Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino outlined three possible scenarios surrounding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, as federal authorities continue investigating the case, as reported by Fox News.
Speaking Monday night on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Bongino said investigators are facing difficult questions due to what he described as a striking lack of digital and forensic evidence in the case.
Guthrie vanished from her home in Arizona earlier this month and has not been seen since. The case has prompted a multi-agency investigation that now includes the FBI.
Nancy Guthrie’s purported kidnappers haven’t contacted Savannah’s family since ransom deadline: FBI https://t.co/SLnNtfrJKs pic.twitter.com/J2YAJJ9hYp
— Page Six (@PageSix) February 10, 2026
Bongino told host Sean Hannity that the first possibility is a traditional kidnapping carried out for ransom. “The first [possibility] would be, obviously, it’s a kidnapping. That was an intended kidnapping for a ransom payment…” he said.
He then outlined a second scenario in which the incident may have begun as a different crime.
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“The second possibility would be this was just a crime that went awry. Someone was at the house, maybe it was a burglary, maybe something went bad, and you’ve got some bad actors committing another crime unrelated — in other words, requesting a ransom for something you didn’t do just to take advantage of a situation like this,” Bongino said.
The third possibility, according to Bongino, is that the disappearance may not involve a criminal kidnapping at all.
He suggested it could have been the result of a medical emergency or another non-criminal event that was later misunderstood or misrepresented.
Bongino emphasized that investigators have not uncovered the types of evidence typically associated with abductions or violent crimes.
He pointed to the absence of DNA, license plate reader hits, cellphone activity, or social media data tied to the case.
He also said that when investigators are unable to locate someone within the first few days, it can indicate either extremely sophisticated perpetrators or that “the story you’ve been told, or you may have believed, may not be the story.”
Despite laying out the scenarios, Bongino said he was not prioritizing one theory over another. He stressed that all possibilities remain on the table as authorities continue searching for answers.
Bongino also addressed commentary from veteran FBI Special Agent Lance Leising, noting that legitimate ransom kidnappings usually involve rapid communication with family members and early proof of life.
According to Bongino, those patterns have not emerged in the Guthrie case.
“At this point, I think we have to consider everything outside the box, because whatever is inside the box is not really panning out right now,” Bongino said.
As the investigation intensified, Savannah Guthrie made a public appeal for information, describing the situation as an “hour of desperation.”
Authorities have been examining an alleged ransom note connected to her mother’s disappearance, though the note has not been publicly authenticated.
Savannah urged anyone with information to contact law enforcement as investigators worked against a deadline referenced in the note.
That deadline passed Monday night without any proof of life or resolution, according to information discussed on the broadcast.
Law enforcement agencies have not released additional details about the investigation, and officials have not confirmed whether the alleged ransom note is legitimate.
The search for Nancy Guthrie remains ongoing as federal, state, and local authorities continue to pursue all available leads.
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