As the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has seemingly stalled, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has taken the unusual step of publicly releasing ransom notes allegedly sent by the kidnapper.
With it now being six months since Guthrie was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, many experts have said that the investigation could be considered a cold case. After all, there has been little in the way of breakthroughs that could help identify the kidnapper or locate the victim.
Law enforcement officials revealed that the disclosure of the ransom notes, that they are treating as genuine, could prove key in providing new leads. Experts have since explained exactly how the ransom notes may be crucial pieces of evidence.
How the Ransom Notes Could Help Solve the Case
Coinciding with the release of the ransom notes, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos explained that the law enforcement agency was doing so with the hopes of gaining new evidence to aid with the investigation.
He said, “There are a number of pieces of information in these notes that just might jar someone to say ‘you know, I’ve heard that.'”
Speaking with BBC News, forensic linguist expert William Eggington, who was previously a professor at Brigham Young University, gave some insight into how the ransom notes could be useful. In particular, the way that people use words and write can give valuable clues as to their identity and background.
“It’s built upon the premise that we each carry an idiolect, or a word print, of our own that distinguishes our language from others,” Eggington revealed. He went on to say that it is likely that the same person wrote the two notes as they have very similar styles. However, the linguist consultant also explained that they could be intentionally attempting to disguise their true voice.
Investigators will be able to analyze the writing in the notes and directly compare it to other written material by a potential suspect to determine if it is a match.
Jeffrey Adler, a professor of American crime and violence at the University of Florida, went on to say that because kidnapping is such a rare crime, it may not be possible to identify a suspect from the ransom notes alone.
Yet, he did point out that there have been instances in the past where suspects have been located after police released their written work. One such case was the Unabomber investigation, with Theodore Kaczynski’s brother recognizing his writing and coming forward to the police.
Pima County Sheriff’s Department Says Investigation Remains ‘Active’
Despite claims from some that the investigation was now being considered a cold case by law enforcement, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department recently reiterated that they consider the case to be “active and ongoing.”
In a social media post released last week, the department, which has been conducting the investigation in collaboration with the FBI, released a lengthy statement about the investigation.
The statement reads, “The Guthrie investigation remains active and ongoing. A task force of investigators from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI remains committed to finding Nancy and providing answers to her family.”
It continues, “The analysis of DNA and digital evidence has been underway for the past six months. This work is complex and time-intensive, but the investigation continues to pursue every credible lead.”
The statement concludes, “As Savannah Guthrie recently said, it is never too late to do the right thing. Anyone with information is urged to come forward and help bring this case to a resolution.”
