Arizona homeowners are reportedly scrambling to fortify their homes with panic rooms and reinforced doors following the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie — who remains missing nearly a month after she was allegedly abducted from her Tucson residence.
Kevin Hand, a specialist in break-in-resistant safe rooms at Sportsman Steel Safes in Arizona, said his company has seen an overwhelming surge in demand since the high-profile case.
"There has been a huge spike in calls and business since the Guthrie case," Hand told the Daily Mail, explaining that many residents fear they could be taken from their homes in the middle of the night and never seen again.
For decades, Sportsman Steel Safes primarily installed heavy-duty doors and secure rooms for wealthy clients in states like Texas and California.
Hand said middle-class Arizona families are now lining up for consultations, with bookings filled weeks in advance.
The abduction of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has left many residents asking themselves hard questions about their own safety.
As the search continues for Guthrie, Hand said people are thinking, "'What would we do if someone broke in tonight?'"
He added, "People don't want this to happen to them or their families, and they're realizing maybe it can."
Hand, whose clientele includes government officials, said homeowners are retrofitting existing rooms with steel doors weighing between 800 and 1,000 pounds — often concealed inside spaces like walk-in closets.
"We make them look just like a regular door," he said. "It just looks ordinary; someone wouldn't know it's a panic room from the outside."
Behind the discreet entryways are rooms fortified with thick concrete walls and reinforced with fire-resistant and bulletproof material — features Hand described as making them "impossible" for intruders to breach. In addition to serving as a refuge during a break-in, the rooms can secure valuables and firearms.
"If you're a relatively high-profile person, there's simple precautions you can take to make your home kidnap-proof, and now everyone is wanting the same," Hand said.
Another Arizona-based panic room builder, Steve Humble, owner of Creative Home Engineering, said demand for his company's hidden doors has also increased.
"It's a small price to pay to save your family's life during an armed attack," Humble told the Mail.
According to Humble, secret doors start at around $1,000, while reinforced panels can cost as much as $8,500. From initial measurements to final installation, the process typically takes 90 days.
Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been taken in the early morning hours of Feb. 1.
Despite a large-scale investigation, including assistance from the FBI, she remains missing, and no suspects have been publicly identified.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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