Desert near Nancy Guthrie’s home is vast and has history of violent crime - day 62 since abduction

The desert areas outside Tucson, particularly to the west, are characterized by extreme vastness and desolation. Former SWAT commander Bob Kger detailed that these areas have historically been 'super highways' for criminal activity, including human and drug smuggling, violent crimes, and body disposals. He cited instances of multiple homicide victims and even a serial killer (Christopher Clemens) dumping bodies in the immediate vicinity, often within a half-mile of main roads but easily concealed by dense brush and hilly terrain.

Bob Kger describes the desert as where 'we encounter a lot or used to encounter a lot of lot of activity from you know smuggling of all sorts whether it be humans or drugs things like that to violent crimes to you know body disposals.' He mentions bodies of victims like Isabel Celis, killed by Christopher Clemens, found 'within, you know, nine iron of where we are now.'

Despite initial public and journalistic speculation that the desert should have been a primary search area, Allison Winer's experience with Bob Kger revealed the impracticality of such a broad search. The terrain makes it nearly impossible to find someone without specific intelligence, as individuals can be hidden just '10 ft that way' by small brush. This understanding led to the conclusion that initial search efforts around Nancy Guthrie's neighborhood were the only viable strategy, correcting earlier critiques of the investigation's scope.

Allison Winer states, 'It's impossible unless you are looking for someone specifically in a specific area and you know some sort of facts about why they're in that specific area. It's impossible to find anyone.' She recounts Bob Kger walking 'maybe 20, 17' feet away and becoming invisible.

Both the host and Allison Winer, citing multiple sources, assert that significant errors were made in the initial 24-hour period of the investigation. These included assumptions that Nancy Guthrie, an elderly woman with mobility issues, might have simply walked off, conflicting with family statements. Crucially, the crime scene tape was removed before the FBI arrived, potentially compromising evidence and creating chain-of-custody issues that could benefit a defense attorney.

Allison Winer states, 'In those first 24 hours were the most critical that there were problems in terms of you know assumptions that were made investigative assumptions that were made.' She adds, 'they took down the crime scene tape before the FBI arrived.' The host notes Savannah Guthrie's frustration that 'they were trying to say initially, she's not she didn't just walk off.'

The Pima County Sheriff's office faced criticism for providing conflicting information, being reluctant to accept federal assistance, and selectively engaging with media. This lack of transparent communication and cooperation hindered the media's ability to disseminate accurate information and assist in the search for Nancy Guthrie, frustrating both journalists and the local community.

Allison Winer explains, 'The whole country saw the first time when he gave conflicting information.' She adds, 'We're the media. We could have helped. We could have helped if he gave us the right timeline the first time.' The host notes the sheriff 'was kind of reluctant it seemed like to to accept the help.'

Despite the investigative challenges and initial missteps, both journalists express confidence that the case will ultimately be solved. They place significant hope in advancements in DNA technology, including genetic genealogy, believing that viable DNA samples collected from the scene, even if mixed, will eventually lead to a breakthrough.

Allison Winer states, 'I think it will ultimately be solved.' The host agrees, and Winer elaborates, 'I think ultimately the DNA is going to come to the rescue. I think the technology is changing so much every day and we know that they're trying to do genetic genealogy.'