The unanswered questions surrounding the apparent kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie have had serious real-world consequences for an Arizona man who became the focus of online speculation.
Dominic Evans, a fifth-grade teacher and a bandmate of Guthrie’s son-in-law, described his difficult experience in an interview with The New York Times. His name began circulating online as a possible suspect in the disappearance of the 84-year-old woman, even though law enforcement never identified him as one.
“I feel like someone has taken my name,” Evans said. He questioned the motives behind the accusations, adding, “I don’t know — money, attention, entertainment — but innocent people get hurt.”
According to the report, Evans spoke with law enforcement once shortly after Guthrie’s disappearance and has not been contacted again.
Despite this, Evans became the subject of widespread online speculation. After his name appeared online, Evans — who had only met Guthrie once — said he and his wife, a school principal, were afraid to leave their home. They were even hesitant to pick up their son from his grandmother’s house and spent time hiding in their bedroom with the lights off.
The situation became even more frightening when a SWAT team was sent to search a home two weeks after Guthrie vanished. Evans said several people gathered outside his house, mistakenly believing the officers were headed there. In fact, the team had been dispatched to a location about 30 minutes away.
“This felt extremely scary because it seemed like everyone was waiting for something to happen at our house,” Evans said.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos expressed sympathy for Evans’ situation.
“He’s going through hell, and it’s horrible,” Nanos said. “I don’t know what to tell him except that he should consider speaking with attorneys and possibly suing some of these people for libel.”
The article noted that Evans’ name surfaced partly due to his connection to Tommaso Cioni, Guthrie’s son-in-law, who has also faced online speculation. Sheriff Nanos has since ruled out Guthrie’s family members as suspects.
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on Feb. 1 after she failed to attend church.
Authorities believe she was kidnapped. Law enforcement released surveillance footage showing a masked, armed individual appearing to tamper with Guthrie’s doorbell camera outside her Tucson home.
The Guthrie family has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy’s safe return, while the FBI is offering a reward of $100,000.
