TUCSON, Ariz. — The FBI widened its search Thursday for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, testing a pair of black gloves recovered near her Catalina Foothills home and reexamining newly retrieved doorbell video. Investigators say Guthrie was taken against her will sometime after she returned home from dinner and are weighing whether a string of reported ransom notes is connected to the abduction, Feb. 12, 2026.
Nancy Guthrie search expands with new evidence and wider sweeps
Investigators have pushed beyond the immediate neighborhood surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s home, shifting resources to nearby roads, washes and desert terrain where evidence could have been discarded. The intensified activity follows the recovery of doorbell footage showing a masked person on Guthrie’s porch and the discovery of gloves that authorities now see as a possible physical link to the suspect.
According to Arizona’s Family, investigators are testing a pair of black gloves found in the area for DNA. The outlet reported that officials have also been looking closely at the backpack seen on the masked figure in the video, and that investigators are urging residents to expect increased law enforcement activity across Pima County as the probe expands.
Authorities say the flood of attention has generated thousands of tips, forcing agents and deputies to triage leads quickly while also preserving what could become key forensic evidence. A reward of $50,000 remains in place for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery and/or the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Doorbell video shows masked figure and a deliberate focus on the camera
The newly retrieved video and still images are now central to the investigation, giving the public the first detailed look at a person investigators believe may be connected to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. The footage appears to show an individual in a mask and gloves lingering on the porch and attempting to disable or cover the doorbell camera.
The Associated Press reported that agents have been searching desert vegetation near the home and canvassing nearby neighborhoods, while investigators work to determine whether the person in the footage can be identified. Authorities have also said blood found on the porch matched Guthrie’s DNA, reinforcing their belief that she was taken against her will.
The timeline remains a critical focus. Investigators have said Nancy Guthrie was last seen Jan. 31 after being dropped off at home following dinner. Officials have said the doorbell camera connection was lost in the early morning hours of Feb. 1, and that the link between her pacemaker and a phone-based app later dropped as well.
Nancy Guthrie ransom notes and the bitcoin trail
Alongside the physical evidence, investigators are scrutinizing multiple reported ransom messages that surfaced after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing. Authorities have not publicly authenticated the notes, and investigators have cautioned that copycats and opportunists can complicate high-profile cases, especially when demands involve cryptocurrency.
People reported that activity has been observed in the bitcoin wallet connected to an initial ransom note, including a small transfer described as under $300. The outlet also reported that the first note allegedly demanded $6 million, with a deadline for payment that has since passed.
Even with those developments, officials have stressed that key questions remain unanswered: whether any of the notes were sent by the person who took Nancy Guthrie, whether there is proof-of-life, and whether the sender had knowledge only an abductor would possess.
Detention near the border ends without charges
Authorities briefly detained a man during a traffic stop south of Tucson this week, then released him after questioning. The episode raised hopes of a break, but investigators have not announced an arrest.
The Guardian reported that the man who identified himself to reporters as Carlos Palazuelos said he was held for several hours and denied involvement, telling media, “I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it.” Officials have said they do not release the identities of people detained and later released without charges.
How the Nancy Guthrie case has unfolded
Public updates have come in bursts, building a picture of a case that investigators describe as fast-moving but complex.
Feb. 6: NPR reported that the FBI confirmed the existence of a ransom letter and noted it was unusual, at that stage, for kidnappers not to make further contact with the family. In the same report, an FBI official told the family, “Please know that we are doing everything to bring your mother home.”
Feb. 9: ABC News reported that investigators were still working to determine whether the ransom demands were authentic and whether there was proof-of-life. Sheriff Chris Nanos said at the time, “It does look like to us, she was taken from that house against her will in the middle of the night.”
Feb. 10: In earlier coverage, the AP reported that Savannah Guthrie and her siblings publicly signaled a willingness to pay to secure their mother’s return, with Savannah Guthrie saying, “This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Investigators say they are continuing to follow leads while also asking the public to look closely at the doorbell footage and to report anything that could identify the masked person or connect them to the gloves, backpack or other items under review.
Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is urged to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or local authorities in Pima County.
