What we covered
• Law enforcement activity: An operation linked to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance Friday night ended without any arrests. More than a dozen vehicles, including those from SWAT and forensics, were seen at the location before roads reopened after about four hours.
• DNA being tested: Investigators found DNA at Guthrie’s property that doesn’t belong to her or those close to her, officials said yesterday. It’s being tested, along with several gloves found as far as 10 miles away from the residence.
• Details on suspect emerge: The FBI described the suspect seen in doorbell footage as a 5’9”-5’10” tall male with an average build and wearing an Ozark Trail Hiker backpack.
• Got information? Authorities have encouraged anyone with information or tips to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI, 88-CRIME, 520-351-4900, Pima County Sheriff’s Department or the FBI.
As search drags on, community rallies around the Guthrie family. Here’s where things stand
After Friday’s law enforcement activity failed to produce a breakthrough in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the Tucson community has continued showing support for the 84-year-old’s family.
It’s been more than a week without a news conference from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, and Guthrie’s neighbors are desperate for more information from law enforcement.
Here’s where things stand:
- Law enforcement operation: Friday night’s search warrant ultimately yielded no arrests. Similar operations could become more frequent as investigators sort through leads, according to CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller, as officers have to move fast in case a rescue is needed. Investigators are sifting through more than 30,000 tips that they’ve received since the case began.
- DNA and gloves under analysis: Investigators are working to determine whose DNA was found at Guthrie’s property — it doesn’t belong to her or those close to her. Gloves found as far as 10 miles from her home are also being tested.
- Suspect’s profile: The FBI released doorbell footage showing a masked figure outside Guthrie’s front door, describing the suspect as a male approximately 5’9” to 5’10” tall with an average build. The man was wearing dark clothing, black gloves, sneakers and a black, 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.
- Streamers in the spotlight: As the search enters its third week, true‑crime streamers have descended on Arizona to broadcast near Guthrie’s home. While they argue their presence keeps attention on the case, investigators say some of the aggressive, rumor‑driven coverage has been unhelpful.
- Community grief: Tucson residents continue to fill the growing tribute outside Guthrie’s home with flowers, candles, notes and small tokens as they hold out hope for her safe return.
Former FBI special agent says "fairly routine" to see people detained as investigators follow leads
With investigators probing Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance parsing through thousands of tips, retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Richard Kolko tells CNN it would be “fairly routine” to see people temporarily detained and released.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed today a federal court-ordered search warrant was carried out at a residence last night “based on a lead” investigators received but no arrests were made.
How genetic genealogy could come into play in Nancy Guthrie case, according to experts
As investigators work to determine who the DNA they have in the Nancy Guthrie case belongs to, they may turn to genetic genealogy to give them a lead, experts say.
The powerful forensic method has spread widely among law enforcement investigators over the past few years.
Criminal investigators can take an unknown DNA profile and upload it to a public database to learn about the person’s family members. Investigators can then use the genealogical information and other evidence to build back through the family tree and identify potential suspects.
Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI assistant director, said officials likely already ruled out that the DNA belonged to Guthrie’s family members or others who were in the house for other reasons. It also did not pull any matches with known offenders in the FBI’s database, he said.
Now, investigators may be “reaching out to various private sector databases to see if someone might be related to the DNA sample that they have,” he said.
Genetic genealogy has been used successfully in several other high-profile cases, including that of Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to killing four University of Idaho students in 2022.
Even if the DNA does not ultimately belong to a suspect, it still could provide officials with a critical new lead to find Guthrie, said Bryanna Fox, a former FBI agent.
“That could be a huge break,” she said.
Remember: Investigators found DNA at Guthrie’s property that doesn’t belong to her or those close to her, officials said. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CNN Friday the lab they’re working with already has DNA from Guthrie, her family, her landscaper and housekeeper.
CNN’s Eric Levenson contributed reporting to this post.
True crime streamers "keep the attention" on Nancy Guthrie's disappearance
As the search for Nancy Guthrie continues into its second week, true crime streamers and podcasters have descended on Arizona alongside traditional media outlets.
John DePetro, who has more than 250,000 followers across TikTok and Facebook, flew to Arizona from his home in Rhode Island just three days after news of Guthrie’s disappearance broke. DePetro, who doesn’t have a law enforcement background, does ride alongs with local police and participates in a fugitive task force.
Tens of thousands of people have tuned into his live streams, and even more will watch later. He said his moment-by-moment videos are “for the people that can’t get enough of it.”
Andy Signore of Popcorned Planet has been streaming about the case from his home in Tampa, Florida, to his YouTube following of more than 950,000. While in Tucson visiting family, he covered the scene in person. The area surrounding Guthrie’s home, where live streamers have gathered, is an “intense setup,” he told CNN’s Leigh Waldman, and the work the streamers are doing is “really important.”
“We want transparency,” he said. The streamers, Signore said, are “keeping their boots on the ground, to keep the attention on the case, to try to find any loose ends.”
There is recognition that “the breakthrough tip could come from anyone, from anywhere,” as one person involved in the investigation told CNN’s Brian Stelter
But there have been times throughout the investigation when the aggressive, anything-goes social media coverage has been “unhelpful,” the person said.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has repeatedly tried to tamp down rumors about the purported existence of a “prime suspect” and has asked people not to spread unsubstantiated info. “Social media’s kind of an ugly world sometimes,” Sheriff Chris Nanos said last week.
Community members continue to show support for Guthrie family as the agonizing search drags on
Tucson residents have been visiting the makeshift tribute site in front of the home of Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing for two weeks, leaving flowers, notes and even a cherub as they hope for her safe return.
Eduardo Ortiz, a local resident, said he felt compelled to pay his respects. “We’ve been following the story on the news and we feel bad, our hearts are really, really down,” Ortiz told CNN. “We see (Savannah Guthrie) every day on the ‘Today’ show and she’s part of our family on the show, so we felt that we had to come out here.”
Ortiz expressed anger and sorrow over Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance: “I don’t understand it. Why would somebody want to hurt somebody like that?”
“I hope they find her alive, and I hope they find her healthy and they get the guy that did this to her,” he said.
Susie Gray, who lives just four miles from Guthrie’s home, was seen placing a cherub from her garden at the tribute site. “It’s supposed to bring peace and protection,” she told CNN. “I know how Savannah and Nancy have so much faith in their God … I just want them to know how much we all love them and how Tucson has pulled together for them.”
Gray described the pain of watching the case unfold so close to home and said she has “felt so hopeless.”
On Saturday, a neighbor who says her mother played mahjong with Nancy Guthrie lit candles and laid mahjong tiles at the tribute site by Nancy’s mailbox.
“It’s just kind of an unfathomable horror, I just can’t imagine what the family is going through,” the neighbor said. “It’s pretty shocking, this is a really quiet neighborhood.”
Residents like Ortiz and Gray continue to plead for answers, their frustration mounting as the search stretches into its 14th day, describing the wait as emotionally devastating.
“We want her home,” Gray said. “I wish we could get some sign of what’s going on, some clue, some big clue.”
No arrests after last night's search near Nancy Guthrie's home. Here's what else we know
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed today that a federal court-ordered search warrant was carried out at a residence Friday night in connection with the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. No arrests were made during the search, which was “based on a lead” investigators received.
Law enforcement operations like these could become more frequent as investigators sort through leads, law enforcement analyst John Miller told CNN’s Michael Smerconish today.
Here’s what we know:
- Suspect’s physical profile: The FBI released doorbell footage showing a masked figure outside Guthrie’s front door, describing the suspect as a male approximately 5’9” to 5’10” tall with an average build. The man was wearing dark clothing, black gloves, sneakers and a black, 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack, the bureau said.
- DNA discovered: Forensic teams uncovered DNA at Guthrie’s home that does not match her or anyone in her immediate circle. Authorities said it is currently undergoing laboratory analysis, along with multiple pieces of evidence including several gloves, which were found as far as 10 miles away.
- Tips and more tips: More than 30,000 tips have flooded in since the case began two weeks ago, and authorities say each lead is being carefully assessed.
Here’s how Guthrie’s community is reacting to her absence:
- Guthrie is a leader, friend says: Guthrie’s sudden and shocking absence has left a hole not only in the lives of her family, but the many people who she worked with to advance causes she cared deeply about.
- Flowers a little different this Valentine’s Day: A memorial of candles and yellow roses is growing outside of her home as the community rallies together.
CNN’s Alaa Elassar, Ray Sanchez, Elizabeth Wolfe, Leigh Waldman, Joel Williams and Jay McMichael contributed to this report.
Suspect has to be "looking over his shoulder," former FBI special agent says
While Friday’s late-night law enforcement operation related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie did not lead to an arrest, a former FBI hostage negotiator called the development “great news.”
“They’re following every lead, every tip, anybody that calls in. And if it sounds like it’s verifiable, it has a possibility of producing results, they’re going to go,” Chip Massey told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, referring to investigators.
“We like seeing that. I know it’s disappointing for the family, of course, heartbreaking. But for everyone else, it’s an encouraging sign.”
Other positive signs include DNA found at Guthrie’s property that doesn’t belong to her or those close to her, and an image of a suspect captured in doorbell footage.
“Now that we have these, there is nobody that’s more afraid right now than the captor,” Massey said. “This world has gotten very, very small, and he’s operating under fear, under huge stress. Every movement that he makes, every time he’s out in public, perhaps, he’s got to be looking over his shoulder.”
Investigators, on the other hand, are “locked in” and “methodical” in assessing and analyzing the mounting leads in the two-week-old case, according to Massey.
“The advantage for us right now is on our side,” the former FBI special agent said. “I am not at all upset that this has taken a little bit longer.”
Take the "leap" and call police if you think you could help, retired FBI agent says
With chilling video showing an armed man outside Nancy Guthrie’s home, it’s important to pick up the phone and call law enforcement if you recognize something, retired FBI agent Richard Kolko told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.
Kolko said the man’s “gait,” or his walk away from the camera, could be significant to that person’s recognition.
“Somebody recognizes the way that person moved,” Kolko said, but people might not “make that leap” to call law enforcement. That could be because they’re “afraid to get involved” or don’t want to embarrass someone they might be wrong about.
That’s why rewards are important to “bridge that gap” to encourage people to call, Kolko said.
The FBI increased the reward from $50,000 to $100,000 for information that helps find Guthrie, or an arrest and conviction of those involved in her disappearance.
CNN’s Taylor Romine contributed to this report.
No detail is too minor as investigators assess tips
When it comes to investigative leads into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, no detail is too small.
“Here’s a tip that we used to get when I was taking these calls, ‘Hey, we think we saw this person at… just some random place,’” retired FBI supervisory special agent Jason Pack told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield today.
“But a better tip is, ‘Hey, I had a neighbor that I haven’t seen in a while, and he has a backpack and all these types of things.’ These more specific details are the ones that get pushed to the top,” he added.
“The agents and the analysts are going through these tips, and they’re looking for these more specific details. They’re going to look at all of them, but they’re looking for these ones with the more specific details to put at the top of the list.”
Pack said “every eyeball in the country and, in fact, probably the world” is monitoring the developments in the high-profile case.
“You’re going to get a lot of tips and it’s going to be up to the agents, the analysts and the deputies to sort through those and make sure they’re actioning the right ones,” Pack said.
Law enforcement activity such as Friday night’s search warrant could become more frequent
Law enforcement operations like Friday night’s search warrant and questioning of a person could become more frequent as investigators sort through leads in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
“Ultimately this lead washed out. That individual was released. It’s another dead end,” Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller told CNN’s Michael Smerconish on Saturday. “I want to point out we may see a couple more of these as this goes on.”
The law enforcement activity saw officers converging on two locations near Guthrie’s home last night and concluded without any arrests, a law enforcement official told Miller.
The operation involved a federal court-ordered search warrant that was carried out at a residence. No arrests were made during the search, which was “based on a lead” received by investigators, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said.
Miller said the nature of a kidnapping investigation – unlike other crimes where law enforcement can be more deliberate – involves a victim and requires officers to move fast in case a rescue is needed.
More than 30,000 tips have flooded in since the case began, and authorities say each lead is being carefully assessed as they work to identify a man captured on doorbell footage.
Local flower shop helps Tucson show support for Guthrie family
Following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie the Tucson community has shown their support by purchasing yellow flowers, a symbol of hope, from local flower shops.
A memorial of candles and yellow roses is growing outside of Nancy Guthrie’s home as her community rallies together.
Most of the flowers are coming from a flower shop less than a mile away from where she lives. President of Casa Adobes Flower Shop Matt Biggs says the yellow roses represent hope and support.
“People want to send a message of hope to the Guthrie family, and this is one way that they can do it without physically being here or physically going over there,” Biggs said.
Biggs describes Tucson as a big little town, where everyone feels connected and touched by Guthrie’s disappearance. He says they’re waiting with bated breath for her to come home.
“Everybody’s scared about this whole thing. It’s still hard to believe what’s happened,” Biggs said. “We’re all hoping that Nancy comes home and that they find her soon.”
Federal warrant executed in Nancy Guthrie investigation, no arrests made
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that a federal court-ordered search warrant was carried out at a residence Friday night in connection with the ongoing investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
No arrests were made during the search, which was “based on a lead” received by investigators, the sheriff’s department said in a news release Saturday.
Law enforcement also conducted a traffic stop related to the investigation, questioning one individual, but no arrests were made. Officials have not released any additional details at this time.
Guthrie's absence has left a hole in her community, longtime friend says
Nancy Guthrie’s sudden and shocking absence has left a hole not only in the lives of her family but the many people who she worked with to advance causes she cared deeply about.
Guthrie’s longtime friend, Jacqueline Sharkey, said the 84-year-old is a constant, unifying force in the organizations she is a part of, including her church and local advocacy groups.
Guthrie’s disappearance has left a “tremendous tear in the fabric of the community,” Sharkey said on “AC360.”
Sharkey met Guthrie through her daughter, Savannah, after she was Savannah’s journalism professor at the University of Arizona. Nancy Guthrie later became a vital contributor to the college’s journalist advisory council. In the 90s, the two women were part of a small group that successfully organized to keep the state’s poison information hotline up and running when it was facing budget cuts, she said.
“When I think of Nancy, I think of someone who lives a life based on values,” Sharkey said. “She was devoted to her faith, she was devoted to the truth, she was devoted to justice, she was devoted to kindness.”
“Our hope is that when Nancy comes back, she can continue to show us how to live a life that’s meaningful.”
Guthrie neighbor questions if FBI involvement came too late
As we reach the two-week mark of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, her neighbors are desperate for more information from law enforcement. It’s been more than a week without a news conference from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.
“Absolutely wish they were giving more information,” Steve Lippman, a neighbor of Guthrie’s, told CNN. “I think the sheriff is a very experienced veteran of law enforcement, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s experienced with what this case is all about.”
CNN previously reported that the FBI was “fully engaged” and offering resources to local authorities by February 2. However, Lippman wondered if the FBI’s involvement in the case came too late.
“They invited the FBI in, or the FBI came in pretty quickly. But maybe it wasn’t quite quickly enough,” he said.
“The neighborhood has been portrayed as pretty remote and isolated, and you know we’re 10 minutes from downtown Tucson,” Lippman said. “It’s spread out, desert landscape, so it’s very difficult probably to find any type of clues.”
The narrow street in front of Guthrie’s home has become a parking lot for local and national media in the past two weeks as reporters work to gather information on her disappearance.
Lippman says he doesn’t feel the presence is intrusive to their community. Instead, he thinks everyone has the same underlying wish: to see Nancy home safely.
“They’re here, they really are caring about this,” Lippman said. “It doesn’t seem like the media is detached, and they really, I think, have become almost emotionally invested in this as well. And I think that’s really pretty awesome because I think it leads to probably better reporting.”
What we know about the suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
Two weeks into the search for Nancy Guthrie, investigators have revealed only limited, yet potentially crucial, details about the person seen in doorbell footage outside her home the morning she vanished. Investigators have not publicly named a suspect.
Here’s what we know:
Suspect’s physical profile
- After conducting a forensic review of the doorbell camera footage released by the FBI showing a masked man outside Guthrie’s front door, the bureau described the suspect as a male approximately 5’9” to 5’10” tall with an average build.
- The man was wearing dark clothing, black gloves, sneakers and a black, 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack. The FBI will investigate how many of these backpacks were sold and when, Joshua Skule, former FBI executive assistant director for intelligence, told CNN.
Clues and key findings
- Investigators have confirmed forensic teams uncovered DNA at Guthrie’s home that does not match her or anyone in her immediate circle. Authorities have not revealed where on the property the genetic material was found, but say it is currently undergoing laboratory analysis.
- If the DNA profile belongs to someone with a prior criminal record already in law enforcement databases, it could significantly accelerate efforts to identify a suspect, CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller noted.
- Investigators also recovered multiple pieces of evidence, including several gloves — one discovered up to 10 miles from Guthrie’s residence — all of which are being forensically analyzed.
No identified suspects
- No suspect has been named.
- On February 10, law enforcement detained and questioned a man in Rio Rico, Arizona, for hours before releasing him. That same day, FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators are examining “persons of interest,” but declined to say who may be under suspicion.
- A law enforcement sweep near Guthrie’s home Friday night ended without any arrests, a law enforcement official told CNN. More than a dozen vehicles, including SWAT and forensic teams, converged on a residence about two miles from Guthrie’s property. Authorities questioned a man, but released him after determining he was not the kidnapper. Officials said he fully cooperated.
Meanwhile, more than 30,000 tips have flooded in since the case began, and authorities say each lead is being carefully assessed as they work to identify the man captured on doorbell footage.
Timeline: What has happened so far in the two-week-long search for Nancy Guthrie
As the desperate search for Nancy Guthrie reaches the two-week mark, here’s a look at the key moments following her disappearance:
- January 31: Nancy Guthrie spends an evening with family over dinner and card games. Her son-in-law drives her back to her secluded desert home around 9:50 p.m., and she is not seen since.
- February 1: Her doorbell camera is disconnected at 1:47 a.m., followed by unusual movement detected on surveillance. Data later shows her pacemaker app disconnected at 2:28 a.m. Her family discovers her missing around noon. Her blood is found by investigators on the front porch.
- February 3: Media outlets including TMZ and CNN affiliates KGUN and KOLD receive purported ransom letters demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin for her return, with deadlines set for February 5 and February 9.
- February 4: In an emotional video posted to Instagram, Savannah Guthrie – flanked by her siblings Annie and Camron – beg for their mother to be returned home, asking the purported ransomers for proof she’s still alive.
- February 5: Camron Guthrie issues another plea in a video posted on social media as the first deadline given in the ransom note passes. The FBI, now working the case with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, announces a $50,000 reward.
- February 7: On the one-week mark of Guthrie’s disappearance, her three children say to her possible captor in a new social media video: “We will pay.”
- February 12: The FBI releases a description of the suspect seen in footage captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera: an approximately 5’9” to 5’10”-tall male with an average build. The FBI doubles the reward for information to $100,000.
- February 13: Investigators have found DNA at Guthrie’s property that does not belong to her or anyone close to her, officials said. Later Friday, authorities conduct an operation at a residence near Guthrie’s home, but it ends without any arrests, a law enforcement official said.
Read more about the timeline of key developments in the case.
CNN’s Danya Gainor, Chelsea Bailey and Karina Tsui contributed to this report.
What family members and officials have said about Nancy Guthrie's health
Nancy Guthrie is in fragile health, as noted in Savannah Guthrie’s emotional video last Wednesday in which she pleaded with whoever has her mother to reach out.
“Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. Her health, her heart is fragile,” Savannah said in the tearful video message.
Nancy Guthrie is in “constant pain” and needs medication to prevent suffering and to survive, her daughter said. She is without that medication, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Nancy has a pacemaker, according to a source briefed on the investigation. She is “of great sound mind” but has limited mobility and “couldn’t walk 50 yards,” Nanos has said.
“The clock is ticking here because the victim is so uniquely vulnerable due to her age, due to her physical ailments and things of that nature,” Andrew McCabe, CNN senior law enforcement analyst and former deputy director of the FBI, said last Thursday. “The stress of being detained in the way she likely is, is just enormous for anyone, and particularly for … an older person like her.”
Authorities previously said deputies checked pharmacies and local hospitals for any sign of the woman or an effort to get medication for her.
No news conferences planned in Nancy Guthrie investigation, sheriff's department says
There are no news conferences currently planned in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told CNN Saturday morning.
The sheriff’s department has said it won’t hold a news conference unless there are significant developments in the investigation.
Last night's law enforcement operation ended without any arrests, law enforcement official says
The law enforcement operation that saw officers converging on two locations near Nancy Guthrie’s home last night concluded without any arrests, a law enforcement official told CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller.
Law enforcement questioned one man but released him, believing him not to be the kidnapper, the official said. The man was cooperative.
“We may see a couple more of these as this goes on,” Miller said.
Because it’s a kidnapping investigation with “a victim in the balance,” law enforcement will likely “move faster” than in other criminal investigations, Miller said.
“I think we saw that again last night, but this particular lead is not going to go any further,” he said.
