Walmart sales records become critical evidence as FBI investigates Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

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TUCSON, Ariz. — A single backpack has become a critical focal point in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, prompting federal authorities to comb through Walmart sales records and store surveillance footage in search of a break.

Investigators are working with Walmart’s corporate security team while agents canvass stores across the Tucson metropolitan area, according to retired Supervisory FBI Agent Jason Pack, who described the strategy as a methodical effort to narrow the universe of possible suspects.

"They’re attacking this issue on several fronts," Pack told Fox News Digital. "They are working with Walmart corporate security and simultaneously canvassing the stores in metro Tucson. Walmart should be able to trace back all sales of the backpack over a specific period of time. That will create many regional leads as agents track down and account for every single backpack. They’ll also want to recover video from the stores where they were sold."

Authorities have not publicly detailed how many of the backpacks were sold or over what timeframe they are focusing, but the approach reflects a standard federal investigative technique. Fox News Digital has reached out to Walmart Corp. for additional information.

A view from a doorbell camera showing an armed individual outside the residence of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona

Photos released Feb. 10, 2025, show a "subject" on Nancy Guthrie's property. (Provided by FBI)

Former FBI agent John Nantz explained how anything that "ties a subject to the crime is critical in building a case for prosecution."

Likening the purchase history analysis used in the conviction of Brian Cole Jr., who planted two live pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, Nantz said Cole’s arrest came after investigators developed critical evidence from his purchase history.

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An Ozark Trails backpack for sale in a Walmart store

An Ozark Trails backpack for sale at a Walmart store, Tucson, Ariz., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Large retailers maintain SKU-level sales records that capture the date, time and location of each purchase, along with payment method information.

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By isolating sales within a defined window, agents can create a list of purchasers and then prioritize leads based on physical descriptors.

Exterior view of a Walmart store in Tuscon, Arizona.

A Walmart store located at 455 E. Wetmore Road, in Tucson, Ariz., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Pack said retail forensics can be decisive when combined with other evidence.

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"When you can match a product to a person through both data and video," he said, "you begin to shrink the suspect pool quickly."

Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie posing together for a photo.

An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of the "Today" show host. (Courtesy of NBC)

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