The Federal Bureau of Investigations has detained a suspect in the disappearance of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on Jan. 31, when she was dropped off at her $1 million Tucson, Arizona home after having dinner with daughter, Annie Guthrie, and son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni.
A family friend reported Nancy missing at noon on Sunday, Feb. 1, when she failed to show up at a friend’s home to watch CCTV video from Savannah Guthrie’s church service in New York City.
The suspect was detained during a traffic stop in Rio Rico, about an hour south of Tucson, Arizona. The town is about 15 miles from the Mexican border.
The suspect was taken into custody after the FBI released photos and videos of a masked suspect tampering with a doorbell camera at Nancy Guthrie’s residence on January 31.
New images in the search for Nancy Guthrie:
Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost,… pic.twitter.com/z5WLgPtZpT
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 10, 2026
The suspect is being questioned in connection with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, according to a statement released by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office stated there are “multiple suspects” in the case, but only one person is currently detained.
A heavy law enforcement presence – including SWAT teams – were observed entering businesses and homes near Nancy Guthrie’s residence in the Catalina Foothills on Tuesday.
Investigators are searching a Rio Rico property in Santa Cruz County.
Breaking: A woman tells CNN that her son-in-law Carlos was detained in Nancy Guthrie case.
She claims he does not resemble the subject in wanted FBI images.
“They came out telling us that they had somebody gave a tip that the lady was in my house. They're investigating my… pic.twitter.com/JYbkv5XX0o
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 11, 2026
Reporters spoke to the suspect’s mother-in-law, Josefina, who said police broke in her house without a warrant and seized all of their cell phones. She said her son-in-law, Carlos, works in Tucson delivering for FedEx or UPS.
There are rumors that Carlos may have sent ransom notes to gossip blog TMZ and a local Tucson news station demanding $6 million for Nancy’s safe return. The ransom notes were dismissed by law enforcement as not relevant to the case.
On Tuesday, TMZ reported “activity” in a Bitcoin wallet linked to the ransom note. At least $300 was deposited into the wallet, according to the outlet.
Veteran homicide investigator Paul Ciolino says he believes Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping was staged.
“I don’t think she was kidnapped,” Ciolino said in a livestream video. He noted that the alleged kidnappers never provided proof of life to the family before the deadline passed on Monday.
Savannah Guthrie released a third video on Monday pleading for help from the public.
“We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help,” she said in the video.
Savannah Guthrie: “No matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, 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. We are at an hour of desperation and we need your help.”
1-800-CALL-FBI pic.twitter.com/yX4pzTAljm— Jake Tapper ? (@jaketapper) February 9, 2026
