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(NewsNation) — A former FBI agent says the Thelma Gaston case is an example of why the Arizona desert needs to be thoroughly searched for Nancy Guthrie.
Jennifer Coffindaffer, NewsNation contributor and former FBI agent, posted about the two cases on social media.
“Thelma was a millionaire who went missing 40 years ago when she was 80 YO. Her remains were finally found near Sugarloaf Mountain in a desolate area,” she wrote.
Gaston disappeared in 1981, with a note left saying she was going to tend to a sick cat. Police say a companion half her age, Lawrence Remsen, left the note to conceal her murder. He was convicted of the crime in 1983.
But what happened to Gaston’s remains was a mystery until earlier this month.
Officials in Riverside County, California, identified remains found in 1981 as Gaston’s, having finally positively identified them using genetic genealogy.
“This is exactly why searches need to be conducted for Nancy,” Coffindaffer said.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was taken from her Arizona home in what has been described as a possible kidnapping for ransom.
In the months since Guthrie disappeared, multiple ransom notes were sent. Some were deemed illegitimate by authorities.
No suspects have been named in the case. The FBI released footage of an armed, masked person at Guthrie’s home, but it has not led to the public identification of anyone involved with the crime.
Investigators continue to pursue tips in the case
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