Nancy Guthrie Search Intensifies: 400 Agents, New Evidence, and Extortion Demands

What this episode covers

Good morning, this is Tucson Local Pulse for Saturday, February 21st. We're continuing to follow the major story dominating our community this morning. Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, has now been missing from her Catalina Foothills home for over three weeks. According to the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Office, roughly 400 agents and deputies are actively canvassing Tucson as the investigation intensifies. The sheriff's department is asking anyone with doorbell or surveillance video from the evening of February 1st between 10 PM and 1 AM to come forward. They're also seeking footage from January 31st into February 1st during the late evening hours. Investigators released video showing an armed masked individual disabling her doorbell camera before she disappeared. The suspect is described as a man between five foot nine and five foot ten, wearing a ski mask and gloves, carrying what appears to be a black Ozark Trail backpack and a firearm. A hundred thousand dollar reward remains in place for information leading to Nancy's location. There's been an important development overnight. A Tucson couple discovered two gloves less than a mile away from Nancy's home on Campbell Avenue. One appeared to have blood on it. They found them Wednesday evening while searching the area. Sheriff Chris Nanos tells us they cannot yet confirm whether those specific gloves contain blood or are being tested as evidence, but investigators took them into custody when they arrived on scene. Meanwhile, authorities are pursuing new investigative angles. The Pima County Sheriff says they've contacted Google asking if the company can recover additional footage from cameras around Nancy's property beyond just the front door video. Google has indicated they don't believe they can retrieve it, but they're willing to try. A judge is set to decide Tuesday whether to allow Google to assist further in recovering any additional video. Investigators have also received mysterious communications. According to various news outlets, TMZ has received at least four anonymous messages from someone claiming to know information about Nancy's disappearance and demanding Bitcoin in exchange. The sender claims to have seen Nancy south of the border days after she vanished. Authorities are verifying whether these messages are legitimate or hoaxes. DNA evidence collected at the scene did not match federal databases, so investigators have turned to genetic genealogy testing to identify potential suspects. Private investigators have also suggested the area near Nancy's home is a known corridor for drug trafficking and money movement, raising questions about possible criminal enterprise involvement. The sheriff's department continues urging listeners to call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information. The county's 911 center is fielding thousands of tips daily. Thank you for tuning in to Tucson Local Pulse. Please subscribe for more updat This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

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