Arrest Made in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Investigation as Questions Persist

Authorities in the United States have questioned a person in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of prominent news anchor Samantha Guthrie, in a case that has drawn national attention.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department reported Tuesday that a person had been arrested for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson, Arizona. Officials said they were also carrying out a court-authorised search with the FBI at a property in Rio Rico, roughly an hour’s drive from Guthrie’s home and about 24 kilometres north of the US-Mexico border.

Beyond confirming the arrest for questioning, local and federal authorities have released few additional details.

Later Tuesday, local broadcaster ABC15 reported that it had interviewed a man identifying himself as “Carlos,” who claimed he had been detained by sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of kidnapping and then released.

“They didn’t even tell me what’s going on until the detectives got here… They told me I was being detained for kidnapping, and I asked them, ‘Kidnapping of who?’,” he said.

The arrest came shortly after the FBI released surveillance footage showing a person in a balaclava and wearing a handgun holster outside Nancy Guthrie’s front door on the night she disappeared from her Tucson home on February 1.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the “armed individual” seen in the black-and-white footage appeared to have “tampered” with a camera positioned at the front door. The images marked the first public glimpse of a potential suspect in the case.

Authorities had previously stated that they believe Guthrie was taken against her will. DNA tests revealed that blood found on her porch belonged to her. She is described as mentally sound but with limited mobility, and officials have repeatedly expressed concern about her health, noting that she takes several medications that she may not have access to.

Until Tuesday’s developments, investigators had appeared to make limited public progress. It remains unclear whether ransom notes demanding money, some with deadlines that have already passed, are authentic. Connor Hagan, an FBI spokesperson, said Monday that the agency was not aware of ongoing communication between the family and any suspected kidnappers.

Savannah Guthrie, co-host of NBC’s Today show, shared the newly released surveillance images on social media, saying that she and her two siblings believe their mother is still alive. The family has previously indicated a willingness to pay ransom.

Former FBI agent Katherine Schweit told The Associated Press that even limited footage can generate significant investigative momentum.

“Even when you have a person who appears to be completely covered, they’re really not. You can see their girth, the shape of their face, potentially their eyes or mouth,” she said.