Authorities in Arizona continue investigating what they believe is the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Here’s how the case has unfolded since she vanished more than a month ago.
Nancy Guthrie was last spotted by family on January 31st following an evening visit to her eldest daughter Annie Guthrie’s Tucson residence, where she had dinner with Annie and her husband.
The next morning on February 1st, security footage from Nancy’s doorbell camera recorded a masked intruder outside her Tucson home in the early hours. The individual wore winter gear including a ski mask, carried a backpack, wore gloves, and had a visible firearm in a holster while interfering with the recording device. Around 30 minutes afterward, Nancy’s medical pacemaker device lost connection with her telephone line. Family members contacted police shortly before midday when Nancy didn’t show up for her regular Sunday worship service.
Three days later on February 4th, Savannah Guthrie joined her siblings Annie and Camron Guthrie in posting their initial social media appeal regarding their mother’s vanishing. They acknowledged media reports about ransom communications and urged the kidnappers to establish contact with the family.
On February 5th, law enforcement officials verified through genetic testing that blood discovered on Nancy Guthrie’s front entrance belonged to her. That same day at 5 p.m., the first deadline mentioned in an alleged ransom message came and went.
Two days later on February 7th, Savannah Guthrie appeared in another video alongside her siblings, making an emotional appeal for her mother’s safe return. “This is very valuable to us and we will pay,” she stated.
By February 9th, Savannah Guthrie posted on Instagram saying, “We believe our mom is still out there” while requesting public assistance in the search. A second ransom deadline also expired without resolution.
February 10th marked a significant development when the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI made public the doorbell security footage showing the armed suspect. Sheriff’s officials later called this recording their most important piece of evidence. That same day, investigators conducted a search at a residence in Rio Rico, Arizona, located 60 miles south of Tucson near the Mexican border. They detained one individual for questioning but later released him without filing charges. Savannah Guthrie shared the masked suspect’s images on her Instagram account with the message: “We believe she is still alive; bring her home.”
Five days later on February 15th, authorities obtained genetic material from discarded gloves found approximately two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s residence. The gloves appeared similar to those worn by the masked individual in the security recording.
However, on February 17th, the genetic sample from the gloves produced no matches when compared against profiles in CODIS, the national DNA database, according to FBI and sheriff’s officials.
Most recently on March 4th, additional DNA testing revealed the gloves belonged to a local restaurant worker who investigators do not consider connected to the case. This development represents a setback for what had initially appeared to be a significant clue in the investigation.
