Nancy Guthrie Case: Retired FBI Agent Makes Blunt Declaration About First Hours After Savannah's Mom Went Missing
A retired FBI agent offered insight into the first hours after Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy Guthrie, 84, was abducted in Tucson, Ariz. And he made a blunt declaration while doing so.
In the Monday, May 18 episode of Brian Entin Investigates, NewsNation Senior National Correspondent Brian Entinspoke with Steve Moore, a retired FBI special agent.
"I talked to a sergeant from the Pima County Sheriff's Department in the last week, his name is Aaron Cross, and he was describing sort of how chaotic it was the first week after Nancy went missing," Entin explained. "And that there was a communication breakdown within the department that also bled into communication with the FBI."
Additionally, Entin brought up the reported initial chaos at Nancy's house, with her family there, in the early hours of the investigation. He then asked Moore how a situation like that is typically handled.
"You're not allowed to have confusion at a crime scene like that," Moore explained. "Obviously, there's going to be all sorts of things going on, and people will be confused. But law enforcement coming in, you are the ones who've done this all the time. You shouldn't be acting like this is your first time at a crime scene, or the first time somebody's been missing. And It certainly wasn't with these people."
He then bluntly stated, "Being confused is not a sign of, 'This is really big crime, so we're confused.' That's a sign of inadequate preparation."
Related: Nancy Guthrie Update: New Video Shows Masked Man in Savannah's Mom's Neighborhood
When asked how law enforcement deals with family members, in particular, when someone is missing, and emotions might be running high, Moore offered further insight.
"First of all, you need to get them in an emotional position where they can provide lucid information," he told Entin. "You get them away from the people who are running the case immediately. Get somebody that is really good with people to sit them down, get them some water, give them confidence - we've got this, this is what we do, we're here to help you -now, please, quietly and as carefully as you can, and write things down if you need to, but I'm here to listen to every word you say."
While that is happening, Moore explained that the person in charge of the investigation is typically on the other side of the room or in an area away from the family.
"They're able to think about this, saying, 'What do we have?' And they'll get information from investigators. 'We've got blood on the porch. OK, we've got a crime scene.' Then have somebody set up a perimeter, somebody get evidence response out here on the way now. We need to start interviewing people around the neighborhood. You're in charge of that. You go to that."
He added, "It sounds to me like nobody took charge. If there's confusion, that means nobody's in charge who knows what they're doing. Because if you have that person, they know to compartmentalize everything."
Nancy was last seen at her Tucson home on the evening of Jan. 31. As of writing, no suspect has been named in her case, despite more than $1 million in reward money on the table.
Next: Nancy Guthrie Update: Sheriff Offers New Comment on Ending Direct Communication With Guthrie Family
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 4:53 PM.