Can public put up Porch Guy's flyers? Why Nancy Guthrie investigators may not want that, ‘The entire issue lands with…’

Amid the search for Nancy Guthrie, a true crime page on X shared the potential reason why the public may not be allowed to put up flyers of the suspect, known online as the Porch Guy. The page also questioned why law enforcement is not taking the initiative to put up flyers of the suspect.

A delivery driver drops off yellow flowers at the house of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her home on February 1, in Tucson, U.S. February 21, 2026. REUTERS/Rebecca Noble/File Photo (REUTERS)“Nancy Guthrie, we’re trying,” @SherylT73874821 wrote on X. “I spoke with a sheriff’s deputy and was told Pima County may not want a perpetrator flyer put up around town for reasons such as… potential defamation! Or mistaken identity! Even if photos were first released by the FBI we can’t put them up.

The entire issue lands with public citizens. WE can’t.”

“But law enforcement can. It’s considered an official law enforcement operation. So why hasn’t Pima County Sheriff’s Dept. or Tucson PD put any out there?” the post added.

According to FindLaw, it is technically legal under the First Amendment for members of the public to print and distribute flyers about a suspect in the US. However, While the act of making a flyer is protected speech, the specific content on the flyer and where it is placed are heavily regulated.

Retired FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer previously called for a nationwide manhunt for the Nancy Guthrie suspect – the man who was captured on Nancy's property, widely known as the “Porch Guy” – urging investigators to “plaster his face everywhere.” She suggested that investigators should flood traditional and social media with the suspect's photos and even engage Spanish‑speaking communities, per The International Business Times.

Coffindaffer called for a full‑scale blitz campaign centred on the masked suspect. She said that the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Department should push stills from the porch footage across local and national outlets, and online platforms and community spaces, so that people find it impossible to ignore the image.

Coffindaffer also revealed what she thinks is a "critical" factor that could prove pivotal in solving the Nancy Guthrie case. She said that it is important to keep Nancy’s name prominent in media coverage, as this could be significant in finding out what happened to her.

Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More