Investigators searching for Nancy Guthrie may have been checking her septic tank for clues that were flushed down the toilet, a former law enforcement official suggested.
Three investigators were spotted searching the tank in the backyard of Nancy’s home in Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday afternoon, as the search for “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mom entered its eighth day.
“A lot of people forget that having a septic tank means wastewater doesn’t go into a city sewer, it goes into the tank,” former SWAT team captain Josh Schirard told the Daily Mail.
“So, somebody may have flushed something thinking that would get rid of it, but instead it would actually just be deposited in the septic tank. It is a possibility that [investigators] are now trying to make sure that there’s nothing in there that could indicate any kind of guilt,” he continued.
Despite the week-long investigation involving the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, there are still no suspects or persons of interest identified in Nancy’s disappearance.
The matriarch was last seen on Jan. 31 when she was dropped off at home by her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni. Cioni is married to Savannah’s older sister, Annie.
Possible ransom notes have been sent to multiple news outlets in the past week, with one demanding $6 million worth of bitcoin.
The timeline of the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mom:
On Saturday, Savannah and her two siblings shared a second video addressing their mother’s potential captors.
“We received your message, and we understand,” Savannah said, adding, “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.
“This is the only way we will have peace … This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” she added.
Cops were seen back at Annie’s house on Saturday, leaving her property carrying a silver Cellebrite case, which is used to recover digital forensic evidence.