A retired FBI agent says draining a reservoir near the home where 72-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished could produce the final critical piece of evidence in her disappearance, but the price tag and logistics make it a long shot that investigators have yet to pursue.

Guthrie, the mother of NBC "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing from her Tucson, Arizona, home since early December 2024. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has classified the case as a suspected abduction. No arrests have been made. No body has been recovered. And as weeks stretch into months, a former federal investigator is pushing for one dramatic step he believes could crack the case open.

Retired FBI special agent Bobby Chacon told Fox News Digital that searching a nearby reservoir could be the move that finally provides answers for the Guthrie family and for a community that has watched this case stall in public view, as reported by Fox News Digital via MSN.

The reservoir question

Chacon, who spent more than two decades with the FBI and specialized in underwater forensic searches, said draining or conducting a thorough dive search of the reservoir near Guthrie's residence could be the investigative step that breaks the logjam. He described it as potentially the "last breadcrumb" in a trail that has gone cold on the surface.

The challenge is cost. Draining a reservoir is an expensive, resource-intensive operation that requires coordination between multiple agencies and, in many cases, environmental review. Chacon acknowledged the price tag but argued the expenditure would be justified given the severity of the case and the exhaustion of other leads.

Investigators have not publicly confirmed whether they have conducted any underwater searches of the reservoir or ruled it out as a location of interest. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not disclosed the full scope of locations searched in connection with Guthrie's disappearance.

A case built on troubling evidence

Guthrie was reported missing from her home in the Tucson area in December 2024. Early in the investigation, a blood trail was discovered at her Arizona residence, a finding that immediately elevated the case from a missing-person report to a suspected violent crime.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has described the disappearance as a suspected abduction, though no charges have been filed against any individual. Authorities have not named a suspect publicly in connection with the case.

Chacon told Fox News Digital that in cases where surface evidence has been collected and witness interviews have been exhausted, underwater searches represent one of the few remaining avenues. He emphasized that reservoirs, lakes, and other bodies of water are locations where evidence is frequently disposed of in violent crimes.

"That could be the last breadcrumb in this case."

The retired agent's assessment carries weight given his background. Chacon served on the FBI's underwater search and evidence recovery team during his career, giving him direct experience with the type of operation he is now advocating for in the Guthrie case.

Investigative threads so far

The investigation has produced several publicly known developments since Guthrie's disappearance. Authorities reviewed Ring camera footage from the area around Guthrie's home, and the sheriff's department indicated at one point that leads were growing.

Separately, reporting has indicated that a possible suspect may have visited Guthrie's home before the night she vanished. That detail, if confirmed through the investigation, could help establish a timeline and pattern of behavior that prosecutors would need to build a case. Authorities have not confirmed whether that information has led to any formal investigative action.

The initial disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother drew national attention both because of the family's public profile and because of the violent indicators found at the scene. The blood evidence discovered at the residence suggested that whatever happened to Nancy Guthrie involved force.

The cost-benefit calculation

Chacon's call to drain the reservoir puts a sharp point on a tension that runs through many high-profile investigations: the gap between what investigators know they should do and what budgets and bureaucracies allow them to do.

Reservoir draining operations can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the size of the body of water, the equipment required, and the personnel involved. Environmental regulations may also impose delays or restrictions. For a county sheriff's department, even one handling a case with national attention, that kind of expenditure requires justification and, often, outside funding or federal assistance.

Chacon's argument is straightforward. If surface-level evidence collection has been exhausted, and if the reservoir sits within a reasonable geographic radius of the crime scene, then the cost of searching it is justified by the potential to recover evidence that could close the case or lead to an arrest.

Investigators will need to determine whether physical evidence, witness statements, or digital data points toward the reservoir as a location where evidence may have been deposited. Without that predicate, even a well-funded agency would struggle to justify the operation.

Public pressure and accountability

The Guthrie case has drawn scrutiny not only because of the family's prominence but also because of questions about how the investigation has been handled. Television host Nancy Grace publicly criticized the Pima County sheriff over the handling of the disappearance, calling for greater accountability and transparency.

That kind of public pressure can cut both ways in an active investigation. It can push agencies to devote more resources and maintain urgency. It can also create friction between investigators who want to control the flow of information and a public that demands answers.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not provided detailed public updates on the current status of the investigation. Authorities have not said whether they consider the case active or whether any specific individuals remain under investigation.

What comes next

Chacon's public advocacy for a reservoir search represents the kind of outside expert pressure that sometimes moves investigations forward. Whether the Pima County Sheriff's Department or any federal partner agency acts on the suggestion remains to be seen.

For the Guthrie family, the months since December have brought no resolution. Nancy Guthrie has not been found. No one has been charged. The blood evidence at her home tells a grim story, but without a body or a suspect in custody, the case remains open and unresolved.

Savannah Guthrie has not made extensive public comments about the investigation. The family's silence on operational details is consistent with the approach typically recommended by law enforcement in active cases.

Investigators will also need to determine whether any digital evidence, such as cell phone location data or vehicle tracking information, supports the theory that the reservoir is relevant to the case. Modern investigations increasingly rely on electronic breadcrumbs to narrow search areas, and that data could either bolster or undermine the case for a costly underwater operation.

When a 72-year-old woman vanishes from her own home with blood left behind, the public has every right to ask whether every reasonable step is being taken. If a reservoir holds the answer, the cost of draining it is a lot cheaper than the cost of never knowing.