According to sources familiar with the ongoing investigation, police authorized a formal polygraph examination for Tommaso Cioni after multiple inconsistencies surfaced between witness statements, CCTV timelines, and phone location data associated with the night Nancy Guthrie disappeared. The decision to proceed with the test followed extensive deliberation among lead detectives and forensic consultants, who emphasized that the polygraph would serve primarily as an investigative tool to help narrow the scope of inquiries rather than as direct proof of legal culpability. The examination was administered by an independent, certified forensic examiner with extensive experience in high-profile cases, and the session was closely monitored by detectives tasked with documenting procedural integrity and observing behavioral nuances.
Throughout the initial stages of the session, Tommaso appeared outwardly composed. He responded to questions regarding his movements, phone usage, and interactions with other family members without any visible signs of distress or hesitation. Investigators reported that his physiological responses — including heart rate, respiration, and galvanic skin activity — remained largely consistent across nearly all control and relevant questions, leading the examiner to note that approximately 90% of Tommaso’s answers showed no significant indicators of deception. At that point in the session, sources indicate that the mood in the examination room shifted subtly toward cautious confidence. Detectives reportedly discussed the possibility that Tommaso was either providing truthful information or had successfully rehearsed a narrative consistent enough to withstand the test’s scrutiny.
That tentative confidence, however, fractured during the final question of the examination. When asked to describe the exact circumstances surrounding the last moment he saw Nancy — not the precise time, but the events, emotions, and context of that interaction — the examiner observed an immediate and pronounced shift in Tommaso’s physiological markers. His breathing pattern changed abruptly, subtle but detectable micro-expressions appeared on his face, and stress indicators spiked sharply compared to the previously steady readings. Investigators note that this question differed from earlier queries because it required Tommaso to draw on a personal memory rather than recite a rehearsed timeline or provide general responses. The examiner reportedly halted the test shortly thereafter, recording the anomaly and explaining that this response was inconsistent with the baseline established over the prior hour. Detectives later described this moment as “the crack in the narrative,” suggesting that while earlier answers may have been carefully structured or rehearsed, this particular memory triggered a reaction beyond Tommaso’s conscious control.
Following the polygraph, law enforcement officials requested that Tommaso remain available for additional questioning. Investigators also moved to re-examine vehicle data, phone logs, and other digital evidence tied specifically to that timeframe, seeking correlations that might clarify the circumstances he had just been asked to recall. Sources stress that although a polygraph cannot serve as definitive proof of guilt in court, in investigative terms, the reaction to this single question effectively redirected attention and prompted renewed scrutiny of prior assumptions. What stood out to the team was not apparent fear or evasion, but recognition — as if the query had touched upon a precise detail or memory that had previously been consciously or unconsciously avoided.
Savannah Guthrie, who was briefed on the results shortly after the session, reportedly exhibited visible shock, questioning whether a single answer — or even a single pause — could outweigh an entire polygraph test. Investigators explained that, in the field of deception analysis, an anomalous physiological response at a key moment can carry more weight than multiple routine answers, particularly when it relates to highly specific events or personal recollections. In the ongoing reconstruction of Nancy’s final hours, the pause, hesitation, and physiological spike observed during Tommaso’s response have emerged as one of the most critical pressure points in the investigation. Detectives now consider that unanswered moment — and the unspoken details it may conceal — central to understanding both the timeline of events and Tommaso’s potential involvement, guiding the next phase of forensic and testimonial inquiries.