The mother-in-law of a man detained by police in Arizona overnight in connection with the Nancy Guthrie case said Tuesday night that her family had nothing to do with the missing woman.
The woman, who identified herself as Josefina when speaking to NewsNation, said her son-in-law was in her home in Rio Rico when police detained him.
“When we got home, we found out that they took my son out. They went inside, they bust the doors from my house, they went inside and took my son to the living room and had him handcuffed,” she said, adding that she asked if officers had a search warrant, which they said they did not need.
“I saw it on Facebook, but since I don’t know her, I didn’t read what was going on,” she said of Guthrie.
The man was later released, telling reporters Wednesday morning that he was terrified by the ordeal.
Why It Matters
The detention on Tuesday was the latest twist in a missing persons case that has seemingly stumped investigators and drawn attention from across the country—largely because Guthrie’s daughter, Savannah, is one of the nation’s most-watched morning TV hosts on NBC’s Today. Eleven days into the case, authorities have seemingly had few leads on who or how the 84-year-old was abducted.
… | AP Photo/Ty ONeil
What To Know
Speaking to reporter Brian Entin on Tuesday night, Josefina said law enforcement took her phone, along with devices belonging to her husband, daughter, and grandchildren.
She explained that her son-in-law works in Tucson, where Guthrie is from, delivering packages, and that she had told law enforcement they could speak to his employer if needed.
Entin then showed her photos from Guthrie’s doorbell camera, showing a man in a balaclava, which had been released by the FBI, and asked her if they looked anything like her son-in-law, which she denied.
“No, that’s not him,” she said. “Nope, I can assure you, it’s not him.”
Authorities were back near Guthrie’s neighborhood on Tuesday, using vehicles to block her driveway. A few miles away, law enforcement was going door-to-door in the area where daughter Annie Guthrie lives, talking with neighbors and walking through a drainage area, then examining the inside of a culvert with a flashlight.
For over a week, investigators have said they believe Guthrie was taken against her will and was last seen at her home on January 31.
What People Are Saying
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Fox News on Tuesday night: “I will say, we have made substantial progress in the last 36, 48 hours thanks to the technical capabilities of the FBI and our partnerships. And I do believe we are looking at people who, as we say, are persons of interest. But as you know with any investigation, you are a person of interest until you are either eliminated or you’re actually found to be the culprit or culprits involved and that’s the safe we’re at right now.”
Savannah Guthrie posted on Instagram, alongside images of the apparent kidnapper, on Tuesday: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”
What Happens Next
The FBI has offered a $5,000 reward for information. The search for Guthrie continued Wednesday morning.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.
Correction 2/11/26, 10:57 a.m. ET: This article’s headline was updated to state that she is the man’s mother-in-law, not mother. The article was also updated to correct the spelling of the woman’s name. It is Josefina, not Josephina.
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A more detailed timeline is emerging more than one week into the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, who investigators say appears to have been kidnapped from her Tucson, Arizona, home.
Here’s a timeline of the mysterious case:
Saturday, Jan. 31
5:32 p.m.: Nancy Guthrie took an Uber to her daughter’s home for dinner, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. Investigators have spoken with the Uber driver, he said.
9:48 p.m.: Nancy Guthrie was dropped off at home by her family, Nanos said. Her garage door opened at approximately 9:48 p.m. and her garage door closed at 9:50 p.m., he said.
An image provided by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Feb. 2, 2026, shows missing person, Nancy Guthrie.
Pima County Sheriff’s Department via AP
Sunday, Feb. 1
Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted in her sleep early Sunday morning, according to the sheriff’s department.
1:47 a.m.: Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera disconnected, the sheriff said.
2:12 a.m.: The camera software detected a person on camera, but no video is available, the sheriff said. “They had no subscription and therefore it would rewrite itself, kind of — it just kind of loops right and covers up,” the sheriff said. “That’s what our analysis teams have told us. We’re not done with that.” The sheriff said there were multiple cameras at the home.
2:28 a.m.: Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker app disconnected from her phone, Nanos said.
A view of Nancy Guthrie’s house after the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona, February 5, 2026.
Evan Garcia/Reuters
Nancy Guthrie case: Former FBI agent analyzes mysterious abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mom
Approximately 11 a.m.: Someone who attends church with Nancy Guthrie called the family to report that the 84-year-old never made it to services, the sheriff said.
11:56 a.m.: Relatives responded to Nancy Guthrie’s home and discovered she was missing, the sheriff said.
12:03 p.m.: The family called 911, the sheriff said.
A timeline of the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie released by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office on Feb 5, 2026.
Pima County Sheriff’s Office
Monday, Feb. 2
The sheriff pleaded with the public for help at a news conference on Monday, saying Nancy Guthrie “did not leave on her own.”
Savannah Guthrie — who traveled to Tucson — spoke out on social media on Monday, saying, “Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. … Bring her home.”
Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie, June 15, 2023.
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
Savannah Guthrie’s friends speak out amid search for missing mom Nancy Guthrie
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Nanos faced reporters again on Tuesday, offering little new information and saying Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts and a potential motive remained unknown.
The sheriff’s office did confirm on Tuesday that it was reviewing possible ransom notes.
Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos, speaks to the media, February 3, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona.
Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images
Wednesday, Feb. 4
On Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings spoke out in a heart-wrenching video and directly addressed their mother’s potential abductors.
“We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media,” they said. “As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. 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.”
To their mom, they said, “Everyone is looking for you, Mommy, everywhere. We will not rest.”
A Pima County Sheriff’s Office deputy stands outside of the home of Nancy Guthrie, February 8, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona.
Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Thursday, Feb. 5
On Thursday, the sheriff said there was still no suspect or person of interest. The FBI on Thursday announced a $50,000 reward.
Savannah Guthrie’s brother, Camron Guthrie, said in a video on Thursday, “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. 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.”
Friday, Feb. 6
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said investigators were examining a new message regarding Nancy Guthrie and were “actively inspecting” it for authenticity.
Authorities didn’t say what the message said, but sources told ABC News a note was sent to a local media outlet and it’s being taken seriously by law enforcement.
An aerial view shows the home of Nancy Guthrie on February 7, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona.
Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Saturday, Feb. 7
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings posted a video to social media saying they have received a message and are willing to pay.
The message from the person claiming to be the kidnapper was sent to a local media outlet and contained a Feb. 9 deadline for the Guthrie family to pay a ransom in bitcoin. Investigators said they were taking the message seriously but could not confirm its authenticity.
“We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us … This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” they said.
The message they referenced is the same message the FBI and sheriff said they were studying, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
Monday, Feb. 9
Savannah Guthrie spoke directly to the camera in an Instagram video on Monday, asking the public for help.
“We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help,” she said.
“We believe our mom is still out there. … She was taken, and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” she said. “So I’m coming on just to ask you … no matter where you are … if you see anything, if you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement.”
U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie speaks in a video message, thanking supporters and asking for help in locating her elderly mother, Nancy Guthrie, February 9, 2026.
Savannah Guthrie/Instagram via Reuters
Over the weekend, faced with a demand for a bitcoin ransom and a Monday deadline by someone claiming to be Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings said they’d pay for their mother’s return.
An unverified deadline for the Guthrie family to pay the ransom, which was included in an message sent to a local media outlet by a person claiming to be the kidnapper, came and went on Monday afternoon. Investigators said they took the message seriously, but could not confirm its authenticity.
A rock left by supporters reads “please pray, bring her home” at the home of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her home in Tucson, February 9, 2026.
Rebecca Noble/Reuters
In her Instagram video on Monday, Savannah Guthrie did not mention the possible ransom demands.
“The FBI is not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or a person of interest in this case at this time,” the FBI said in a statement Monday night.
Tuesday, Feb. 10
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the FBI, detained an individual for questioning in connection with the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, authorities said.
The person was detained during a traffic stop, the sheriff’s department said. Authorities also carried out a search at a location in Rio Rico, south of Tucson.
Earlier Tuesday, investigators released new images and video of an “armed individual” in the search for Nancy Guthrie.
“[L]aw enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in his post.
FBI Director Kash Patel released a surveillance photo, Feb. 10, 2026 showing a potential subject in investigation of the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Az.
@FBIDirectorKash/X
Sheriff’s officials block the entrance to a road where a home was being searched in Rio Rico, Arizona, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in connection to the investigation of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
The Associated Press
Savannah Guthrie posted the images to her Instagram account, with the message, “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”
Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.
