Man says he was released after questioning in connection with Nancy Guthrie case

PHOENIX — A man who said he was detained Tuesday evening by authorities in connection with the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was released in the early hours Wednesday, he told ABC15 and the New York Times.

“They didn’t even tell me what’s going on until the detectives got here,” a man who identified himself by “Carlos” told ABC15’s Ford Hatchett. “They told me I was being detained for kidnapping, and I asked them, ‘Kidnapping of who?'”

Pima County Sheriff’s Department did not confirm the person it detained had been released as of 4 a.m. Wednesday morning but around 1 a.m. said it had completed a search of a property in Rio Rico, Arizona, which is about 60 miles south of Tucson. The person was taken into custody 10 days after the mother of “Today” star Savannah Guthrie was last seen at her home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood.

Immediately following his release, we spoke to a man who says he was detained by Pima County Sheriff’s deputies for “kidnapping” Nancy Guthrie. @FordHatchett @dannybavaro pic.twitter.com/3jj7mxSGFO

— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) February 11, 2026

The man who said he was released told ABC15 he was detained for several hours after a traffic stop in Rio Rico.

He told them he didn’t know Guthrie’s name but worked in Tucson and may have delivered something to her home.

In a separate interview with the New York Times, a man named Carlos from the home of his wife and mother-in-law, which had been searched by authorities, added: “I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it. They better do their job and find the suspect that did it so that they can clear my name.”

Sheriff Chris Nanos of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) said Tuesday evening that a person was detained south of Tucson at a traffic stop.

PCSD said it and the FBI were carrying out a court-authorized search of a location in Rio Rico.

Law enforcement also released surveillance photos and videos earlier Tuesday of a masked person with gloves and what appeared to be a handgun holster on Guthrie’s porch around the time she disappeared.

In addition, there was reportedly activity in the Bitcoin account from the ransom notes that were sent to media outlets regarding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance last week.

Photos, videos of masked person in Nancy Guthrie case took a while to recover

The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which are partnering on the case, released various images and videos showing a person wearing a backpack and ski mask with holes around the eyes and mouth, trying to cover a Nest doorbell camera with a gloved hand.

Another clip, shared on social media by FBI Director Kash Patel, appeared to show the masked person trying to cover a camera with a plant. Patel explained the videos were pulled from residual video data stored in backend systems after primary footage had been removed or corrupted.

@ktarnews The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday released several photos and videos connected to the search for 84‑year‑old Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show co‑host Savannah Guthrie. One of them is this video below, which shows an armed person who appears to tamper with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door on the morning she disappeared, authorities said. #missingpeople #nancyguthrie #savannahguthrie #arizona #fyp #tucson #truecrime ♬ original sound – KTAR News

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously said the footage from Nancy Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday, adding that because she didn’t have an active subscription, none of the footage could be recovered. He has also confirmed that DNA tests showed blood found on the porch of the home belonged to Nancy Guthrie.

More details about search for missing mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie

Multiple media organizations have received purported ransom notes, which have been shared with investigators. Last week, a California man was arrested and accused of sending a fake ransom note in an effort to scam Nancy Guthrie’s family out of money.

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have posted a series of videos on social media since their mother was last seen on Jan. 31.

In one video posted last weekend, they addressed the purported kidnappers saying, “We have received your message” and “We will pay.”

“This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

A week after the kidnapping of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie posted a video acknowledging the demands of ransom notes. (via @SavannahGuthrie/IG)

Read more: https://t.co/d69LAAiYRM pic.twitter.com/KZSxdsKPC0

— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) February 8, 2026

Some of these letters allegedly had deadlines for when money should be submitted. The second deadline was 5 p.m. Monday.

FBI officials said Monday that they weren’t aware of any ongoing communication between the missing mother’s family and any suspected kidnappers.

Nancy Guthrie has a pacemaker, high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

She also needs daily medication, which makes investigators worried about her safety.

The Associated Press and KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Serena O’Sullivan contributed to this report. 

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