Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old woman who lived alone near Tucson, is believed to have been taken from her Catalina Foothills home in the middle of the night, law enforcement and family members say.
Investigators from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI have treated the residence as a crime scene after family members discovered her missing late that morning and after testing confirmed that blood found near the front door belonged to Guthrie.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos outlined a timeline that showed a doorbell camera was disconnected around 1:47 a.m., motion was detected on another camera about 2:12 a.m., and a bedside pacemaker monitor failed to transmit about 2:28 a.m., officials said.
The FBI later released screenshots and short video clips from a Google Nest doorbell showing a masked, armed individual tampering with the device, and described him as an average build between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall carrying a black Ozark Trail Hiker Pack.
Preliminary forensic work produced mixed results, authorities said. Early testing on gloves found about two miles from the property suggested an unknown male DNA profile not in FBI databases, and investigators said they were pursuing genetic genealogy on partial DNA recovered at the home.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department later said DNA from one recovered glove was traced to a local restaurant employee who is not considered part of the investigation, while other gloves and genetic evidence remain under analysis, officials said.
Investigation Moves and Public Response
The case has prompted a broad law enforcement response that included searches, a traffic stop that briefly detained a person of interest who was released, a warrant and property search in the region, and seizure of a vehicle for examination, authorities reported.
The family has posted tearful public appeals and released videos asking whoever has their mother to provide proof of life. Savannah Guthrie and her siblings said in one video the family was "ready to talk" and in another said "we will pay" for her safe return, according to news reports.
Multiple alleged ransom notes have surfaced in media outlets, but the FBI has not substantiated those letters, and authorities continue to treat them as investigatory leads rather than confirmed communications, officials said.
Reward offers have multiplied. The Guthrie family posted a $1 million reward for information that leads to Nancy’s recovery, the FBI offered $100,000 for information leading to recovery or arrest and conviction, and a Crime Stoppers fund managed by Michael Hupy lists a $102,500 reward and encourages anonymous tips through the Pima County affiliate at 520-882-7463.
The search and the handling of the investigation have drawn public scrutiny, and officials warned the public about fundraising scams tied to the case. Investigators continue to ask neighbors within a two-mile radius for any relevant footage or observations that might shed light on the disappearance.
