Nancy Guthrie: Overnight Update After Person Detained in Kidnapping Case

The man detained by police for questioning Tuesday evening in connection with the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been released, as per The New York Times.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has declined to comment on reports of the man’s release from custody.

The man was detained during a traffic stop earlier Tuesday after the FBI released video and still images of a masked person attempting to tamper with Nancy’s security cameras ahead of her abduction.

A man who lives at the home searched by authorities Tuesday night in Rio Rico, Ariz., told NBC News/Telemundo that he was the man who had been detained for questioning in connection with Nancy’s disappearance, identifying himself as Carlos Palazuelos.

Palazuelos told the outlet in Spanish that his home was searched via a warrant, and that the front and back door of the house was damaged. He claimed that law enforcement had told him he looked like the person seen in the security camera footage from Nancy’s house. Palazuelos said that he was a delivery driver, but doesn’t remember if he had previously delivered anything to Nancy’s home.

Police told NBC on Wednesday morning that the search of the Rio Rico property was completed and that the investigation was ongoing.

Nancy’s family reported her missing on Feb. 1, and she was last seen the night before around 9:45 p.m. after having dinner at the home of her daughter, Annie Guthrie, in Tucson, Ariz.

Numerous media outlets have received purported ransom notes that the FBI has been investigating since Nancy’s abduction.

New images in the search for Nancy Guthrie:
 
Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost,… pic.twitter.com/z5WLgPtZpT

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 10, 2026

On Monday, Savannah took to Instagram with a video asking for help “as we enter into another week of this nightmare.”

“We believe our mom is still out there,” the TODAY anchor said. “We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly, around the clock trying to bring her home, trying to find her. She was taken, and we don’t know where, and we need your help.”

Savannah asked her followers to reach out to police “if you see anything, if you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you,” adding, “We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help.”

She also thanked everyone for their ongoing prayers, saying that she and her family believe that their mom “is feeling these prayers, and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place.”

Anyone with information about Nancy’s disappearance is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.