Search for Nancy Guthrie reaches 2 weeks, no arrests after authorities swarm nearby home. Nancy Guthrie investigation: What we know about the search
Guthrie was reported missing Feb. 1 from her home near Tucson, Arizona. She was last seen the previous night around 9:45 p.m, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. Authorities have described the case as a possible kidnapping or abduction, but clues have been scarce.
Investigators got a major break in the case last week after the FBI recovered chilling doorbell camera images of an armed and masked man outside Guthrie’s home on the morning of her disappearance. The FBI has since described that man as a suspect.
Here’s an overview of the key facts in the case.
The timeline of Guthrie’s disappearance
Guthrie visited her daughter Annie Guthrie’s house Jan. 31, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, before being driven back to her home in the Catalina Foothills, a quiet unincorporated community.
She was reported missing around noon the next day after she did not show up at a friend’s house to watch Sunday morning virtual church services, a source close to the family told NBC News.
At least three news outlets have said they received a ransom note referencing Guthrie. NBC News reviewed a copy of the note, and its contents were consistent with the descriptions provided by the FBI and those news outlets.
No law enforcement agency has so far substantiated the note. The absence of direct communication with the possible kidnapper and the lack of a clear ransom demand is highly unusual, former FBI agents said.
Nanos has laid out the following timeline of events. All timestamps are in Mountain Time.
Saturday, Jan. 31
- 5:32 p.m.: Guthrie left her home in an Uber to go to Annie Guthrie’s home “for dinner and playing games with the family, just visiting,” Nanos said. Authorities spoke with that Uber driver, Nanos confirmed, though he did not provide specifics on that conversation.
- 9:48 p.m.: Guthrie was dropped off at home, where she employs staff but lives alone. The garage door opened at that time and it closed two minutes later.
Sunday, Feb. 1
- 1:47 a.m.: Guthrie’s doorbell camera disconnects. Nanos said that the doorbell camera has not been located and confirmed there were multiple cameras at the home.
- 2:12 a.m.: Software detected a person on camera, but there is no video available. It was not clear which camera detected the person. Nanos said the camera was not linked to a paid subscription. It’s possible an animal triggered the software, he said.
- 2:28 a.m.: Guthrie’s pacemaker disconnected from her phone.
- 11:56 a.m.: Guthrie’s family went to check on her at home and discovered she was missing.
- 12:03 p.m.: The family placed a 911 call, and deputies arrived about 10 minutes later.
What the investigation has found
Guthrie is believed to have been taken, possibly in the middle of the night, Nanos has said. The investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance, which involves local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, has so far not identified a motive
Blood found on the porch outside her home tested positive for her DNA, Nanos said. DNA from someone other than Guthrie and those in close contact with her was collected from somewhere on the property, and investigators were working to determine who it belongs to, the sheriff’s department said.
Nanos’ office has not commented on whether there were signs of forced entry at the property.
The case appeared to enter a new phase Feb. 10 after FBI Director Kash Patel released Google Nest doorbell camera screengrabs and video clips of a man wearing a ski mask and a holstered pistol outside Guthrie’s house the morning she went missing.
In one video, the man — whose eyes are visible through the holes in his mask — appears to tamper with the doorbell camera.
The FBI on Feb. 12 provided new identifying details about the man, referring to him as a suspect. The bureau described him as a man of average build, between 5’9” and 5’10”, wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
The Guthrie family’s emotional pleas
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie and Camron Guthrie, have posted a series of wrenching videos on Instagram about their mother and the investigation.
In a video Feb. 4, Savannah Guthrie tearfully pleaded with her mother’s possible captor to provide proof of life and return her safely. In a Feb. 5 video, the “TODAY” co-anchor directly addressed the possible kidnapper and asked that person to make contact with the family.
In a third video, posted Feb. 7, Savannah Guthrie said the family was willing to pay a for their loved one’s return.
“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” Savannah Guthrie said. “This is the only way we will have peace.”
“This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” she added.
In another video posted to Instagram on Feb. 9, Savannah Guthrie thanked the public for praying for her mother’s safe return and said the family believes she is “still out there.”
“We believe that somehow, some way, she is feeling these prayers and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place,” she said. “We believe our mom is still out there.”
On Feb. 12, Savannah Guthrie shared a clip from a home movie showing her mother and family. “our lovely mom,” the post said. “we will never give up on her. thank you for your prayers and hope.”
What we don’t know
Authorities have declined to provide specifics about a range of questions at the center of the investigation. Here are some of the key open questions and details that are either unknown or have not been made public.
- How someone could have entered Guthrie’s home at that hour.
- The location of her doorbell camera. Authorities on Feb. 5 said it had been removed.
- Whether any of the reported ransom notes are legitimate. They remain under investigation by the FBI.
- Whether Guthrie has the medication she needs to take daily.
