TUCSON, ARIZONA — More than six months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson-area home, investigators still face one of the biggest obstacles possible in a homicide investigation: they have not found her body.

That does not necessarily prevent prosecutors from eventually pursuing a murder case.

Legal experts say a homicide prosecution can, in some circumstances, move forward without recovering a victim’s remains. But investigators would need to build an exceptionally strong case proving that Nancy died and establishing who was responsible.

Nancy, the mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared on February 1, 2026, after being last known to be at her home the previous night. Authorities have said evidence indicates she was taken against her will. No suspect has been publicly charged in connection with her disappearance.

⚖️ A Body Is Not Always Required
According to legal experts cited in the Newsweek report, American law does not universally require prosecutors to recover a victim’s remains before bringing a murder charge.

Instead, prosecutors would need to demonstrate through other evidence that the missing person is dead and that a criminal act caused the death.

Such cases are often referred to as “no-body homicide” cases.

They can rely heavily on circumstantial evidence, including forensic findings, surveillance footage, digital records, witness testimony, suspicious behavior and evidence showing an attempt to conceal a crime.

But experts also stress that simply being missing for a long period does not establish homicide.

The evidence has to reach the criminal standard of beyond a reasonable doubt.

🩸 Evidence From Nancy’s Home Could Become Significant
One of the most closely watched pieces of evidence in Nancy’s case is biological material discovered at her residence.

Investigators reportedly found blood on the porch that was later determined to belong to Nancy.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed every detail surrounding the evidence, but blood belonging to a missing elderly woman could become an important part of any future effort to establish that she suffered an injury at home.

Investigators have also examined other forensic evidence collected from the property.

At this stage, however, the public does not know whether that evidence is sufficient to establish that Nancy was killed there.

🎥 Surveillance Footage Offers Another Major Clue
Authorities have also released surveillance footage showing a masked individual near Nancy’s residence around the time she disappeared.

The person has become known publicly as “Porch Guy.”

The FBI has asked the public to help identify the individual.

The footage reportedly shows the person near the home and interacting with a doorbell camera.

If investigators can determine who that person is and establish a connection to Nancy’s disappearance, the footage could become an important link in the case.

For now, however, the identity of the individual has not been publicly confirmed.

🏠 Investigators Believe Nancy Was Abducted
Authorities have increasingly described the case as an apparent kidnapping.

That assessment is based on evidence gathered from Nancy’s home and surveillance material.

The circumstances are significant because investigators are not treating her disappearance as a conventional missing-person case in which an elderly woman simply left home voluntarily.

Instead, the evidence has led authorities toward the theory that another person was involved.

Still, investigators have not publicly established where Nancy was taken after leaving her home.

💰 Ransom Notes Complicate the Picture
Two purported ransom notes have also become part of the investigation.

The first demanded $4 million in Bitcoin and reportedly claimed Nancy was alive.

A second note later claimed that Nancy had died and that her body had been buried somewhere in nature.

Authorities released the notes publicly in an attempt to identify whoever wrote them.

But questions remain about their authenticity and whether they were written by the same person.

A forensic psychologist, Dr. Gary Brucato, has suggested that the language of the two notes may indicate they were written by different people. Another expert, Dr. Kris Mohandie, has questioned whether the letters are genuine at all.

None of those theories has been confirmed by investigators.

🇲🇽 A Search in Mexico Produced No Breakthrough
Another unusual lead sent volunteer searchers across the border.

A Mexican volunteer organization received an anonymous tip claiming Nancy’s remains could be buried near Nogales, Sonora.

Volunteers conducted searches based on the information but did not find evidence confirming the claim.

Authorities in Arizona were aware of the tip, but no publicly confirmed evidence has established that Nancy was transported to Mexico.

The lead remains unverified.

🦴 Human Remains Found Near Tucson Were Unrelated
The discovery of human remains in a desert area approximately 15 miles from Nancy’s home also briefly raised hopes of a possible breakthrough.

Those remains were discovered in August.

But the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said there was no indication they were connected to Nancy’s disappearance, and investigators said the remains appeared to have been at the location for an extended period.

That discovery therefore did not provide the answer Nancy’s family was hoping for.

👩‍⚖️ Could Prosecutors File Charges Anyway?
Experts say the legal possibility exists.

A prosecutor would not necessarily need a body if investigators could present a compelling collection of independent evidence demonstrating that Nancy was killed.

That could include:

DNA or blood evidence, evidence from Nancy’s home, surveillance footage, cellphone or location data, witness testimony, financial records, ransom communications and proof that a suspect attempted to conceal the crime.

The stronger the evidence from different sources, the more viable a no-body homicide prosecution could become.

But experts have also cautioned that the publicly available information does not establish that prosecutors have reached that threshold in Nancy’s case.

🔍 Investigators Are Still Working Through a Huge Volume of Evidence
The investigation remains active.

Authorities have reviewed extensive surveillance footage and continue to examine tips and forensic evidence.

According to recent reporting, investigators are also dealing with tens of thousands of video files gathered during the investigation.

The challenge is identifying the small number of pieces of evidence that could directly connect Nancy’s disappearance to a person or location.

The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department continue to be involved.

💔 Savannah Guthrie Continues to Ask for Answers
Savannah Guthrie has repeatedly appealed for information about her mother.

The family has offered a reward of more than $1 million for information that helps locate Nancy or identify those responsible.

In recent public appearances and statements, Savannah has continued to emphasize that her family is desperate for information about what happened.

For the family, the absence of Nancy’s body has made an already devastating situation even harder to understand.

The Difference Between Suspicion and Proof
The case contains several troubling pieces of information.

Nancy disappeared suddenly.

Blood connected to her was reportedly found at her home.

A masked person was captured near the property.

Ransom communications were received.

Investigators believe she was abducted.

Yet none of these facts, individually or collectively in the public record, has produced a criminal charge.

That is because investigators must ultimately connect the evidence to a provable sequence of events.

They need to establish not only that Nancy is likely dead, but also how, where and by whom.

A “No-Body” Prosecution Would Be Extremely Difficult
Even when legally possible, a no-body murder prosecution can be challenging for a jury.

The defense could argue that the missing person might still be alive or that investigators have not established the circumstances of the death.

Without remains, some forensic questions may be impossible to answer.

There may be no traditional autopsy.

There may be no direct determination of the cause of death.

That is why prosecutors typically seek a broad combination of evidence before bringing such a case.

The Investigation Has Not Reached That Point Publicly
At present, authorities have not announced a homicide charge against anyone in Nancy’s case.

They have not publicly stated that they have enough evidence to prove she was murdered.

The Newsweek analysis therefore provides an explanation of what could legally happen, rather than announcing that a murder prosecution is imminent.

That distinction is critical.

The Search for Nancy Continues
For Nancy’s family, the legal question is secondary.

They want her found.

Every reported lead, search operation and piece of evidence offers another possibility of discovering what happened.

But months into the investigation, the most important piece of evidence remains missing: Nancy herself.

Whether investigators eventually recover her remains or construct a case without them, the burden will be to establish the truth through evidence that can withstand scrutiny in court.

A missing body does not make a murder prosecution impossible. But without Nancy Guthrie, investigators face the far more difficult task of proving what happened through everything left behind.

Sources: CBS News — Questions surrounding ransom notes