The search for Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, took another turn Wednesday as a person of interest initially detained by authorities in Arizona was released after questioning. The developments come amid a continuing investigation into the 84-year-old’s disappearance from her Tucson home on February 1st.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Tuesday evening that a subject had been detained during a traffic stop south of Tucson, prompting speculation about a potential breakthrough in the case. However, that hope proved short-lived. Early Wednesday morning, a man identifying himself as Carlos told reporters he had been questioned and released. He stated he was unaware of Guthrie’s identity and denied any involvement in her abduction. “I didn’t do anything… I’m innocent,” he said, according to CBS News reporting.
Authorities have yet to officially confirm Carlos’s account or that he was, in fact, the person of interest they had been questioning. Both the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI have been contacted for comment regarding Carlos’s claims, but have not yet responded.
The release of the individual followed a flurry of activity on Tuesday, including the FBI’s release of surveillance images and video footage depicting a masked person at Guthrie’s front door on the night she vanished. The images, recovered from the home’s security camera system, show an individual wearing a ski mask and gloves, appearing to tamper with the camera. The FBI and sheriff’s department collaborated with Google to recover the footage, which had been initially lost or corrupted.
The FBI Director, Kash Patel, described the individual as “armed” in a statement, adding to the urgency of the investigation. The release of the images prompted a widespread search and canvassing of the neighborhood, as well as the erection of billboards across Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Texas, pleading for Guthrie’s safe return.
Despite the increased efforts and the initial detention, Nancy Guthrie remains missing. A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed early Wednesday that the search continues, with no signs of Guthrie found during a search of a home in Rio Rico, Arizona, linked to the person of interest. The home is owned by Josefina Maddox, who told reporters her son-in-law was being questioned but insisted he had no involvement in Guthrie’s disappearance. Maddox stated her son-in-law is a delivery driver and that investigators had found nothing incriminating during their search.
The investigation has also drawn attention from the White House, with a senior Trump administration official stating that the situation in Tucson is being closely monitored. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously indicated that President Trump had reviewed the surveillance footage and expressed “pure disgust” at the circumstances surrounding Guthrie’s disappearance.
The case took a particularly concerning turn given Guthrie’s need for daily medication, a detail shared by her family in their public pleas for her return. A ransom note demanding payment in Bitcoin had also surfaced, though an FBI spokesperson indicated Tuesday that investigators were not aware of any continued communication from the alleged abductors after a deadline passed on Monday.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to urge anyone with information regarding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance to contact them directly at 520-351-4900 or to submit tips to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov. The investigation remains active and ongoing, with authorities pursuing all available leads in the hopes of securing Guthrie’s safe return.
The situation remains fluid, and further updates are expected as the investigation progresses. The focus now shifts back to identifying the masked individual seen in the surveillance footage and determining their connection, if any, to Nancy Guthrie’s abduction.
