Earlier this month, law-enforcement officials announced they were conducting an investigation after Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing in Arizona. Nancy, 84, was last seen at her Tucson-area home the night of January 31, and her family reported her missing around noon the next day, according to Pima County sheriff Chris Nanos. On February 10, the FBI released images of a potential investigation subject, who appeared to be wearing a mask and tampering with Nancy’s security camera. A man was detained on that night in connection to the case but released shortly afterward, and the investigation remains ongoing. Here’s what we know about her disappearance.
Police said Nancy was taken “against her will.”
In a press conference the day after Nancy’s disappearance, Nanos said Nancy “has no cognitive issues at all” but is “not of good physical health,” noting that she is “very limited in her mobility.” He described her home as a “crime scene” and added, “We know she didn’t just walk out of there,” sharing that a homicide team had been brought in to investigate. Nanos said Nancy also takes medication that she needs daily or “it could be fatal.”
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told the Los Angeles Times that they found blood inside the home, and that law-enforcement officials were “looking into a possible kidnapping or abduction” and believe Nancy “was taken from the home against her will, possibly [in the] middle of the night.” In an interview with NBC, Nanos recently pleaded for her to be released. “Just call us. Let her go. Just call us. The family will tell you, there’s no questions asked here,” he said.
Several news outlets received ransom notes that appear to be connected to her disappearance.
On February 3, TMZ and Tucson CBS affiliate KOLD shared that they’d received ransom notes demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin for Nancy’s return. Law enforcement did not confirm whether the notes are legitimate, but according to CBS, they included specific details about the house and what Nancy was wearing that night. The sheriff’s office said it was aware of the purported notes and was “taking all tips and leads very seriously.” On February 8, CNN affiliate KGUN reported the demands sought $6 million.
TMZ founder Harvey Levin shared details of the purported ransom note in an interview with CNN, claiming it had two deadlines: one that passed on February 5 and a second one that passed on February 9, which Levin described as “far more consequential.” Levin said the note described Nancy as “okay but scared,” and that it offered no way of contacting the sender.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings posted videos addressed to their mother’s captor.
In a video posted to Instagram on February 4, Savannah — along with her sister, Annie Guthrie, and brother, Camron Guthrie — made an emotional plea for their mother’s return. “Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light,” Savannah said. “She is funny, spunky, and clever. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her, and you’ll see.”
They also shared a message intended for her mother’s possible captors. “We are ready to talk,” Savannah said. “However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”
In another video posted the following day, Camron again urged the theoretical abductors to contact them and share proof of life. “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” Camron said. “We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
The Guthrie family released another video on February 7 in which they said they’d heard from the alleged kidnappers but didn’t reveal what was said. “We received your message, and we understand,” Savannah said. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
In another video Savannah posted on Instagram on February 9 — the day the purported ransom note listed as a deadline — she appeared alone and thanked people for their outpouring of prayers for Nancy, saying that she and her siblings “believe that somehow, some way, she’s feeling these prayers and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place.”
Police unearthed footage of a man tampering with Nancy’s security camera.
Investigators have been combing Nancy’s home and the surrounding areas for leads — video showed them searching the septic tank behind her house on February 8. As of Thursday, 19 days into the search, no suspects have been identified. The reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery has steadily increased in the weeks since her appearance and now sits at $200,000.
In a press conference about a week after Nancy was reported missing, Nanos told reporters that the police have put together a timeline of the events leading up to her disappearance, which has Nancy leaving her home to go to her family’s at 5:32 p.m. on January 31 and returning at 9:48 p.m. Nanos said that Nancy’s doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. on February 1 and at 2:12 a.m. software detected a person on-camera, but said no footage is available. At 2:28 a.m., Nancy’s pacemaker disconnected from her personal device.
On February 10, the FBI released images recovered from Nancy’s doorbell camera showing a masked person it said appeared to have tampered with the device. Savannah shared the images on her Instagram and asked anyone with leads to contact law enforcement. “We believe she is still alive,” she wrote. “Bring her home.”
A man was detained, then released, by local authorities.
On February 10, deputies with the sheriff’s department detained a man during a traffic stop in Rio Rico, about 60 miles from Tucson, and said he was being “questioned in connection” to Nancy’s disappearance. The man, whose name is Carlos Palazuelos, was released later that night. It’s unclear how Palazuelos, who works as a delivery driver, came to the attention of police; speaking to Telemundo, he said he doesn’t recall if he delivered anything to Nancy’s home.
Palazuelos’s mother-in-law told the New York Times law enforcement had broken down her door and conducted a search of her home. Palazuelos also said, “I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it.”
The investigation stretches on.
Three weeks since Nancy’s disappearance, she remains missing, and no suspects have been identified. Police tested DNA from a glove — which appeared to match the ones worn by the man in the security footage, and which was found about two miles from Nancy’s home — but it turned up no matches, Nanos said on February 17.
In an Instagram video on February 15, Savannah issued yet another plea for her mother’s return. “It’s been two weeks since our mom was taken, and I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope and we still believe,” she said. “And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late, and you’re not lost or alone. It is never too late to do the right thing, and we are here.”
Police are continuing to chase reportedly thousands of tips and say hundreds of investigators are working on the case. “As long as we have the ability to chase a lead, it’s not cold,” Nanos said February 17. “We’re not going to give up. We’re going to find Nancy, and we’re going to find out who did this.”
This post has been updated.