A person has reportedly been detained in connection with the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of a prominent TV news anchor. The race to find the 84-year-old is topping headlines across the country.
A person has been taken into custody in the southwestern US state of Arizona as part of the investigation into the apparent abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC journalist and “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, officials said on Tuesday.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the person was taken into custody during a traffic stop near the city of Tucson, where Nancy Guthrie lived.
Authorities provided no additional details, and it remained unclear whether the person detained was the same one seen on door camera images from Guthrie’s house, which were released earlier on Tuesday.
What do we know of Guthrie’s disappearance?
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home hours after relatives dropped her off there on January 31.
Relatives reported her missing the following day after she did not show up as expected for Sunday church services. Law enforcement officials have said they have had no major progress in solving the case so far.
The photos and video released by the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department showed a person in a full-face balaclava described as an “armed individual.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said last week that the camera outside the home was disabled in the early hours of February 1. Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from her phone around the same time.
What did investigators say of the surveillance images?
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in an X post that the images released on Tuesday were “previously inaccessible” and were pulled from data located in backend systems.
The images, dated from the morning of her disappearance, were the first major break in the investigation that so far has turned up more questions than answers.
“This will get the phone ringing for lots of potential leads,” former FBI agent Katherine Schweit told the Associated Press.
“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. You can see a gait that people around that person may recognize immediately,” she said.
What has Guthrie’s family said?
Morning show anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have made several videos pleading for help with leads, and have asked for the kidnappers to return their mother or communicate with them directly.
At least two ransom notes were delivered initially to news media and Nancy Guthrie’s family said it received ransom payment demands and would be willing to pay, according to the FBI.
On Tuesday, Savannah Guthrie posted the new images on Instagram with the caption: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”
Over the weekend, a cryptic video posted by the Guthrie family led to more speculation about the case.
“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” said Savannah Guthrie, flanked by her siblings. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
On Monday, FBI spokesperson Connor Hagan said that the agency was not aware of any communication between the suspected kidnappers and the Guthrie family. No suspects had yet been identified, he added.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
DW News
