Hardening your home
What we can learn about hardening our homes from the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie.
If there is any place where we should feel safe and secure, it is in our home. The ongoing disappearance of Nancy Guthrie — taken from her own home in the early hours of February 1, with evidence showing a masked intruder and tampered security devices — reveals how even seemingly secure residences can become vulnerable without robust deterrence and monitoring. This is a stark reminder that proactive home hardening isn’t about fear — it’s about preparedness, visibility, and reducing opportunities for criminals to act.
What happened: Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1, 2026, after she failed to show up for a virtual church service. Evidence at her home in the Catalina Foothills area near Tucson, Arizona strongly indicates she did not leave voluntarily. Blood matching her DNA was found at the scene, and surveillance footage shows a masked individual present around the time she disappeared.
Surveillance and evidence: Video footage from around 1:47 a.m. on Feb 1 shows a masked person tampering with a doorbell camera before or during the abduction. Investigators also found gloves and other items near the home; DNA from a glove did not match any profiles in national criminal databases so far.
Investigation status: As of mid-February, no suspects have been publicly identified, and the FBI is actively investigating, using forensic evidence, surveillance data, and advanced technologies like pacemaker signal tracking.
Public response: The case has drawn national attention due to Savannah Guthrie’s prominence. A reward (reported around $100,000) has been offered for information leading to Nancy’s safe return or an arrest. Authorities strongly urge anyone with credible information to contact law enforcement.
What can we learn from this? The evidence suggests that Nancy was targeted, and this wasn't a random event. Hardening our homes will not stop the most determined criminals, especially if they are targeting your home specifically. However, a properly hardened home will do three things. First, it will create noise and alert you to a threat. Second, it will delay the criminal. This gives you time to enact your plan to stop the threat. Third, it will usually deter random acts of violence. Criminals typically look for easy marks, and unless they have a specific reason to target your home, they will find an easier mark.
Program 62 Module 4 covers the specifics of hardening your home and building out a plan to keep you and your family safe.
We cover topics such as:
The simple trick that costs less than $5 to deter the most common entry point in a home invasion
What cameras do....and don't do for your home security.
Properly engaging a threat who has entered your home
Building a 3 tiered home defense plan
Weapon selection for home defense
And much more
One recommendation I have for those who are putting up cameras is to have the normal doorbell camera, but then also have a second camera that is a little less noticeable facing the door. This usually goes unnoticed and can provide details that the doorbell camera might miss or remains in tact if the doorbell camera is tampered with. More coverage is always better so if you are able placing cameras around the outside of the home will give you an idea of where someone came from and where they left to afterwards. As we see with the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, cameras won't stop a threat. But it can notify you sooner to call the police and enact your home defense plan. It can also help police with clues and evidence after the fact. But you need to have the right angles and capture the right footage for it to be useful.