citing the integrity of the case.

“I think from day one we had some strong beliefs about what happened, and those beliefs haven’t diminished,” he said.

According to NBC News, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office is looking into the possibility that a Wi‑Fi jammer was used or some other electrical disruption.

Nanos also told NBC News he is still hopeful the DNA found in Guthrie’s home will lead to a suspect.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for any information that would lead to their mother’s recovery.

Earlier this month, Savannah Guthrie made an off-camera appearance at NBC’s “Today” show to thank her colleagues for their support since her mother went missing.