Nancy Guthrie's case: Moon phase theory emerges in disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother as FBI probes masked intruder footage

The baffling disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has left Tucson and the nation on edge, now over six weeks since she vanished from her Catalina Foothills home on February 1, 2026. Family had brought her back after dinner at her daughter Annie’s around 9:48 p.m., with her garage door closing soon after. Her pacemaker suddenly stopped reporting data, alerting authorities to check her residence.

No signs of forced entry appeared, as reported by People, but the case quickly turned into a high-profile missing person probe involving local police and the FBI.

Ex-FBI Agent’s post and moon clue

Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer stepped in with a fresh angle on March 17, 2026, posting on X about possible moon phases explaining the footage quirks. She highlighted unconfirmed reports of FBI pulling neighbor videos from January 11 and January 24, when the moon sat in waning or waxing crescent stages at 1 to 49 percent illumination. February 1 brought a full moon at 100 percent glow. “Could this explain lighting differences in the background in these 2 photos?” she wrote, proposing the shifting moonlight altered shadows and suspect visibility across clips. Her post has fueled online buzz, blending expert insight with the case’s eerie details. She also insinuated, “A neighbor says the FBI asked her for video footage on 1/11 and 1/24 and reviewed it there. 1/11 was a waning crescent moon (1% -49% illumination), 1/24 was a waxing crescent (1% to 49%) and 2/1 was a full moon (100% moonlight).”

Investigators hold back cadaver dogs, with no arrests despite billboards, memorials and Savannah Guthrie’s emotional visits.

Chilling footage and FBI spotlight

FBI-released surveillance footage from February 10 showed a masked intruder on Guthrie’s porch that night, wearing a jacket, long pants, gloves, and a visible handgun holster, his average build pegged at 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10. He toted a distinctive 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. The same figure reportedly showed up on earlier footage, sparking debate over clothing shifts and background lighting. As reported by People, Pima County Sheriff’s Department noted no timestamps on the images, calling multi-day claims speculative while lab work continues. Sheriff Chris Nanos stressed Guthrie was targeted, warning the abductor could strike again amid another recent Tucson elder vanishing.