The staggering $100,000 cash reward being offered in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is worrying because it indicates investigators have very few leads to go on, a former FBI agent has claimed.
The FBI doubled its initial cash reward for information leading to a breakthrough in the case late Thursday — nearly two weeks after the 84-year-old vanished from her Tucson, Ariz., home.
“When I see the FBI is offering more money for information that tells me that the FBI doesn’t have the information,” retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told Newsweek.
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“When you see a case quiet, where there’s no big amount of money offered, that means they are running leads, they really don’t need the public’s help. They need the public’s help right now.”
Coffindaffer warned, though, that offering up such big rewards often triggered an influx of “completely bogus” tips.
“You will very seldom see these big reward amounts in comparison to the number of cases the FBI has,” Coffindaffer said. “It’s because they don’t want to get everybody coming out of the woodwork.”
Nearly 20,000 tips have poured in since Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1 — including 4,000 calls after authorities released eerie surveillance images of the suspect lurking at her doorstep.
In a bid to zero in on the influx of tips, the FBI on Thursday released new identifying details about the suspect following a forensic analysis of the disturbing doorbell camera footage.
“The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’9” – 5’10” tall, with an average build. In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack,” the feds said late Thursday.
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“We hope this updated description will help concentrate the public tips we are receiving. Since February 1, 2026, the FBI has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to this case. Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance, and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement.”
It came as Guthrie’s neighbors were asked to hand over personal security footage as the frantic search stretched into its 13th day.
Meanwhile, authorities haven’t yet revealed whether any tips tied to the videos have helped advance the investigation.
“I’m hopeful,” Roberto Villasenor, a former Tucson police chief, said.
“I have seen cases where simpler and less detailed information has helped bring somebody about. Maybe someone recognizes clothing, maybe the bag. You never know what someone will key on.”
