Sheriff Chris Nanos made another critical mistake in Nancy Guthrie’s “complicated” disappearance, an expert believes.
On Thursday, Nanos revealed he has a theory on why Guthrie was “targeted” and warned the Tucson, Ariz., community that the abductor could strike again — but wouldn’t share any further information.
Former FBI agent Jason Pack told Page Six of the official’s remarks, “From my experience as a crisis communications practitioner, where it gets complicated is when, in that same interview, he suggests the suspect could strike again. Once you put that out there, every person watching wants to know who’s at risk and what they ought to do about it.”
“If you can’t answer those questions, you probably shouldn’t lead with that statement. A warning without context doesn’t necessarily protect people. It worries them. And it sits a little uneasily alongside the ‘targeted attack’ framing he’s also offered.”
Pack added, “Those two ideas need to fit together before they go out the door.”
Pack explained that in a case “of this magnitude,” the sheriff’s office and FBI work together, with the latter “bringing resources to the table that no county sheriff’s office can match on its own.”
“When public messaging is coordinated and coming from one unified voice, it tells you the joint investigation is firing on all cylinders,” Pack continued. “When statements get out ahead of that coordination, it raises questions about where the seams are.
“I hope those seams are tighter behind closed doors than they may appear from the outside. I just think a little more discipline at the podium, coordinated closely with FBI leadership, would serve everyone better as this moves forward.”
He defended of Nanos not revealing a motive, “When the sheriff says investigators believe they know the motive but won’t share it, there’s an investigative reason. This is it. You don’t hand the suspect a roadmap of what you know. I have no quarrel with that.”
Despite Nanos’ statement, Pack acknowledged the high-profile investigation is “one of the hardest things a law enforcement leader can face.”
“Nobody gets everything right under that kind of sustained pressure, and I respect the weight he’s carrying,” he explained.
Pack’s hope is that Guthrie’s grieving family — including daughters Savannah and Annie, and son Camron — has a “dedicated point of contact inside this investigation who is keeping them informed and walking alongside them through every development.”
On Thursday, Nanos told NBC News “it’d be silly to tell people, ‘Yeah, don’t worry about it. You’re not his target.’”
He urged others not to “think for a minute that because it happened to the Guthrie family, [it’s] safe” for everyone else.
He continued that while authorities “believe [Savannah Guthrie’s mom] was targeted,” they are “not 100 percent sure of that.”
The sheriff added, “We believe we know why he did this,” but did not elaborate further.
This isn’t the first misstep the sheriff’s office has been accused of making in the investigation.
Page Six reported authorities missed a simple strategy that could’ve been used to catch the kidnapper.
Bezalel Eithan Raviv, the CEO and founder of Lionsgate Network — a crypto recovery service with expertise in Blockchain forensics — told Page Six that authorities should have deposited a small balance in the alleged ransomer’s Bitcoin account to ultimately lead to his location.
A ransom note at the start of the investigation demanded $6 million in bitcoin be sent to an address in exchange for Guthrie’s release by two different deadlines — which both came and went.
Also, Daily Mail reported the department failed to immediately launch a high-tech Cessna aircraft at the start of their search for the “Today” show co-host’s mother — as they waited hours after she was reported missing to utilize the high-resolution thermal imaging cameras.
Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1.
The sheriff said at the time that he and investigators believe Guthrie was abducted in her sleep and “harmed” in the process.
On Feb. 10, photos and videos were released of a masked individual breaking into Guthrie’s home wearing gloves and a backpack.
A number of people have been questioned over the course of the investigation after the photos and videos were released.
However, authorities have no arrests in connection with the kidnapping. The investigation remains ongoing.
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