88-CRIME in Tucson receives tens of thousands of tips as Nancy Guthrie investigation nears two month mark
TUCSON, Ariz. (NBC, KYMA) - Since Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, tens of thousands of tips have come in from the public. Some have come in anonymously.
At the Pima County Legal Services Building, 88-CRIME operators continue to answer calls from people with tips on the case. The reward leading to Guthrie's return sits at more than $1 million.
While much of the money was put up by the Guthrie family, there's a man who lives 1,800 miles away from Tucson who put up a reward of his own as investigators still look for that one tip, that one clue, that proves to be the break they need.
"We need that one person to come in with the right tip to solve the crime," said Michael Hupy, a personal injury lawyer not from Tucson, but from Wisconsin.
He's also the president of the Milwaukee Chapter of Crimestoppers.
Hupy put up $100,000 of his own money to help convince someone who knows something to come forward.
When asked why does a lawyer in Wisconsin want to help in the Guthrie case, Hupy said, "She's an 84-year-old woman. She's in ill-health, she needs prescription medication everyday, she has a heart pacemaker and I wasn't happy with the way the investigation was going."
Back on February 24, after 24 days of agony, Savannah Guthrie posted on Instagram, saying her family was offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of their mom.
"If you've been waiting and haven't been sure, let this be your sign to please come forward, tell what you know and help us bring our beloved Mom home. Please be the light in the dark," Savannah said in the post.
In this dark time, thousands of people have called and emailed the authorities with tips. More than 25,000 have come into the FBI.
In a statement, the FBI Phoenix Office says in part:
"Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance, and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement. All tips submitted to tips.fbi.gov or called into 1-800-CALL-FBI are examined by Threat Intake Examiners at the National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) NTOC to determine appropriate dissemination."
In southern Arizona, more than 2,400 tips have already come through 88-CRIME, where they can remain anonymous. That number is far surpassing the normal monthly total.
"Typically, during the course of a month, our 88-CRIME system will receive 200-250 calls about all matters. During the time of the investigation, we've received nearly 10 times that amount just for this one case alone," said James Allerton, Program Coordinator for 88-CRIME.
Back in Wisconsin, Hupy continues to hope for that call, that tip that changes the complexity of this case.
"Money makes people talk. I've given $25, I've given $50,000 to solve the murders of small children and people come at money if there's money available," Hupy expressed.
The Guthrie family knows they are not alone in their suffering as there are millions of families that are suffering the same kind of uncertainty.
That's why they have donated $500,000 themselves to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their work helping families cope and looking for those who are lost. They encourage everyone to do the same.
Investigators still need tips. If you have information or if you know the people or person who took Guthrie, you are urged to reach out anonymously at tips.fbi.gov or or 88-CRIME.
