More than 21 weeks after the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie, investigators continue searching for answers as the case remains unsolved despite extensive investigative efforts.

Authorities have reviewed thousands of tips, recovered Nest doorbell footage with the help of the FBI and Google, and detained two men who were later released without charges. Even so, Guthrie’s whereabouts remain unknown.

Former NYPD detective and private investigator Herman Weisberg believes the breakthrough could still come from a single tip.

“You’ve got to have a lot of patience,” Weisberg told Fox News Digital. “You might be on your 7,000th call and your 15th cup of coffee that day, but the 7,001st call could be the one that has the piece of valuable information.”

According to Weisberg, widespread public attention surrounding the case could become one of investigators’ greatest advantages.

“The awareness that comes with a high-profile crime like this should be an advantage in solving it,” he said.

He pointed to several well-known investigations in which members of the public played a crucial role. In the case of Gabby Peтιтo, for example, dashcam footage submitted by travelers helped investigators locate her remains. He also cited the Boston Marathon bombing investigation, where public tips helped track the suspects, and the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, whose recovery was aided after observant citizens recognized her alleged abductors from media coverage.

“Crowdsourcing wins cases these days,” Weisberg said. “Maybe someone notices something unusual—a car that’s been sitting in the same place for too long—and reports it. That one observation can make a difference.”

While he admitted he was surprised that digital forensic evidence has not yet produced a breakthrough in the Guthrie investigation, Weisberg noted that every case unfolds differently.

He compared the investigation to the Idaho college murders, where digital evidence played a major role in identifying the suspect, but suggested that the circumstances surrounding Guthrie’s disappearance may have limited investigators’ opportunities.

“My personal opinion is that this was a crime that went very wrong from the beginning,” he said. “We didn’t have some of the investigative opportunities because things didn’t play out the way the perpetrator intended.”

At the same time, Weisberg cautioned that investigators may know far more than they have publicly disclosed.

“They could be working on a lead right now,” he said.

Authorities and the Guthrie family continue to urge anyone with information to come forward.

More than $1.2 million in reward money is being offered for information related to the case, including $1 million provided by the Guthrie family for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery.

Her daughter, NBC Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, has asked anyone with information to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Tucson-area 88-Crime at 1-520-882-7463.

Source: New York Post