Nancy Guthrie's case in Arizona has heightened situational awareness for women nationwide.
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC's "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was kidnapped from her home near Tucson in the early morning hours of February 1, and investigators have scrambled to find answers since.
The case involves multiple ransom letters sent to media outlets, surveillance footage and questions surrounding Guthrie's family members. Federal authorities have joined in on the investigation, offering assistance to the Pima County Sheriff's Office.
Although the ransom motive cannot be confirmed, authorities are investigating all possibilities, and the Guthrie family has apparently responded to demands in videos.
Alabama ransom cases
In Alabama, ransom cases are rare but have occurred.
On Sept. 11, 2020, the son of the founder of EBSCO, Elton B. Stephens Jr., was kidnapped during a home invasion in Birmingham. The 75-year-old was held for eight hours by a man and woman who forced him to wire $250,000 to their account. He was released unharmed, and the three suspects, Matthew Amos Burke and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, were arrested. Burke was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison and Hodges to 12 years.
The case haunted the Birmingham area for hours, but it was quickly solved, and the money and other stolen items were returned.
Another case in Walker County did not end peacefully.
On Sept. 11, 1991, 25-year-old Carrie Lawson and her husband received a phone call in the middle of the night about a family member who was taken to the hospital. The fake emergency was used to lure the couple outside. As they approached their vehicle, the husband was bound, and Lawson was abducted. Lawson's family paid a $300,000 ransom demand, but she was never recovered. A suspect, Jerry Bland, died by suicide as officers showed up to his home. His cousin, Karen McPherson, was also named a suspect in the case. McPherson was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. McPherson escaped from work release but was quickly recaptured.
While ransom cases are rare, Sgt. Shane Robinson with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office said they can occur anywhere.
"It could happen anywhere as long as there's motive and opportunity and a desire to commit an act like that," Robinson said.
State Alerts
In Alabama, local authorities investigate abductions, often with the assistance of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).
State authorities can issue missing persons alerts, including an AMBER Alert for abducted children or a Missing and Endangered Persons Alert for other individuals who are believed to be abducted.
The Alabama Fusion Center coordinates information and support when a person is reported missing. There is no waiting period to report a missing person, so ALEA does not have a waiting period requirement to issue an alert.
Technology
Exactly how cases are handled in Alabama depends on a wide range of factors, including location, the circumstances surrounding the abduction, and the technology available in the jurisdiction and in the area of the crime, such as surveillance cameras and cell phones.
Greenville Police Chief Justin Lovvorn completed the FBI's National Academy and is a certified crisis negotiator. He said oftentimes, "good old-fashioned police work" solves a case. However, technology has changed how officers track suspects. He said there is geofencing, cell tower data, cell phone activity, and even vehicle infotainment data.
"Now if we have an active situation like a kidnapping, we can have an order done to the cell phone carrier if we know a cell phone number or have something like that to go on," said Lovvorn. "We can call the carrier and they can do an immediate GPS location on the phone and continue to give us updates with that emergency writ."
A current case in Mobile County illustrates how technology was used to make an initial arrest. Federal, state and local authorities arrested two people in connection with the kidnapping of Aurelia Choc Cac, 40, and two of her children, 17 and 2. The victims were last seen on January 30, and just this week, Juan Carlos Argueta Guerra was charged with three counts of first-degree kidnapping and Silverio Garcia is charged with certain persons forbidden to possess a pistol. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said the suspects are involved with a group of painters, many of whom are illegal immigrants.
Situational awareness and protection
Experts recommend steps people can take to protect themselves and their homes, such as installing home alarms, security cameras, security camera signs, firearms and dogs. Robinson said self-defense is a great way for people who can learn a few easy techniques to escape a kidnapper. He said that it is important because once a kidnapper takes someone, their chance of survival decreases.
"Once you leave a place, you've got a good chance of not surviving," he said. "If people are trying to remove you, let's say, from a public area out of view, I think you've got to fight that as best you can."
Robinson said being caught off guard in the middle of the night can be disorienting, but it's important to react properly.
"Don't freeze," he said. "If they're breaking in in the middle of the night, they're expecting to encounter people. Your brain is still going to process but it takes a second to realize what's going on, but you don't freeze."
Robinson said that having a crisis plan, practicing self-defense tactics, and maintaining a network of friends and family are crucial.
Hostage situations
As a crisis negotiator, Robinson has firsthand experience interviewing offenders. The sooner law enforcement can communicate with the suspect, the better.
"The first thing we need to do is open up and establish a communication with that person and don't overestimate the fact that what they want in that particular situation that you're talking about is money. So, they obviously went this far to get money," Robinson said. "So, they're motivated to get money and so that actually can be used against them as well. So, opening up that line of communication is the first thing that will need to take place. And let's just see where it goes from there."
Victims who are held should humanize themselves and communicate with their captor. Lovvorn said in a very rare ransom situation, the family or friends of the victim should contact law enforcement.
"My suggestion would be to contact the police and let them know the circumstances," said Lovvorn. "If you don't, it's just like somebody that says, 'Hey, if you give me this $1,000, I'm going to give you a brand new Mercedes and you give them $1,000 and I say, 'Okay, well, we need $3,000 more because there's another thing that came up.' They're never going to have enough and they're never going to stop taking advantage of you."
In Baldwin County, the sheriff's office operates a Major Crimes Unit composed of officers from multiple agencies. Each member of the task force specializes in certain aspects of an investigation and operations are managed through a command structure.
"We have guys that specialize in electronics, we have guys that specialize in collecting evidence, interviews," Robinson explained. "Everybody comes with their talent and brings it to the table."
Although Nancy Guthrie has not been recovered and no suspect is behind bars, the case highlights the value of technology, communication among agencies and situational awareness.
The FBI is offering $100,000 for information solving the case.
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