High-profile commentator Nancy Grace has dismissed any suggestion that the Guthrie family played a role in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home six weeks ago.

Grace’s conclusion, shared Friday at a true crime conference during South by Southwest in Austin, hinged on one key element: her personal belief in Savannah Guthrie’s character and genuineness.

“For one reason, and one reason only, I do not believe the Guthrie family is responsible, because although it was many years ago that I first met Savannah Guthrie, she is, I’d like to assure you, not a fake TV person,” Grace stated at the Variety True Crime Summit. It comes after a mystery man who claimed he “saw Nancy 5 days ago” offered chilling new proof.

The elderly Guthrie disappeared from her home on January 31. Blood was discovered on her front porch, and the nature of her disappearance prompted police to suspect an abduction.

While family members faced initial scrutiny, particularly daughter Annie Guthrie and her husband, Tommaso Cioni, who were the last to see Nancy alive, investigators have since cleared them.

Grace expanded on her rationale, highlighting Savannah Guthrie’s professional credentials and authentic personality. “She’s real. She is real, just like she is on TV. She’s super-smart. She’s a trained lawyer,” the commentator stated.

She added, “She walked up to that flower memorial with her arm around her brother-in-law and I just do not believe, I find it impossible to believe that Savannah would do that if she suspected he was involved.”

Grace recognized the standard investigative approach that typically focuses on family members first. “You look at the family first. Of course you do, because statistically, that’s who did it. But I don’t think that’s who did it in this case,” she observed.

In March, the FBI unveiled doorbell camera footage showing a masked individual on Nancy Guthrie’s property on the evening she vanished.

The person carried a firearm holster and wore a hiking backpack. Law enforcement officials estimate his height at between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10 with a medium build.

Alleged ransom demands have emerged in media reports, with some requesting cryptocurrency payments. Federal authorities have not publicly confirmed whether these demands are genuine.

Nancy Guthrie’s reliance on prescription medications has heightened official alarm.

Last week, Savannah Guthrie shared a message on Instagram appealing for ongoing public assistance, “We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country. … Please don’t stop praying and hoping with us. Bring her home.”

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos cautioned against presuming safety. “We believe we know why he did this, and we believe that it was targeted. But we can’t, we’re not 100 percent sure of that, so it would be silly to tell people: ‘Yeah, don’t worry about it. You’re not his target,'” he stated.

It comes as the mysterious disappearance of an Air Force general has several chilling similarities to the Nancy case.