Intensive Search for Nancy Guthrie Enters Critical Third Week
Law enforcement agencies are intensifying their efforts as the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, enters its third week. Guthrie was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on January 31 and reported missing the following day, with authorities discovering her blood on the front porch. The case has taken a disturbing turn with the emergence of purported ransom notes sent to news outlets, though two deadlines for payment have now passed without resolution.
Health Concerns and Critical Evidence
Authorities have expressed grave concern for Nancy Guthrie's wellbeing, noting she requires vital daily medication. According to sheriff's dispatcher audio available on broadcastify.com, she has a pacemaker and has previously dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues. This medical vulnerability has added urgency to the investigation, which has seen multiple agencies collaborating closely.
Surveillance Video Reveals Masked Suspect
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released crucial surveillance footage showing a masked individual wearing a handgun holster outside Guthrie's front door on the night she vanished. A porch camera captured video of a person with a backpack, dressed in a ski mask, long pants, jacket, and gloves. On Thursday, the FBI officially designated this individual as a suspect, describing him as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall with a medium build, and carrying a distinctive 25-liter "Ozark Trail Hiker Pack" backpack.
Investigators initially believed no surveillance video existed because Guthrie did not have an active subscription to her doorbell camera service. However, digital forensics experts persevered, recovering images from back-end software that might have been lost, corrupted, or otherwise inaccessible.
DNA Analysis and Forensic Evidence
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has revealed that DNA collected from Guthrie's property does not belong to her or anyone in close contact with her. Investigators are now working to identify the source of this genetic material. Evidence requiring forensic analysis is being sent to an out-of-state laboratory that has been involved since the case's inception.
Several gloves have been discovered, with the nearest found about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from Guthrie's home, and submitted for laboratory analysis. The sheriff's department has not specified the type of gloves but emphasized their close collaboration with the FBI throughout the investigation.
Massive Tip Response and Investigative Activity
The Pima County Sheriff and FBI have established dedicated phone numbers and a website for tips, resulting in an overwhelming response. The FBI reports collecting more than 13,000 tips since February 1, while the sheriff's department has fielded at least 18,000 calls. It remains unclear whether any tips have significantly advanced the investigation.
Late Friday night, law enforcement sealed off a road approximately 2 miles from Guthrie's home, with a procession of sheriff's and FBI vehicles, including forensics units, passing through the roadblock. The sheriff's department confirmed this activity was part of the Guthrie investigation but declined to provide specifics.
Earlier in the week, sheriff's deputies detained an individual for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson, though he was later released. The same day, deputies and FBI agents executed a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, about an hour's drive south of the city.
Family's Emotional Appeals
Savannah Guthrie, along with her sister and brother, has shared multiple video messages on social media directed at their mother's purported captor. The tone of these Instagram videos has evolved from impassioned pleas offering dialogue and potential ransom payments to bleaker, more desperate requests for public assistance. The latest video, posted on Thursday, featured a simple home video of their mother accompanied by a promise to "never give up on her."
Background and Community Context
Nancy Guthrie lived alone in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood, characterized by houses spaced far apart with long driveways, gates, and dense desert vegetation. Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona, and previously worked at a local television station before joining Today in 2011. In a heartfelt video, she described her mother as a "loving woman of goodness and light," underscoring the personal tragedy at the heart of this extensive investigation.
