A neighbor of missing Arizona grandmother Nancy Guthrie says he spotted a suspicious unmarked white van parked on her street just days before she vanished, adding to growing fears she was targeted in advance.
Brett McIntire, 72, told the New York Post he noticed the vehicle while walking in the Tucson neighborhood and immediately felt something was off about it.
“It was a white van, full sized, with no printing on the sides. It was parked on the street,” McIntire said, noting it did not resemble normal work or service vehicles.
McIntire reported the van to the police after Nancy disappeared, telling officers he had seen it lingering in the area several days earlier.
Police asked him basic questions about the vehicle, but the encounter left McIntire shaken and more alert than ever.
He said he now carries a pen and paper on his daily walks so he can write down anything suspicious he sees in the neighborhood.
The incident also rattled his wife, Lisa, who said the disappearance has forced them to rethink their own sense of security.
“I’m kind of a deep sleeper,” she told the Post, adding that despite heavy metal doors, the situation has made them uneasy.
“It’s unlikely someone could get past one of the metal doors, but we’re a little concerned,” she said, revealing they are considering installing security cameras.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished from her $1 million home in Tucson last weekend and is believed to have been abducted against her will.
Authorities say her doorbell camera was disconnected around 2 a.m. Sunday, raising immediate red flags.
Software data recorded movement at the home at 2:12 a.m., which investigators say could have been caused by a person or an animal.
At 2:28 a.m., the app connected to Nancy’s pacemaker was disconnected from her phone, a detail police believe is highly significant.
Nancy was reported missing shortly before noon Sunday after she failed to show up for church, something her family says was completely out of character.
While her mind is described as sharp, authorities say she has difficulty walking even short distances and requires daily medication for serious health conditions.
Police confirmed she has high blood pressure and heart issues, increasing the urgency of the search, per the Daily Mail.
DNA testing later confirmed blood found on her front porch belonged to Nancy, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said, while admitting there is no evidence she is unharmed.
The FBI has now joined the investigation and is offering up to $50,000 for information leading to her return.
President Donald Trump said he has spoken with the family and directed federal authorities to assist them however possible.
Nancy’s children have issued emotional pleas for her safe return, saying they are ready to speak with whoever took her and just want proof she is alive.
