Person Detained in Investigation of Nancy Guthrie's Disappearance
Authorities in Arizona have taken a significant step in the high-profile case of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC's Today show host Savannah Guthrie. On Tuesday, the Pima County Sheriff's Department announced that a person was detained during a traffic stop south of Tucson for questioning related to Guthrie's disappearance. This development comes after more than a week of intense investigation that has captured national attention.
Surveillance Footage Reveals Masked Individual
Hours before the detention, the FBI released critical surveillance images that provide the first visual clues in the case. The footage shows a masked person wearing a backpack and a ski mask outside Nancy Guthrie's home just outside Tucson on the night she vanished. In the video, the individual is seen tilting their head away from a doorbell camera while approaching an archway at the residence.
The person appears to be holding a flashlight in their mouth and attempting to cover the camera with a gloved hand, using part of a plant ripped from Guthrie's yard. FBI Director Kash Patel noted that the armed individual seemed to have tampered with the camera, though it remains unclear if there was actually a gun in the visible holster.
Challenges in Evidence Recovery
Investigators faced technical hurdles in obtaining this footage. The doorbell camera was disconnected early on February 1, and while software recorded movement at the home shortly after, Nancy Guthrie did not have an active subscription service. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos initially stated that none of the footage could be recovered, but officials persisted in their efforts.
The videos were eventually extracted from back-end systems after days of work to recover lost, corrupted, or inaccessible images. Former FBI agent Katherine Schweit commented on the significance of the footage, stating, This will get the phone ringing for lots of potential leads. Even when you have a person who appears to be completely covered, they're really not. You can see their girth, the shape of their face, potentially their eyes or mouth.
Expanding Search Efforts
As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, approximately one hour south of Tucson, on Tuesday night. The search, expected to take several hours, involved the FBI's Evidence Response Team working alongside the sheriff's department.
By Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement had returned to Nancy Guthrie's neighborhood, using vehicles to block her driveway. A few miles away, investigators were going door-to-door in the area where her daughter Annie Guthrie lives, speaking with neighbors and examining a drainage area and culvert with flashlights.
Family's Emotional Appeals
The Guthrie family has made multiple public appeals since Nancy's disappearance. She was last seen at home on January 31 and reported missing the following day. Authorities have stated they believe she was taken against her will, with DNA tests confirming that blood found on her porch was hers.
Savannah Guthrie posted the new surveillance images on social media Tuesday, expressing the family's belief that her mother is still alive and providing contact information for the FBI and county sheriff. The post quickly garnered thousands of responses.
In a video message just before a purported ransom deadline on Monday, Savannah Guthrie appeared alone and made a desperate plea: We are at an hour of desperation. We need your help. The family has released several videos over the past week, including one where they stated, We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.
National Attention and Official Response
The case has drawn widespread concern, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announcing that President Donald Trump watched the surveillance footage and was in pure disgust, encouraging anyone with information to contact the FBI. The agency has begun posting digital billboards about the case in major cities from Texas to California.
FBI spokesperson Connor Hagan noted on Monday that the agency was not aware of ongoing communication between Guthrie's family and any suspected kidnappers and had not identified any suspects at that time. Nancy Guthrie's medical conditions, including high blood pressure, mobility issues, heart problems, and need for daily medication, add urgency to the search.
As the investigation continues, authorities remain tight-lipped about whether the detained person matches the individual seen in the surveillance footage or if the ransom notes reportedly received by the family are authentic. The nation watches closely as this heartbreaking mystery unfolds in the Arizona desert.
