Share and Follow
Authorities have recently questioned a man in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, following the release of surveillance footage showing a masked individual on her porch. Despite the initial focus on him, the man was eventually released and stated to reporters that he has no information about the whereabouts of the 84-year-old woman from Arizona.
This video evidence and the man’s temporary detention on Tuesday mark significant progress in the ongoing search for Guthrie, who is notably the mother of Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of the “Today” show. Investigators are still urging the public to help identify the individual captured in the footage.
Investigators suspect that it has been over a week since Nancy Guthrie was forcibly taken from her residence near Tucson.
Her family has issued emotional video appeals for assistance, drawing national attention to the case. Although two deadlines mentioned in alleged ransom notes sent to media outlets have passed, it remains unclear whether any communication has been established with the kidnappers or if Nancy Guthrie remains alive.
The following is a timeline of key events:
Saturday, Jan. 31
5:32 p.m. — Nancy Guthrie takes an Uber to her family’s home for dinner.
9:48 p.m. — Guthrie is dropped off at her Tucson, Arizona, home by a family member. The garage door opens and closes minutes later.
Sunday, Feb. 1
1:47 a.m. — The doorbell camera is disconnected.
2:12 a.m. — The camera’s software detects movement. Investigators initially said that there was no video available since Guthrie didn’t have an active subscription to the company. But digital forensics experts kept working to find images in backend software that might have been lost, corrupted or inaccessible.
2:28 a.m. — Her pacemaker app disconnects from her phone.
11:56 a.m. — Her family checks on her after learning she did not attend church.
12:03 p.m. — The family calls 911 to report a missing person.
12:15 p.m. — Investigators arrive and launch a search operation, including the use of drones and search dogs.
6:46 p.m. — The Pima County Sheriff’s Department posts on social media to announce Guthrie’s disappearance.
Monday, Feb. 2
Authorities announce in the morning that they believe Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will.
KOLD-TV says it received an email Monday night that appears to be a ransom note. The note includes a demand for money with a deadline set for 5 p.m. Thursday and a second one for Monday, investigators said.
Savannah Guthrie posts a message on Instagram on Monday night asking for people’s prayers.
Tuesday, Feb. 3
President Donald Trump tells reporters that the situation is “terrible.”
Wednesday, Feb. 4
After turning back Guthrie’s property to her family earlier in the week, authorities return to the home for a “follow-up investigation.”
That evening, Savannah Guthrie posts a video on social media in which she tells her mother’s kidnapper that her family is ready to talk but wants proof their mom is alive.
Thursday, Feb. 5
Officials reveal that a DNA test of blood found on the home’s front porch showed it came from Nancy Guthrie.
The FBI offers a $50,000 reward for information about Guthrie’s whereabouts.
Friday, Feb. 6
Tucson TV station KOLD receives a new message, via email, tied to the Guthrie case. The station says it can’t disclose its contents. The FBI says it’s aware of a new message and is reviewing its authenticity.
Investigators return to Guthrie’s neighborhood to gather more evidence. The president of the Catalina Foothills Association, a neighborhood group, thanks residents in a letter for being willing to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow their properties to be searched.
Saturday, Feb. 7
Savannah Guthrie releases another video on social media directly engaging with her mother’s potential abductors.
“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said, flanked by her siblings. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Sunday, Feb. 8
Detectives and FBI agents do follow-up work at multiple locations, the sheriff’s department says. An investigator is seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.
Monday, Feb. 9
Savannah Guthrie posts another video on Instagram, saying her family is at an “hour of desperation” and they believe Nancy Guthrie is still out there. Savannah Guthrie asked for prayers and for people to report anything they might see or hear to law enforcement. No ransom note was mentioned.
A spokesperson for the FBI says the agency was not aware of ongoing communication between Nancy Guthrie’s family and the suspected kidnappers, despite a deadline set for Monday evening.
Tuesday, Feb. 10
The FBI says it managed to recover doorbell camera video of what it described as an armed person tampering with a camera at Guthrie’s front door.
Video shows the person wearing a backpack and ski mask with holes for the eyes and mouth. The person tries to cover a camera near the front door with their gloved hand before ripping out a plant from the yard to block the camera’s view.
Following the FBI’s announcement, Savannah Guthrie posts images of the apparent kidnapper on Instagram. She writes: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home,” and includes phone numbers for the FBI and county sheriff.
Later, the Pima County sheriff’s department says a person was detained for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. The man is released. He tells reporters that he made deliveries in the Tucson area.
The sheriff’s department also says it searched a location in Rio Rico, a city south of Tucson, with the help of the FBI.