Police conclude search of property in Arizona in Nancy Guthrie investigation
NBC News Clone summarizes the latest on: Live Updates Savannah Guthrie Mother Nancy Missing Search Rcna258281 - Breaking News | NBC News Clone. This article is rewritten and presented in a simplified tone for a better reader experience.
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "TODAY" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was dropped off at her home outside Tucson, Arizona, the night of Jan. 31.
What we know
- Follow live updates in the Nancy Guthrie investigation here.
- Authorities last night detained a person for questioning in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, according to officials in Arizona. The man who was detained said early today that he had been released after several hours.
- Pima County Sheriff's Department said hours later it had completed a search of a property in Rio Rico, Arizona, south of Tucson. It said the investigation was ongoing.
- The FBI released security photos and videos of a potential subject in the investigation into the disappearance of “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother.
- Four images depict a person wearing gloves, a mask and a backpack appearing to tamper with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning she disappeared.
- FBI Director Kash Patel said the potential subject is armed. The FBI said yesterday that it had not identified any suspects or persons of interest.
- Guthrie, 84, was dropped off at her home outside Tucson the night of Jan. 31 and was reported missing about noon Feb. 1.
- The FBI said yesterday that it is “not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers.”
Man says he was detained in connection with Guthrie investigation and released this morning
A man who lives at the house searched by authorities says he was the person detained for questioning in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie and has since been released from custody.
Pima County Sheriff's Department declined to comment on reports of the release when asked overnight by NBC News.
The man, who identified himself as Carlos Palazuelos, spoke to Telemundo in Spanish outside his house in Rio Rico — the site of a law enforcement search last night. Palazuelos confirmed his house was searched as per a warrant. His front and back door was damaged, he said. Telemundo is part of NBCUniversal, as is NBC News.
He added that agents told him he looked like the person seen in security camera footage from Guthrie's house, released by the FBI yesterday.
He said that while he was a delivery driver, he doesn’t remember if he delivered anything to Guthrie’s house.
Authorities said early this morning that the search at the property was over and that the investigation was ongoing.
Law enforcement search Rio Rico, Arizona, site in Guthrie investigation
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI Evidence Response Team searched a location in Rio Rico, Arizona, in connection to the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. One resident said he was “in shock” to see the search in such a “small, tight-knit community.”
Media reports: man detained for questioning released
The man detained by authorities for questioning last night in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has been released, according to reports from the New York Times and other news outlets.
When contacted by NBC News overnight, the Pima County Sheriff's Department declined to comment on the reported release.
Earlier, the department confirmed that its deputies along with the FBI’s Evidence Response Team concluded their search of a property in Rio Rico, a community about 60 miles south of Tucson.
With video, investigators got the ‘game changer’
After an excruciating 10 days without much to go on, authorities looking for Nancy Guthrie finally have a potential big break: video of an armed, masked person at her doorstep the morning she went missing.
The black-and-white video captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera, which the FBI and the Pima County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Department shared yesterday, gives investigators clues that could help their search.
A member of the Pima county sheriff's office walks around Nancy Guthrie's home yesterday, in Tucson, Ariz. Ty ONeil / AP
“When you get video, it opens up many new avenues and details,” said Eric Draeger, a former Milwaukee police detective who specialized in high-tech tools. “Detectives hope to get something like this in a case like this.”
Bryanna Fox, a criminology professor at the University of South Florida, agreed. “This is the game changer we were waiting for,” she said.
Tips have dramatically increased since the images and video were released, an FBI source told NBC News.
Location in Rio Rico, Arizona, searched by sheriff’s department and FBI
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said last night that, along with the FBI’s Evidence Response Team, it was searching a location in Rio Rico, Arizona, that is related to the Guthrie investigation.
The department said this morning that search had concluded. The search had been expected to last several hours.
Rio Rico is about 60 miles south of Tucson and just north of the Mexico border.
DoorDash 'urgently investigating' whether the detained person is one of its drivers
DoorDash said in the early hours of this morning that it was "urgently investigating" whether the person detained for questioning by law enforcement last night was one of its drivers.
"We have reached out to law enforcement and are ready to support their critical investigation in any way we can. Like tens of millions around the world, our hearts are with the Guthrie family during this heart-wrenching time," the company said in a statement on X.
Sheriff's deputies finish searching Rio Rico property
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said early today it has concluded a search of a property in Rio Rico, south of Tucson, in connection with the search for Nancy Guthrie.
The department provided no other information in relation to the search, such as the identity of the resident.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies block a street where a person was detained for questioning, in Rio Rico, Ariz., yesterday. Rebecca Noble / Reuters
What the detainment in the Guthrie case could mean for the investigation
It wasn't clear if the man who was detained for questioning last night is the same person seen in surveillance video from Nancy Guthrie's front door the day she went missing.
Man was detained after dramatic increase in tips
The man being questioned by authorities was detained earlier today after the FBI released video and still images of a person appearing to tamper with Nancy Guthrie’s security camera.
The release prompted a dramatic increase in the number of tips, an FBI official told NBC News.
No news conference planned, sheriff's department says
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said no news conference is planned in connection with the person detained during a traffic stop earlier.
Additional information will be released as it becomes available, the department said.
Authorities searching location in Rio Rico, Arizona
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI’s Evidence Response Team are conducting a court-authorized search tonight at a location in Rio Rico, Arizona, that is related to the Guthrie investigation.
The operation is expected to last several hours.
Rio Rico is about 60 miles south of Tucson and just north of the Mexico border.
Man was detained by the Pima County Sheriff's Department, authorities say
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department detained the man being questioned by law enforcement during a traffic stop south of Tucson, the agency said tonight.
"The subject is currently being questioned in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation," the department said.
The department did not immediately release additional information about the man, and it remains unclear whether he is the person seen in the security video the FBI released earlier today.
It isn't clear if the man detained for questioning is the person seen in the security video
It isn’t clear whether the man detained by law enforcement tonight is the person who was seen in security video appearing to tamper with a security camera at Nancy Guthrie's home.
The man who is being questioned was detained hours after the FBI shared the security video.
Man detained for questioning in Guthrie investigation, person familiar with matter says
Law enforcement has detained a man for questioning in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, a person familiar with the matter told NBC News tonight.
The development comes after the FBI released black-and-white security camera photos of a potential subject outside the 84-year-old woman's home on the morning she went missing in Tucson, Arizona.
It was not immediately clear whether the man detained for questioning was the person seen in the doorbell camera images.
The FBI did not comment. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it is not releasing any information at this time.
Investigators wrangled video from Google Nest camera out of 'backend systems'
Shortly after Guthrie disappeared, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that a camera affixed to her door had been disconnected, that she did not have a subscription that would have saved video and that investigators were trying to work with a tech company on the difficult forensic task of recovering any video.
Against those odds, they were successful. More than a week after her reported disappearance, that video was revealed, marking the most significant public development in a case that has captured the nation.
An internet-connected Google Nest camera captured an unidentified person in a mask and gloves and carrying a backpack and a gun approaching Guthrie’s home just before her disappearance. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was able to collect the video from “backend systems.”
It’s not yet clear how the FBI was able to collect the video. Experts told NBC News it is in some cases possible to collect data from the complex infrastructure that has enabled cloud-based cameras to become a common household feature.
Video doesn't show subject's face but still reveals defining features
The video the FBI released today does not show the face of a person appearing to tamper with Nancy Guthrie’s security camera — but it still reveals defining features that can help investigators.
There appears to be facial hair around the person’s mouth, and distinctive eyebrows can be seen through the eyeholes of the person’s mask. The person is carrying a backpack with reflectors and wearing a zip-up jacket and light-colored running shoes.
“This person has not gone their entire life never interacting with others,” said former FBI agent Bryanna Fox, a University of South Florida criminology professor.
Friends, colleagues and relatives who might recognize those features, she added, "just have to report it.”
Don't order food to a crime scene address, law enforcement tells media
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department told members of the media reporting on Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance not to order food to a crime scene address.
“This interferes with an active investigation,” the department said on X. “Please also respect private property laws. Thank you.”
Releasing video was FBI's 'best shot' to solve the case, former agent says
Former FBI agent Bryanna Fox, a University of South Florida criminology professor, said the release of security video is the agency’s “best shot” at solving Nancy Guthrie’s possible abduction.
“If there was some big thing like DNA or fibers at the scene that would have linked them directly to this person, that would have been Plan A,” Fox said. “This is the current best option we have to find this person, and it’s actually a very powerful option.”
The video shows the person’s hand gestures and posture and the way they move, she said.
“This person has not gone their entire life never interacting with others, family members, friends, colleague, people that know him know who he is,” Fox said. “They just have to report it.
To Fox, the person appeared either left-handed or ambidextrous — a gun appeared to be holstered on the person’s left side, but they were using their left hand to cover the camera with brush. The video also appeared to show premeditation, she said.
“The backpack, the weapon — both of those strongly suggest that there was some violent crime that was going to occur in that home that night,” she said.
Tips increase dramatically after release of video, FBI says
An FBI official told NBC News that tips increased dramatically after the agency released video today showing a person appearing to tamper with the security camera on Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson.
Video shows subject walking up to Guthrie's home
Video released by the FBI shows the subject of interest in the case of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance approaching her front door before they proceeded to dismantle the doorbell camera.
Law enforcement seen searching in Annie Guthrie's neighborhood
Law enforcement officers were seen today searching the Tucson neighborhood of Annie Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie's sister, where their 84-year-old mother spent the evening before she disappeared on Feb. 1.
The officers could be seen looking in the brush and in a resident’s backyard shed. Some officers were overheard asking neighbors for security camera video.
FBI posts new missing persons flyer with images of potential subject
The FBI is still offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest of someone responsible for taking her.
The agency posted an updated missing persons flyer to its social media accounts that includes photos of the potential subject caught disarming her doorbell camera allegedly just before she was kidnapped.
FBI launches webpage with details about disappearance
A new FBI webpage catalogues details about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, including security images, reward information and a physical description of the 84-year-old mother of “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Sheriff's department asks Tucson residents to keep 911 line open
FBI director visited Guthrie command center yesterday
FBI Director Kash Patel visited the Tucson command center in the Guthrie case yesterday, a source familiar with the situation told NBC News.
Patel had separate travel on another subject that had been on his schedule for some time. While he was in the area, he spent time with the team working the case.
Guthrie family doesn't recognize person in security images
The Guthrie family was notified about the images shared by the FBI, but the family and law enforcement do not recognize the person.
For that reason, the FBI chose to post the images and videos publicly in the hope that someone may recognize the person or the clothing or the items that are seen — which could lead to a break in the case.
Trump's initial reaction after seeing FBI images and videos was 'pure disgust,' WH press secretary says
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump's initial reaction to seeing the new photos and images the FBI released in the Guthrie investigation "is just pure disgust."
"It's heartbreaking to see," Leavitt said.
Why authorities are releasing photos and videos in the Nancy Guthrie case now
A look at why authorities today were able to release photos and videos of a potential subject in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, more than a week after she was reported missing.
Savannah Guthrie posts FBI video, says 'someone out there recognizes this person'
In a second Instagram post today, Savannah Guthrie posted a video shared by the FBI. The video shows a person in a dark jacket and light-colored pants carrying a backpack as they approach the home and appear to tamper with the doorbell camera.
"Someone out there recognizes this person. We believe she is still out there. Bring her home," Savannah Guthrie wrote.
White House press secretary says Trump encourages anyone with information to call the FBI
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she and Trump have reviewed the newly released footage.
“The president encourages any American across the country with any knowledge of the suspect to please call the FBI, who continue to assist state and local authorities who are leading this investigation on the ground,” she said.
She said that “the prayers of this entire White House are with Savannah and her family at this time.”
“We hope that this person is found soon and that her mother is brought home safely,” Leavitt said.
The White House also reposted the new photos the FBI posted on X in the Guthrie investigation, adding that the "prayers of the entire White House are with the Guthrie family."
What the new black-and-white photos and videos show of the potential subject
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X several black-and-white photos and two short video clips of the potential subject in the Nancy Guthrie investigation.
The images and videos show a person wearing gloves, a mask, khakis, sneakers and a backpack, appearing to tamper with the camera at Guthrie’s front door on the morning of her disappearance. One of the videos shows the individual walking up to the door with their head down.
The person’s eyes are visible through holes in their mask. The images and videos do not show a vehicle nearby, though it may be elsewhere on the street.
Cavanaugh told NBC News Now that the subject "might have a mustache." "There’s a lot of evidence here to establish a lead that’s viable," he added.
Savannah Guthrie posts FBI photos of potential subject on Instagram
Guthrie re-shared on her Instagram page the photos of a potential subject in her mother's case captured outside her Tucson residence.
"We believe she is still alive. Bring her home," Guthrie wrote.
FBI releases three videos, additional photos of potential subject at Guthrie's house
FBI Director Kash Patel released additional recovered images from the same camera at Guthrie's front door the morning she disappeared in a post on X. He also released two videos of the potential subject. He later posted a third video of the potential subject, which shows the individual approaching the front door.
Sheriff's office comments on new photos of potential subject
The Pima County Sheriff's Department released the same statement issued by the FBI on the new surveillance photos of a potential subject in the Nancy Guthrie case.
Authorities said they do not have any further information to share and that a press briefing is not planned at this time.
FBI releases surveillance photos showing potential subject
The FBI released surveillance photos in a post on X showing a potential subject in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
In the post on X, FBI Director Kash Patel said authorities "have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors — including the removal of recording devices. The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems."
"Working with our partners, as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance," Patel said in the post.
Law enforcement expected to release a surveillance photo showing a potential subject
Law enforcement is expected to release a surveillance photo showing a potential subject in the ongoing Nancy Guthrie investigation as soon as this afternoon, according to two senior law enforcement officials.
Authorities are calling this person a potential subject, but it does not mean they are a suspect in the investigation.
Here's where the case stands today
- As the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother enters its 10th day, the deadline given in an alleged ransom demand has passed. Law enforcement has not verified the authenticity of the ransom note sent to news outlets last week, which demanded $6 million in bitcoin.
- Officials said in a statement last night that they are “not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or person of interest in this case at this time.”
- Savannah Guthrie called on the public to help her find mom, saying in a new video posted to her Instagram yesterday: “We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help.”
- An active law enforcement presence is expected to continue at Guthrie family homes today, as part of a follow up on new leads, spokeswoman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said yesterday.
- A source close to the family revealed to NBC News how the Guthrie family first discovered that Nancy Guthrie was missing. The source said that when the 84-year-old did not arrive at her friend’s house for church on the morning of Feb. 1, that friend called her daughter, Annie Guthrie.
'TODAY' viewers share heartfelt messages for Savannah Guthrie
As the search continues for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, "TODAY" viewers are sharing their heartfelt messages of support for the Guthrie family. "Please know you have millions of people around the world who are standing with and praying for you," one viewer wrote.
Search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mom enters 10th day
As the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother enters its 10th day, the deadline given in an alleged ransom demand has passed. Law enforcement has not verified the authenticity of the ransom note sent to three news outlets last week, which demanded $6 million in bitcoin.
Hoda Kotb sits down with the Guthrie family's pastor
Hoda Kotb, filling in on the "TODAY" show while Savannah Guthrie remains in Arizona, sat down with the family's pastor to discuss Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
Nancy Guthrie was supposed to go to a friend's house on the morning she went missing to watch the church service being streamed online, a source told NBC News. When she didn't arrive, friends notified her family that she was not there.
Michael Rudzena, pastor of Good Shepherd New York, said that Guthrie would visit the church before the pandemic and that, during lockdowns, the church began filming and posting services and sermons online.
She is a "strong woman, and she is fiercely loving," Rudzena said. "Over the years, we've gotten to know what makes her tick."
Rudzena said his heart goes out to Guthrie and her family and insisted "we don't know what we don't know." He added that he hopes faith can be a guiding light for the family.
"Prayer opens up possibilities in our own hearts," he said. "Leaving a door open for hope is a way to fight against that fatality."
Source reveals how the Guthrie family first discovered the 84-year-old was missing
A source close to the family is revealing to NBC News how the Guthrie family first discovered their 84-year-old mother went missing over a week ago.
The source said that Guthrie and her friends regularly gathered to watch church services online together. When Guthrie did not arrive at her friend’s house for church on the morning of Feb. 1, that friend called her daughter, Annie Guthrie, the source said.
Law enforcement work expected to continue at Guthrie family homes today
An active law enforcement presence is expected to continue at Guthrie family homes today, a spokeswoman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said yesterday.
The spokeswoman described the activity as part of an ongoing investigative process that includes an expansion of investigators’ search and follow-up on new leads.
The spokeswoman declined to provide additional details about the investigation.
What we know about Guthrie's health
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Guthrie does not have cognitive issues, characterizing her as “sharp as a tack.” However, he said, she has limited mobility and needs to take medication daily or “it could be fatal.” Nanos said he does not know whether Guthrie’s medication was still at her home.
“She is mobile. It’s a challenge for her to get, as the family says, she couldn’t walk 50 yards by herself,” he said.
She has a pacemaker — a device typically implanted under the skin to regulate the heartbeat — which disconnected from its monitoring app on her phone early Feb. 1.
In an emotional video posted to her Instagram page last week, Savannah Guthrie pleaded for her mother’s return, noting her health is fragile.
“She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive, and she needs it not to suffer,” Savannah Guthrie said in the video, flanked by her sister, Annie Guthrie, and brother, Camron Guthrie.
Missing person billboards for Guthrie
An FBI billboard in California displays a missing person alert for Guthrie yesterday. Several additional states such as New Mexico and Texas have raised billboards for the missing 84-year-old who was last seen Jan. 31.
via NBC Los Angeles
'We need your help' to bring our mom home, Savannah Guthrie says in new video
In an Instagram video yesterday, Savannah Guthrie called on the public to help her find her 84-year-old mother, who has been missing for more than a week.
“Law enforcement is working tirelessly around the clock, trying to bring her home, trying to find her. She was taken, and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Savannah Guthrie said.
“I’m coming on just to ask you, not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement,” she added. “We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help.”
Savannah Guthrie releases new message as search for mother enters ninth day
Savannah posted a new urgent request hours before that final deadline in the alleged ransom note, pleading for anyone with information about her mother’s disappearance to come forward. NBC News’ Liz Kreutz has the latest on the investigation, what the Guthrie siblings are saying and what a former hostage negotiator thinks about the alleged ransom notes.
FBI: No ongoing communication between Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers
The FBI said that its agents, analyst and staff continue to work around the clock — as they have done for more than a week — “to reunite Nancy Guthrie with her family.”
Officials said in a statement last night that they are “not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or person of interest in this case at this time.”
The FBI continues to send additional personnel from field offices across the country to Tucson, it said.
“We are currently operating a 24-hour command post that includes crisis management experts, analytic support, and investigative teams. But we still need the public’s help.
“Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home. We need that person to share what they know. Please call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
