FBI Escalates Search for Missing Mother of TV Anchor Savannah Guthrie
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has significantly increased its financial incentive in the urgent hunt for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of prominent US news anchor Savannah Guthrie. The bureau has raised its reward to $100,000 (approximately £73,430) for any information that leads directly to locating Nancy Guthrie or results in an arrest related to her disappearance.
Tensions Rise Between Federal and Local Law Enforcement
This development comes amid escalating tensions between federal agents and local police authorities in Arizona. According to sources close to the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff's Department, which is leading the inquiry, has allegedly blocked FBI access to crucial physical evidence recovered from the scene of the disappearance.
A source intimately involved with the case expressed deep frustration, stating: "When you have an elderly woman missing, every single hour matters and every piece of evidence is critical. The prevailing sentiment among federal agents is that this should be a completely unified effort, with absolutely no barriers to forensic access. The absolute priority must be finding Nancy Guthrie as swiftly as possible—not protecting jurisdictional turf."
Dispute Over Key Forensic Evidence
The conflict reportedly centers on a glove and DNA samples discovered near Nancy Guthrie's property. Detectives found the items discarded along a roadside close to her $1 million home in Tucson. The glove is said to resemble those worn by a masked intruder captured on doorbell camera footage from the night she vanished.
Federal officials formally requested permission from Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos to transfer this evidence to the FBI's national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for advanced processing. This request was refused. Instead, the items were sent to a private laboratory in Florida that is under contract with the sheriff's department.
The same investigative source warned: "This decision risks further slowing down a case that grows more urgent with every passing minute. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has reportedly spent around £147,000 on evidence processing with this particular Florida laboratory under their existing contract."
Updated Suspect Description Released
Amid this bureaucratic friction, the FBI has released an updated physical description of the suspect based on images and video from the pensioner's doorbell camera. The individual is described as a man standing between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build. He was seen wearing a black, 25-litre 'Ozark Trail Hiker Pack' backpack.
"We sincerely hope this updated description will help concentrate the substantial volume of public tips we are receiving," an FBI spokesperson stated. The bureau has received more than 13,000 tips since Nancy Guthrie disappeared on February 1, while the Sheriff's Department reports nearly 18,000 calls.
Health Concerns and Ongoing Developments
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the evening of Saturday, January 31, when family members dropped her at her Tucson home. Her absence was noted when she failed to attend her regular Sunday church service, prompting congregants to alert her family. She has now been missing for nearly two weeks.
Officials have expressed grave concern for her health, warning that she may be in dire condition without access to her necessary medication. Sheriff Nanos confirmed she was "not in good physical health" but had no reported cognitive issues prior to her disappearance.
In a related development, US entertainment site TMZ reported receiving a second note on Thursday from an individual demanding bitcoin in exchange for information regarding the alleged kidnapper. A first note was sent the previous day.
Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of NBC News' TODAY show and the network's chief legal correspondent, has publicly stated that her family "will not rest" until her mother is safely returned home.
