Nancy Guthrie Investigation: What We Know About The Search

The hopeless hunt for nan mother of NBC’s “TODAY” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie stretched into its 2nd week pinch mounting questions astir what happened to Nancy Guthrie and concerns for her beingness health.

Guthrie, 84, was reported missing connected Feb. 1 from her location successful nan Catalina Foothills, an unincorporated Arizona organization northbound of Tucson.

Authorities person described nan lawsuit arsenic a imaginable kidnapping aliases abduction, and location person been reports of ransom notes.

Follow unrecorded sum here.

The FBI released photos and video of a imaginable taxable wearing a skis mask. Officials person not released an identity.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department searched a spot successful Rio Rico, a organization 60 miles southbound of Tucson, connected Tuesday nighttime and took a man into custody.

But that man, who identified himself arsenic transportation driver Carlos Palazuelos, told reporters early Wednesday that aft being questioned, he was released without being arrested. Authorities confirmed that a man was detained and released arsenic a follow-up connected incoming leads. He has not been charged.

Palazuelos said he mightiness person delivered thing to Guthrie’s location astatine immoderate point, but didn’t callback doing so. He said he was stopped while driving and was detained and questioned because officers thought his eyes matched those seen successful nan doorcam footage released by nan FBI.

The timeline

Guthrie was past known to person visited family Jan. 31 and returned location that evening. She was reported missing astir noon Feb. 1 aft not showing up astatine a friend’s location that greeting to watch a virtual religion service.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has laid retired a timeline of events (all times are successful Mountain Time):

Saturday Jan. 31

• 5:32 p.m.: Guthrie near her location successful an Uber to spell to section family members’ location “for meal and playing games pinch nan family, conscionable visiting,” Nanos said. Authorities said pinch that Uber driver, he said, without providing specifics connected that conversation.
• 9:48 p.m.: She was dropped disconnected astatine home, wherever she lives alone. The car shed doorway opened astatine that clip and it closed 2 minutes later.

Sunday Feb. 1

• 1:47 a.m.: Her doorbell camera was disconnected. Nanos said that nan doorbell camera has not been located and noted location were aggregate cameras astatine nan home.
• 2:12 a.m.: Software detects a personification connected camera, but location is nary video available. It’s not clear which camera detected nan person. Nanos said nan camera had nary subscription, and that it’s imaginable an animal triggered nan software.
• 2:28 a.m.: Guthrie’s pacemaker disconnects from her phone.
• 11:56 a.m.: Guthrie’s family goes to cheque connected her astatine location and discovers she’s missing.
• 12:03 p.m.: A 911 telephone was made. Deputies arrived astir 10 minutes later.

What nan investigation has uncovered

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department believes Guthrie was taken “possibly successful nan mediate of nan night, and that includes imaginable kidnapping aliases abduction.”

The sheriff said Thursday that humor recovered connected nan structure extracurricular Guthrie’s location tested affirmative for her DNA. He said his agency would not remark connected whether location was forced introduction to nan home.

A motion of support extracurricular nan location of Nancy Guthrie successful Tucson, Ariz., connected Feb. 7, 2026.Rebecca Noble / Getty Images

Her cellphone was near astatine location and is successful nan possession of authorities.

No fishy aliases personification of liking has been identified. Nanos said that cipher has been ruled out. “We’re actively looking astatine everybody we travel across, successful this case, everybody,” he said.

NBC News video from Friday nighttime shows a car being towed from Nancy Guthrie’s residence arsenic nan FBI processed nan location arsenic a crime scene, and photograph and video records bespeak nan conveyance had antecedently been seen successful her car shed and is believed to beryllium to her.

On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel released surveillance photos and videos of a imaginable equipped subject.

Patel shared six black-and-white photos arsenic good arsenic 3 video clips of nan imaginable subject, who is wearing a achromatic overgarment and ray pants, a skis mask, vinyl gloves and carrying a full, light-colored backpack.

The person approaches nan location successful 1 video, and past appears to effort to conceal their personality while tampering pinch nan doorbell camera, which was later disconnected. The person’s eyes are visible done nan holes successful nan skis mask.

One video shows a weapon successful a holster connected nan beforehand of nan person’s body.

Patel said rule enforcement had “uncovered these antecedently inaccessible caller images” arsenic of Tuesday morning. The video was “recovered from residual information located successful backend systems.”

Guthrie’s health

Nanos has said Guthrie does not person cognitive issues, characterizing her arsenic “sharp arsenic a tack.” However, he said, she has constricted mobility and needs to return medicine regular aliases “it could beryllium fatal.” Nanos said he does not cognize whether Guthrie’s medicine was still astatine her home.

“She is mobile. It’s a situation for her to get, arsenic nan family says, she couldn’t locomotion 50 yards by herself,” he said.

She has a pacemaker — a instrumentality typically implanted nether nan tegument to modulate heartbeat — which disconnected from its monitoring app connected her telephone early connected Feb. 1.

In an emotional video posted to her Instagram page connected Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie pleaded for her mother’s return, noting her wellness is fragile.

“She lives successful changeless pain. She is without immoderate medicine. She needs it to survive, and she needs it not to suffer,” Savannah Guthrie said successful nan video, flanked by her sister, Annie, and brother, Camron.

Ransom notes

Last week, imaginable ransom notes referencing Guthrie were reportedly sent to 3 news outlets.

NBC News reviewed a transcript of nan first note, and its contents were accordant pinch nan descriptions provided by nan FBI and those news outlets. No rule enforcement agency has truthful acold substantiated nan notes.

Heith Janke, nan typical supplier successful complaint of nan FBI’s Phoenix division, said Thursday that 1 reported ransom statement “had facts associated pinch a deadline pinch a monetary worth they were asking for,” noting that “one talked astir an Apple Watch, 1 talked astir a floodlight,” but declining to spell into further specifics.

The ransom statement had 2 deadlines — 1 astatine 5 p.m. Thursday and a 2nd deadline for Monday, Janke said, adding that nan statement did not found a intends for communication. Both deadlines person since passed pinch nary caller information.

Camron Guthrie connected Thursday appeared successful a video connection astir nan aforesaid clip arsenic that 5 p.m. deadline, asking for a measurement to pass pinch whoever could beryllium holding his mother.

“Whoever is retired location holding our mother, we want to perceive from you. We haven’t heard thing directly,” he said successful a video posted to Instagram. “We request you to scope retired and we request a measurement to pass pinch you truthful we move forward.”

Janke said nan FBI takes nan ransom threats seriously.

He besides warned that impostors who nonstop clone ransom letters will beryllium “held accountable.” A man arrested successful Los Angeles connected Thursday was accused of sending texts to nan Guthrie family asking astir bitcoin that was demanded successful a reported ransom letter, according to a federal criminal title retired of Arizona. The messages are not linked to an earlier reported ransom demand.

The FBI and Nanos’ agency announced Friday day they were “aware of a caller connection regarding” Guthrie. “Investigators are actively inspecting nan accusation provided successful nan connection for its authenticity,” nan sheriff’s section said successful a statement.

NBC News has not reviewed a transcript of that 2nd note, sent to section TV position KOLD.

Jessica Bobula, nan news head of KOLD, said neither provided impervious of life, but that nan first statement said Guthrie was fine.

The 2nd statement “was surely not a ransom demand,” Bobula said, noting it did not inquire for money, and it differed “in almost each way” from nan first. One of nan notes did not supply an image of Guthrie but “a description,” she said.

Bobula said nan writer of nan 2nd statement appeared to beryllium trying to beryllium that they were nan aforesaid sender arsenic nan first note.

Asked if nan statement indicated what mightiness hap if nan Monday deadline is missed she said, “They did.” When asked if nan statement indicated Guthrie could beryllium harmed successful immoderate way, Bobula said, “Yes.”

On Monday evening, nan FBI said that it was “not alert of immoderate continued connection betwixt nan Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers.”

Pleas from nan family

Savannah Guthrie addressed her mother’s imaginable kidnapper successful a caller video posted to Instagram connected Saturday. The video was nan 3rd from nan family since Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

“We received your connection and we understand,” she said. “We request you now to return our mother to america truthful that we tin observe pinch her. This is nan only measurement we will person peace.”

“This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” Savannah Guthrie said successful closing, holding her siblings’ hands.

She did not supply specifics astir nan connection she referenced, but 3 officials briefed connected nan investigation said nan Saturday video was successful reference to nan 2nd statement that was sent Friday.

In different video posted to Instagram connected Monday, Savannah Guthrie thanked nan nationalist for praying for her mother’s safe return and said nan family believes she is “still retired there.”

“We judge that somehow, immoderate way, she is emotion these prayers and that God is lifting her moreover successful this infinitesimal and successful this darkest place,” nan “TODAY” co-anchor said. “We judge our mom is still retired there.”

She asked viewers to study thing “strange” to rule enforcement. “We are astatine an hr of desperation, and we request your help,” she said.

After nan FBI posted photos of nan imaginable taxable connected Tuesday, Savannah Guthrie again took to Instagram, resharing nan images and videos and pleading for thief successful uncovering her mother.

“We judge she is still alive. Bring her home,” she wrote successful the first of 2 posts.

In nan second, Savannah Guthrie wrote, “Someone retired location recognizes this person. We judge she is still retired there. Bring her home.”

A imaginable lead astir a vehicle

Law enforcement officials were searching for a conveyance successful Arizona that whitethorn beryllium connected to nan investigation, NBC News learned connected Friday. Officials haven’t said if nan conveyance aliases vehicles are definitively connected to immoderate portion of nan crime, aliases if that lead has since evaporated.

A Circle K spokesperson told NBC News that rule enforcement visited 1 of its convenience stores connected Oracle Road successful Tucson aft “receiving a extremity regarding a conveyance of interest, and our squad has provided them entree to nan store’s surveillance video.”

The sheriff’s agency said Saturday that authorities person not identified immoderate vehicles connected to nan case.

What we don’t know

Authorities person declined to supply specifics astir a scope of questions astatine nan halfway of nan investigation. Here are immoderate of nan specifications that are chartless aliases person not been publically released.

• How personification could person entered Nancy Guthrie’s location astatine that hour.
• The location of her doorbell camera. Authorities connected Thursday said it had been removed.
• Whether immoderate of nan reported ransom letters are legitimate. They stay nether investigation by nan FBI.

State and national resources person been deployed successful nan hunt for Guthrie.

Law enforcement and news broadcasters stationed extracurricular of Nancy Guthrie's residence successful Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 10, 2026.Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Federal and section resources

• President Donald Trump called Savannah Guthrie connected Wednesday to connection words of support. Later, successful a station connected Truth Social, he said he would nonstop each national rule enforcement to beryllium astatine nan disposal of nan family and section rule enforcement.
• The FBI is besides moving jointly pinch nan Pima County Sheriff’s Department, bringing successful agents and analysts and deploying further intelligence and agents from its Phoenix office.

• Agents are analyzing integer sources, including slope information, societal media and telephone companies for a integer footprint, Janke said Thursday.

• The FBI announced a $50,000 reward connected Thursday for accusation starring to Guthrie’s recovery.
• Officials proceed to inquire nan nationalist for tips. Anyone pinch information, nary matter really small, is asked to study it astatine 1-800-CALL-FBI aliases online at tips.fbi.gov.