Investigators searching for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie may find crucial clues in cellphone data, according to a retired FBI agent who says advanced tracking tools could play a pivotal role in the case.
Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on February 1. Authorities have been investigating her disappearance for over two weeks, pursuing digital evidence, surveillance footage and public tips.
Jason Pack, a retired FBI supervisory special agent and former chief of staff for FBI Public Affairs, told Fox News Digital that the bureau’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST) is among the most valuable tools in missing-person investigations, reported The Mirror US.
“They have data, mountains of it,” Pack said, noting that names have surfaced during analysis. “Some have been cleared. Others may still be in play in ways we aren’t seeing publicly.”
CAST agents examine cellular data in detail, going beyond call logs to track how phones move through specific areas.
“Every cellphone is essentially a tracking device its owner carries voluntarily,” Pack explained. “CAST can reconstruct where a phone traveled, when it arrived, how long it stayed, and where it went next.”
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How cellphone data helps investigators
Pack said agents must first secure warrants and subpoenas before obtaining phone records. Once received, the data is analysed in stages and compared against existing evidence.
“It comes trickling in, sometimes in waves, sometimes in fragments,” he said. Each new set of records can confirm theories, eliminate leads or open new investigative threads.
He added that search warrants signal an active investigation, while subpoenas indicate the “digital net is widening”, according to The Mirror US.
“What agents and deputies are doing right now is exactly what they should be doing — letting the cell records, the video, and the tips converge,” Pack said. “The investigation isn’t stalled. It’s building.”
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Ongoing investigation
Authorities have yet to identify a suspect.
Chris Nanos of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said a man detained in connection with the investigation was later released as a “person of interest”. The individual reportedly owned a gray Range Rover that investigators examined and impounded.
Three additional individuals were detained when federal agents executed a search warrant at a nearby residence but were later released, per The Mirror US.
Officials continue to analyse digital evidence alongside surveillance video and witness tips.