Key Suspect in Nancy Guthrie Case Released Without Charges: Latest Updates

The detained individual, whose name has not been disclosed by officials, was stopped by law enforcement during a routine traffic stop in Rio Rico. This small town, located just an hour south of Tucson, is near the U.S.-Mexico border. The stop occurred on Tuesday night, leading to the man’s temporary detention for questioning.

After being released, the man spoke to the New York Times and other media outlets, identifying himself only as “Carlos.” He claimed to have no knowledge of Savannah Guthrie or her missing mother, Nancy.

“I don’t follow the news,” Carlos remarked, emphasizing his unfamiliarity with the high-profile case.

“I don’t follow the news,” he said after being released. 

Carlos said detectives made him wait for several hours, but said they didn’t ask him any questions about the kidnapping before releasing him. 

“I hope you get the suspect, because I’m not it,” he said. “They better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name.” 

CNN and NBC have both reported that the man was released without being charged, citing people familiar with the investigation. 

The sheriff’s office said it was also conducting a court-authorized search Tuesday night in Rio Rico, located about an hours south of Tucson, alongside the FBI’s Evidence Response Team. That search was expected to take several hours.

The detention and subsequent release of the man happened just hours after authorities released new footage that appeared to show an armed individual, who reportedly tampered with the surveillance camera at Nancy Guthrie’s home on the morning of her disappearance. 

The collection of photos and videos released Tuesday afternoon appears to show a person putting their hand in front of the door cam at Nancy Guthrie’s house, then grabbing some kind of plant from the front yard and sticking it in front of the lens, presumably to block the view. 

The FBI said as recently as Monday that it has not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the investigation. 

Investigators believe Guthrie was taken against her will from her Arizona home around 2 a.m. local time, citing the timeline of when camera systems and other electronics in her home were taken offline. 

Her blood was found on her porch, and security cameras were disabled, leaving no video evidence of what happened.

Over the week and a half that Nancy Guthrie has been missing, numerous news organizations have reported receiving alleged ransom notes from the person or people responsible for the disappearance. While the FBI was able to confirm one was a fraudulent note and arrested the sender, the family believes some of the others may be legitimate. 

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed last week that a pair of notes sent to different TV stations contained info not disclosed to the public, although the FBI has not authenticated them. 

Despite the lack of official authentication, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings say they’re willing to pay the person or persons responsible for her disappearance in exchange for their mother’s safe return. In a series of videos, the Guthrie siblings have tried to reach out, urging those responsible to send proof of life. 

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone who helps bring Guthrie home or provides information that leads to an arrest in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 1-800-CALL FBI.

A ransom note had indicated a 5 p.m. deadline Monday for the family to deliver an unspecified amount of money for Nancy’s return, but that deadline passed without any indication that the ransom had been paid or that there had been any sighting of Nancy. Shortly after, Savannah Guthrie posted a video to her Instagram pleading for the public’s help. 

In her video message, Guthrie thanked people for the love they have felt during this time. Guthrie added that she and her siblings believe her mom is still out there. 

“She was taken, and we don’t know where,” Guthrie described. 

“We need your help,” Guthrie told viewers. She encouraged people, including those outside the Arizona area, to report anything they see or hear that’s strange to law enforcement.