We Don't Know Anything About The Nancy Guthrie Case

Thirteen days later, the whereabouts of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie remain unknown.

The mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie went missing the night of January 31 from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in what police believe was a kidnapping. The case has received near wall-to-wall coverage across major news networks over the past week. Yet nearly two weeks later, details are scarce. 

At first, true crime followers suggested the lack of information meant investigators were withholding key details. Some compared it to the 2022 Idaho murders, when authorities were later revealed to have been tracking Bryan Kohberger well before his arrest.

However, repeated public pleas from both the family and investigators for assistance suggest authorities may not have many firm answers.

What We Know So Far

The most significant, and possibly only, lead is the surveillance footage obtained by the FBI through a backend workaround with Google from Guthrie’s damaged Nest camera.

On Monday, the FBI released images showing an armed individual in a ski mask approaching her front door.

Police briefly detained a delivery driver named Carlo in Rio Rico that night. He was later released after investigators confirmed his alibi.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department also sought to question a man seen carrying a backpack in surveillance video recorded several miles from Guthrie’s home around the time she disappeared. According to NBC News National Law Enforcement & Intelligence Correspondent Tom Winter, citing two officials briefed on the matter, that individual has since been cleared.

The Glove Confusion

Reports Thursday stated that police recovered a glove at Nancy’s home. Other reports said a pair of black gloves was found along a desert roadside in the Catalina Foothills, about 1.5 miles from her residence.

However, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Fox News reporter Matt Finn on Friday that no glove was found at the house.

"We have no glove," Nanos said. "We never found a glove on that property."

Nanos has also indicated that not every glove reported in the region is necessarily relevant, noting they have received tips about gloves found as far away as Phoenix.

Conflicting Reports

The investigation has been marked by conflicting media accounts.

Early reports claimed there was forced entry. Later reports suggested otherwise. Nanos has declined to clarify which version is accurate.

"Nanos says Nancy’s blood was found outside her home, and Nancy's DNA was recovered inside, but he can’t confirm the DNA inside is blood," Finn added.

The Banfield Controversy

The most scrutinized report involves NewsNation host Ashleigh Banfield.

About a week and a half ago, on her "Drop Dead Serious" podcast, Banfield said an "impeccable" law enforcement source told her that Guthrie’s son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, is a "prime suspect."

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department pushed back. Nanos said authorities had "not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case."

He then appeared to address the reporting more broadly:

"While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation."

He emphasized that the family has been fully cooperative, saying they have done "100% completely, whatever we asked for they’ve done."

Still, Banfield has maintained her reporting. On Thursday, she told Mediaite founder Dan Abrams that "nothing has changed."

"I can tell you that my source every day since has stood by that reporting," she told Abrams.

Here is part of their exchange:

ABRAMS: So your source still indicating that he is a suspect?

BANFIELD: Nothing’s changed. Nothing’s changed. But I will say this: the day after I did that report, my source said, "things have really tightened up." The folks in the Sheriff’s Department are worried about retaliation because of the leak. And I thought to myself, "Well, if it’s not true, there wouldn’t be any worry," you know? And then on the third day he said, "What I can tell you is: when they take shots at you, you’re standing on the target."

In this photo illustration, Nancy Guthrie's alleged kidnapper is seen on FBI Director Kash Patel's X account on a cellular phone February 10, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Internet Theories

While the online true crime community is often savvy, the virality of this case has also drawn in uninformed, bad faith actors pushing unfounded theories.

The truth: So little information is known to the public that it's highly unlikely that an outsider has uncovered the misery from afar.

It's also a bit concerning that internet culture allows influencers to plaster the faces and names of random people across social media, accusing them of a horrific crime without any sufficient facts.

What Is Confirmed

Beyond the footage of a masked man approaching and entering Nancy’s home, police have provided a limited timeline based on electronic data.

Investigators say Guthrie’s doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. About 25 minutes later, surveillance software detected movement. At 2:28 a.m., data from Guthrie’s pacemaker app shows the device was disconnected from her phone.

If accurate, this timeline indicates she was inside the home at the time, countering speculation that she never returned from dinner at her daughter Annie’s house that evening.

Beyond that, few additional facts have been confirmed.

The case is being investigated as a kidnapping because Nancy is missing. However, authorities have not publicly detailed whether they believe it was a targeted abduction or another type of crime, perhaps gone wrong.

TMZ has reported that multiple ransom demands were sent via Bitcoin following the disappearance. The FBI is said to have taken two of those messages seriously and believes they may have originated from the same individual or group.

Still, questions remain about the validity of the ransom demands. Authorities say they have received no proof of life. Savannah and her siblings uploaded a video last Saturday saying they "will pay." If the motive were truly financial, the perpetrators likely would have provided additional information to secure payment.

Savannah said Monday that the family believes her mother is still alive.

Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie. (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Final Thoughts

Imagine being told your mother is missing, possibly hurt, her life potentially in danger, and then watching footage of a masked man approaching her front door with a gun.

Picture your elderly mother kidnapped, struggling, and in harm’s way.

The pain this family is experiencing is unspeakable. Every new detail, every phone call, every knock at the door from the authorities must make their hearts sink all over again. There is no greater form of psychological torture than not knowing, trying to keep hope, but struggling to fend off the fear of reality.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.