Everyone wants Nancy Guthrie to return home, and as the investigation into her alleged abduction from her home in Tucson, Arizona, enters the fourth week, there is a sense of desperation surrounding the case. Nancy is 84, and she was taken from her bed in the middle of the night, her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, revealed in her latest Instagram plea to the public for information.
The family has raised their reward to $1 million in hopes of generating new, credible tips, yet despite Nancy’s disappearance since February 1, there has been no major breakthrough in the case. At least, not one that has been shared publicly. Some members of the public have therefore taken it upon themselves to assist with the investigation by scouring the internet for clues. However, these actions can have devastating consequences for those who are wrongfully accused, and there are already three men whose lives have been impacted by this case.
The Men Linked to Nancy Guthrie’s Missing Persons Case
GettyOn February 25, school teacher and musician Dominic Evans, who plays music alongside Nancy’s son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, spoke out about the public interest in him amid Nancy’s disappearance. In an interview with The New York Times, Evans said, “I feel like someone’s taken my name.”
He does not know why the public focused on him. “I don’t know – monetary, clickbait, to be relevant, entertainment – but there are innocent people that get hurt,” he said. And he is right, people are getting hurt.
The Public Gets Involved in Nancy Guthrie’s Case
GettyEarlier in Nancy’s investigation, internet sleuths focused on a Range Rover that had been detained by police as evidence. They found a man online, Zack Jaghoub, who they believed had some connection to the vehicle. They were wrong. Jaghoub doesn’t even live in the United States, having moved abroad in 2019.
“I’m gonna be honest with you. These people are stupid,” Jaghoub told Parade on February 21. “They don’t have, like, a sure confirmation that Zack drove that Range Rover or owned that Range Rover. There’s no documents, there’s no papers. I’m not even inside the country.”
He continued, “People are just listening to YouTubers or some people, that don’t know anything.” Jaghoub claims he has never spoken to authorities, but that did not stop the barrage of online abuse he faced. People are adding him to social media, even sending him death threats.
Wrongfully Accused Man Addresses Attention: ‘It’s Been Kind of Scary’
GettyThen there is the case of Carlos Palazuelos, who wants the sheriff’s department to clear his name. In an interview with ABC15 on February 18, he says he had nothing to do with the disappearance of the 84-year-old Guthrie matriarch. Yet that has not stopped the public from hounding him and his family. “People taking pictures of us or following us. Like yesterday, we went out dashing, and we got home, and there was this red truck following us;” Palazuelos said. “This morning it was there too. So, it’s been kind of scary for me and for my wife, my kids and everybody.”
Palazuelos’s attorney, Jesse Showalter, told the news station that his client is “living in fear.” He wants Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos to make it clear that Palazuelos is not a person of interest.
Nancy’s family and the public want to see a happy ending to this case, but this investigation does not have to ruin more lives in the process.
