A person briefly detained in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been released as federal and local authorities continue their search for what they describe as an “armed individual.”
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, deputies stopped and detained an individual during a traffic stop south of Tucson, Arizona, on Tuesday. The person was questioned and later released.
Law enforcement officials also executed a court-authorized search at a property in Rio Rico, approximately 60 miles south of Tucson, with assistance from the FBI’s Evidence Response Team. The search operation lasted several hours.
The developments came as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Director Kash Patel, released newly recovered surveillance images and video connected to the investigation.
The footage shows a masked individual wearing gloves, carrying a backpack, and armed with a holstered handgun at the front door of Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson-area residence around the time authorities believe she was abducted on February 1.
Patel stated that the footage had initially been inaccessible due to removed or damaged recording devices but was later recovered from residual backend system data with the help of private-sector partners.
Investigators allege that the individual appears to have tampered with the doorbell camera system before Nancy Guthrie disappeared.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously said that the doorbell camera at Guthrie’s home disconnected at 1:47 a.m. on February 1. At 2:12 a.m., camera software detected a person on the property.
At 2:28 a.m., the app connected to Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker disconnected from her cellphone, which was found inside the residence.
The Guthrie family was shown the images before they were publicly released.
Savannah Guthrie later posted the photos on social media, urging the public to come forward with information and expressing hope that her mother remains alive. “We believe she is still out there. Bring her home,” she wrote.
Over the weekend, the family reported receiving a ransom demand in bitcoin from individuals claiming to be responsible for the abduction.
The deadline for payment passed Monday evening.
In a video message, Savannah Guthrie said the family was willing to comply in order to secure her mother’s safe return.
The FBI later confirmed that it was not aware of continued communication between the family and the suspected abductors.
The bureau stated that it has not formally identified a suspect or person of interest at this time.
Additional personnel from FBI field offices nationwide have been deployed to assist in the investigation, and a 24-hour command post has been established in the Tucson area.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the case and is reviewing the newly released footage.
She said the administration is encouraging anyone with information to contact authorities.
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has drawn national attention, with law enforcement agencies continuing to appeal to the public for assistance.
Authorities emphasize that even a single piece of information could prove critical in locating her and bringing the case to a resolution.
