The search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, is now in the seven-week mark. Former NYPD detective David Sarni weighed in on the theory that a Wi-Fi jammer could have interfered with surveillance cameras on the night of the alleged kidnapping, pointing out one detail in this theory that has yet to be explained.
Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday, Feb. 1, after not showing up for church, and the sheriff said it appeared she was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona. Upon receiving a 911 call, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department responded to Guthrie’s home, which they eventually deemed a crime scene, but there has been some criticism that the home wasn’t secured from the beginning.
Sarni Questions Wi-Fi Jammer Theory
“A Wi-Fi jammer can interfere with a signal. They are illegal to own but can be bought online,” Sarni explained in an exclusive interview with Parade from Sunday, Mar. 22. “Someone [in the neighborhood] had a camera go out around the time of the abduction. It’s a possibility [that a Wi-Fi jammer] was used.”
However, Sarni questioned, “If there was a Wi-Fi jammer used, why not use it before entering the camera’s view that night?”
The former detective suggested that perhaps “they never tested it before” or the person or persons involved “forgot to turn it on.”
Neighbors Report Internet Glitches the Night Guthrie Disappeared
GettyOn Mar. 5, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI were canvassing in Guthrie’s neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona, asking residents if they noticed any issues or disruptions to their internet connectivity the night that Guthrie went missing.
The agents told these residents that several people who live in the area had mentioned there were glitches with their internet that night, according to NBC News.
The news outlet also reported that there was one couple who lives adjacent Guthrie who said they did notice a glitch with one of their Ring cameras that night. The couple said that the one camera closest to Guthrie’s home said “not available” when they went to look for footage from overnight on the day of the alleged kidnapping.
The couple said that their other cameras farther away from Guthrie’s home did not have that same issue. They claimed they had never seen the “not available” warning before that time.
“That’s really weird, isn’t it?” the couple asked.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos addressed whether he believed the suspect may have had a Wi-Fi jammer on him when he went to Guthrie’s home. “I’ve not looked at that closely, but yeah, I know that my team has looked at it with the FBI every angle,” Nanos told NBC News at the time.
Timeline of Guthrie’s Disappearance
GettyIn a press conference on Feb. 5, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters that doorbell camera video had helped authorities piece together a timeline of events for Guthrie’s kidnapping.
- Jan. 31 at 5:32 p.m. Guthrie traveled to her family’s house for a game night.
- Jan. 31 at 9:48 p.m. Her family dropped her back at home, and the garage door opened.
- Jan. 31 at 9:50 p.m. The garage door closed.
- Feb. 1 at 1:47 a.m. Doorbell camera in front of Guthrie’s home disconnected.
- Feb. 1 at 2:12 a.m. Software for the smart home detected a person on the camera.
- Feb. 1 at 2:28 a.m. Guthrie’s pacemaker app shows it was disconnected from her phone.
- Feb. 1 at 11:56 a.m. The family checks on her.
- Feb. 1 at 12:03 p.m. Family calls 911 to report her missing.
- Feb. 1 at 12:15 p.m. Patrol cars arrive.
