In the days since she was reported missing on Feb. 1, investigators from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI have worked to piece together what happened in the quiet Catalina Foothills neighborhood where she lived alone. The case has also resonated widely because Guthrie is the mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who has issued repeated public pleas for information.

Authorities say they are following thousands of tips after the FBI released videos showing a masked individual outside Guthrie’s front door on the morning she disappeared. While some early leads have not yielded arrests, officials say the investigation remains active and urgent.

New footage shows armed, masked individual at front door

The FBI on Tuesday released videos recovered from Guthrie’s doorbell camera, showing a person wearing a backpack and what appears to be a gun holster approaching the front porch. In the footage, a gloved hand appears to use nearby plants in an apparent attempt to obscure the camera’s view.

Investigators had earlier said no video was available because the doorbell camera did not have an active subscription. Digital forensic specialists later retrieved images from back-end systems that had been inaccessible, according to authorities.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the footage shows “an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance.” The sheriff’s department said the bureau received thousands of tips within 24 hours of the videos being made public.

The images quickly circulated online. Savannah Guthrie shared stills from the footage on social media with a plea: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home,” along with contact information for the FBI and local law enforcement.

Man questioned and released as search continues

On Tuesday night, deputies and FBI agents searched a property in Rio Rico, about an hour south of Tucson. A man who lives there was detained for questioning and later released.

The man told several media outlets that he had no connection to the case and described himself as a delivery worker in the Tucson area. Authorities have not publicly detailed why he was stopped or what prompted the search.

Law enforcement officials emphasized that questioning individuals is part of the normal investigative process and that no arrests have been made in connection with Guthrie’s disappearance.

Ransom notes investigated, but deadlines pass

Early in the investigation, multiple media outlets reported receiving ransom notes demanding money in exchange for Guthrie’s safe return. Authorities said the messages were being treated seriously and were under investigation.

Two deadlines mentioned in the notes have since passed without confirmation of contact from anyone claiming responsibility for the alleged abduction.

Over several days, the Guthrie family released a series of videos that appeared to respond directly to the ransom demands. In the first, posted Feb. 4, Savannah Guthrie addressed the unknown sender: “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.”

Her brother, Camron Guthrie, echoed that message in a second video the following day. In a third message, after another email related to the case was reportedly sent to a Tucson television station, Savannah Guthrie said: “We will pay.”

By Monday, however, her tone had shifted. Speaking alone and addressing the public rather than the suspected abductor, she said: “We are at an hour of desperation. We need your help.”

An FBI spokesperson said at the time that the agency was not aware of any ongoing communication between the family and whoever sent the messages.

A quiet neighborhood becomes a crime scene

Nancy Guthrie lived alone in the Catalina Foothills, an affluent desert neighborhood where homes are set back from the street behind long driveways, gates and dense vegetation. The relative isolation of properties in the area has complicated efforts to determine what may have happened and whether anyone witnessed suspicious activity.

Investigators have confirmed that blood was found on Guthrie’s front porch, reinforcing concerns that she may have been taken by force. Authorities have not released further forensic details.

The FBI has expanded public outreach beyond Arizona, placing digital billboards in cities across several western states and urging anyone with information to come forward.

National attention and appeals for information

The case has drawn interest at the highest levels of government. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had viewed the surveillance footage and urged anyone with information to contact the FBI.

Savannah Guthrie, who grew up in Tucson and began her journalism career there before joining NBC’s “Today” in 2011, has described her mother as “a loving woman of goodness and light.”

Her repeated appeals have amplified the search, with law enforcement crediting the public response for generating a surge of tips following the video release.

Authorities continue to ask anyone with information, no matter how minor it may seem, to contact the FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department as they work to determine what happened on the morning Nancy Guthrie disappeared.

Source: AP News – What to know about Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping and the race to find her

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