Nancy Guthrie, mother of ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since January 31. In what is believed to be an abduction, authorities shared CCTV footage and photos of a masked man on the porch of Nancy’s Arizona home the night she disappeared.
Jennifer Bond signs a banner that reads “Bring her home” and a photo of Nancy Guthrie, the kidnapped elderly mother of US television journalist Savannah Guthrie, in the KVOA newsroom, where Savannah worked early in her career, in Tucson, Arizona, US, February 12, 2026 (USUTRUTRS).As the desperate search for the 84-year-old entered its 13th day Friday, the FBI released new details on the abductor suspect.
Based on forensic evidence from doorbell cameras, the FBI described the man as “approximately 5’9″ – 5’10” tall, with an average build.
The agency also revealed that the man was “wearing a black, 25 liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack” when he was caught on CCTV.
“We hope this updated description will help focus on the public tips we are receiving. Since February 1, 2026, the FBI has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to this case,” the FBI said in a statement.
“Each tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement. Threat intake examiners and FBI personnel from the National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) are supporting a 24-hour command post where dozens of agents and investigators are assigned leads and tips to act on each tip.”
Additionally, the FBI doubled its reward for information leading to his location, from $50,000 to $100,000.
“Continue to submit information to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or http://tips.fbi.gov to help us bring Nancy home,” the FBI wrote.
FBI vs Sheriff?On Thursday, reports emerged that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is “blocking the FBI’s access to key evidence in the case.”
A law enforcement official told Reuters that the FBI wanted physical evidence in the case, including a glove and DNA from Nanos’ home, to be processed at the FBI’s National Crime Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. Nanos instead insisted on having the material analyzed by a private lab in Florida, according to the official.
Outsourcing forensic analysis to a contractor in Florida, rather than sending it to the FBI’s lab, is effectively denying the bureau access to critical evidence and delaying its ability to assist in investigations, the official said.
In an interview with KVOA-TV on Friday, Nanos dismissed the report as “not even close to the truth.”
He said he discussed sending the recently discovered gloves to the FBI’s lab but argued there was no need.
“I said, ‘No, why do that? Let’s send them all to where all the DNA exists, all the profiles and markers exist,'” Nanos explained. “They agreed, makes sense.”
