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Authorities have released an individual who was held for questioning regarding the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie.
This development follows the FBI’s release of surveillance footage and images earlier in the day, depicting a masked, armed individual approaching Guthrie’s residence. The man was detained during a routine traffic stop, though he has not been officially identified as a suspect. Nonetheless, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home. As of late Tuesday, Guthrie’s whereabouts remain unknown, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, with support from the FBI’s Evidence Response Team, is executing a court-authorized search at a location in Rio Rico, AZ, connected to the Nancy Guthrie case. This operation is anticipated to continue for several hours. No further information is available at this time,” the department announced in an official statement.
In related developments, reports have surfaced indicating activity in a bitcoin account mentioned in a ransom note, as noted by the founder of TMZ.
The FBI’s elite hostage rescue team are in Tucson as the search for the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie entered its 10th day.
FBI agents are looking at more than one individual as a “person of interest,” the bureau’s director, Kash Patel, told Fox News. “We are looking at people who, as we say, are persons of interest,” Patel said.
Mother-in-law believes detainee is innocent
The mother-in-law of the man detained by police believes he is innocent.
Speaking exclusively to NewsNation, a woman who identified herself as “Josefina” said her son-in-law was inside her home in Rio Rico, Arizona, when Guthrie disappeared.
She described her son-in-law as a “good guy” with no criminal record or history of violence. After being shown surveillance photos of the individual on Guthrie’s doorbell camera, she denied a resemblance to Carlos.
FBI’s elite hostage rescue team arrives to aid Nancy Guthrie search
A spokesperson for the Oro Valley Police Department told NewsNation that members of the regional SWAT team and bomb squads have been activated for a mission with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department as the point of contact.
There was a law enforcement presence Tuesday near the home of Guthrie’s daughter Annie. Search and rescue teams were canvassing the area around her home, including what appeared to be a wooded area.
Investigators have also been speaking to businesses in the area. A neighbor told NewsNation officials were asking residents to check cameras for any footage, saying that two officers had spoken with him earlier.
Activity reported in bitcoin account: TMZ
Two ransom deadlines have now passed, but there has been no confirmed communication between the Guthrie family and the suspected kidnappers, and investigators have not verified whether the notes are actually connected to Guthrie’s disappearance.
TMZ reported Tuesday there was new activity in the bitcoin account listed in the first ransom note — sent to the outlet and two Tucson TV stations. TMZ did not disclose the amount involved.
“We’ve seen activity for the first time in the Bitcoin account listed in the first ransom note which was sent to us here at TMZ, and also to 2 TV stations in Tucson. For various reasons, we are not going to reveal the amount, but the activity happened in the last 25 minutes,” the outlet reported.
Police release surveillance photos, videos in Nancy Guthrie case
The FBI released surveillance footage and images Tuesday showing a masked, armed person approaching Guthrie’s home and deliberately covering her doorbell camera, the first substantial piece of public evidence in the case.
The video from the Google Nest camera shows an individual wearing a full face mask, gloves and a backpack walking up to the home with what appears to be a flashlight in their mouth and a gun in a front holster.
The person is seen placing a gloved hand over the camera lens, then using a nearby shrub to further conceal the device.
The FBI said in a social media post that the images were retrieved from residual data in backend systems.
Savannah Guthrie, family plead with public for help
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since Jan. 31. She has a pacemaker and requires daily medication for a heart condition, and authorities have said they believe she was kidnapped or abducted from her home overnight.
“We believe she is still alive. Bring her home,” Savannah Guthrie posted on social media Tuesday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump’s initial reaction to the new photos was “pure disgust.”
The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
So far, investigators have said they have no suspects in the case, and the subject in the photo is not being described as a potential suspect.
Anyone with information should contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.