Nancy Guthrie Person of Interest 'Detained for Questioning' in Rio Rico, Arizona
A person of interest has been detained for questioning in the Nancy Guthrie disappearance, the Pima County sheriff confirmed.
"Subject detained in connection to Nancy Guthrie investigation," the sheriff wrote on X. “Earlier today, Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies detained a subject during a traffic stop south of Tucson. The subject is currently being questioned in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation."
ABC News first broke the story via sources. The news came on the evening of February 10, just a few hours after FBI Director Kash Patel released photos and videos of the masked individual authorities believe tampered with Guthrie's door camera.
"The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the FBI, has detained an individual for questioning in connection with the abduction of Nancy Guthrie," the network reported, citing a law enforcement source who was not named. The identity of the person of interest was not released. Nor was any potential motive.
"BREAKING: A law enforcement source tells me they have one person in custody but have not found Nancy Guthrie," Fox News correspondent Michael Ruiz wrote on X.The New York Times also reported that investigators "have detained a person for questioning" in Rio Rico, Ariz., "about an hour’s drive south of Tucson near the border with Mexico." It's not clear whether the person is "considered a suspect."
Authorities have not confirmed the report. However, journalist Yashar Ali wrote on X, "FBI Director Kash Patel tells Sean Hannity that there are now persons of interest in the abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie."
Authorities Are Preparing to 'Search a Location' Connected With the Person, the Report Says
FBI
According to ABC News, the person's detainment is not the only step authorities are taking.
"The individual was detained in a location south of Tucson, the source said, and law enforcement is preparing to search a location associated with the individual," ABC News reported.
The FBI released the dramatic and chilling images and videos just hours before; they showed the person wearing a mask and boxing gloves while approaching Guthrie's camera.
In other late-breaking developments on the evening of February 10:
- TMZ is reporting that there has been activity in a Bitcoin account used by the person who may have sent the ransom notes. "We've seen activity for the first time in the Bitcoin account listed in the first ransom note which was sent to us here at TMZ, and also to 2 TV stations in Tucson," TMZ reported on the evening of February 10. "For various reasons, we are not going to reveal the amount, but the activity happened in the last 25 minutes."
- TMZ also reported that law enforcement sources say they believe the ransom notes were written by the abductor and provide clues that the person lives in the Tucson area. Added TMZ, "The person who wrote the ransom note was very familiar with the local stations … so much so that it leads them to believe the Tucson area is the abductor's home."
- The whereabouts of Nancy Guthrie, 84, remain unknown; however, it all adds up to investigators moving the needle on the high-profile investigation, which seemed almost stalled for a week. Guthrie is the mother of TODAY Show co-host Savannah Guthrie, who has pleaded for her mom's release in several videos posted to Instagram.
There Is a $50,000 Reward for Information Leading to the Recovery of Nancy Guthrie or Her Kidnapper's Arrest & Conviction
FBI
The FBI reminded the public that there is a reward in the case.
"The #FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance," the FBI wrote earlier in the day, releasing the images. "New images released today show an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance. The FBI seeks information that will lead to the identity of this individual."
The #FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. New images released today show an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at… pic.twitter.com/WH76eefgcZ
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) February 10, 2026
Law enforcement and body language experts indicated that the suspect photos provide a trove of clues, from the person's gait to the way he or she carried a firearm in a holster.