FBI describes Nancy Guthrie case suspect, backpack as sheriff asks locals for video

A man was detained during a traffic stop late Friday night at Culver's, a fast food restaurant about two miles from Nancy Guthrie's home, as law enforcement carried out a major operation in connection with the investigation into her disappearance.

A local law enforcement source tells Fox News Digital that the man is being questioned in connection with the warrant that was served nearby.

Police are also investigating a Range Rover at the scene, according to Fox News Digital, and not a white van.

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this reporting.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said early Saturday that no formal statement would be made as a large police operation unfolded about two miles from Nancy Guthrie's home.

The agency had said earlier in the night that it would release a statement.

All the sheriff's department would say is the following:

“Law enforcement activity is underway at a residence near E Orange Grove Rd & N First Ave related to the Guthrie case,” the department posted on X. “Because this is a joint investigation, at the request of the FBI — no additional information is currently available.”

Authorities have not said who was involved, whether anyone is a suspect, or what prompted the operation.

The investigation remains ongoing as it enters its third week.

A second, larger Pima County Sheriff's SWAT vehicle was seen leaving the active law enforcement area about two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home, according to Fox News Digital video from the scene.

The departure comes after a long line of additional vehicles, possibly law enforcement, was ushered into the area where authorities have been operating following earlier warrant activity.

Officials have not released new information about the operation or who may be involved. The Pima County Sheriff's Office have not yet released an expected written statement.

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this reporting.

Earlier Friday, Fox News Digital tracked a a Pima County Sheriff's surveillance plane in the area where the major law enforcement operation is now unfolding.

The plane circled the area for about an hour before moving south.

Fox News Digital's Olivia Palombo contributed to this reporting.

A SWAT vehicle was seen leaving the area of a heavy law enforcement operation roughly two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home, according to video captured by Fox News Digital.

The vehicle departed after authorities blocked off the area earlier.

The Pima County Sheriff's Office is expected to release a written statement tonight

As the search for Nancy Guthrie continues its 13th day, concerns about the missing 84-year-old’s medical condition remain a major focus.

During a Feb. 5 appearance on The Ingraham Angle, Fox News medical analyst Dr. Mark Siegel said Guthrie has significant underlying health needs, including a pacemaker and daily medications.

“She takes daily medicine to stay alive, and we have no idea if she’s getting that,” the host noted during the segment.

Siegel warned her condition could deteriorate quickly without treatment, especially under stress or injury. “Very concerning about her health,” he said, noting potential cardiac risks, blood pressure complications and limited mobility.

He also clarified that pacemakers do not function as tracking devices and cannot be used to determine her location.

Guthrie’s family has previously said she walks with a cane and has mobility limitations, factors Siegel suggested could indicate more than one person may have been involved if she was forcibly moved.

Authorities have not publicly confirmed her current condition.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released a new media update Friday on the ongoing search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.

Authorities said they continue working jointly with the FBI and remain committed to a collaborative investigation. Evidence requiring forensic testing is being sent to the same out-of-state lab used since the beginning of the case, a decision officials say was coordinated with local FBI leadership.

Investigators confirmed several gloves have been found during search efforts, with the closest located about two miles from Guthrie’s home. Officials said reports that a glove was found inside the residence or on the property are inaccurate.

Authorities also said DNA not belonging to Guthrie or those in close contact with her has been recovered, and investigators are working to identify it.

No suspect vehicles have been identified, and officials say all leads and submitted videos continue to be reviewed.

No press briefings are currently scheduled.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed investigators have recovered DNA connected to the scene that does not belong to missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, calling it a key focus of the investigation.

“What I believe is what I know is we found DNA,” Nanos told Fox News correspondent Jonathan Hunt in a sit-down interview.

When asked directly, he confirmed: “that was not Nancy Guthrie’s DNA.”

Authorities are now working with their contracted forensic lab in Florida to analyze the biological evidence, which Nanos said includes elimination markers from people connected to the home to help narrow possible matches.

The sheriff declined to comment on possible law enforcement movements tied to the case after Hunt noted a SWAT vehicle had been mobilized in the field.

“I know that they've got a lot of things going on out there, but I wouldn't. It would be very inappropriate for me to talk about those things. Officer safety issue, those kinds of things."

Nanos pushed back on criticism over evidence handling, saying his department works closely with the FBI and that the decision to send biological evidence to the Florida lab reflects long-standing procedures.

He also clarified that a glove believed to be potential evidence was not found at Guthrie’s home but about two miles away during expanded search operations.

Despite the ongoing investigation, Nanos stressed the search remains a rescue effort.

“They all have hope and belief that this is a rescue mission.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s mobile command center has rolled out from its location.

A SWAT vehicle that is normally positioned in the back parking lot of the building was also no longer in place.

The last time those vehicles moved, authorities detained a person of interest in Rio Rico who was then released.

It is unclear what prompted the movement and officials have not yet confirmed any new developments. It could be routine activity, but the shift may be significant.

Fox News' Jonathan Hunt contributed to this reporting.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is standing by his department’s handling of the Nancy Guthrie crime scene, rejecting criticism that investigators released the Tucson home too quickly.

Nanos told Fox News correspondent Matt Finn on Friday that he does not regret the timing of turning the property back over to Guthrie’s family, saying deputies had already collected the evidence they needed.

Nanos also addressed questions about visible blood left on the doorstep, saying it is not law enforcement’s responsibility to clean crime scenes.

The sheriff’s interview comes as the search for Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie, continues its 13th day.

Fox News' Matt Finn contributed to this reporting.

Images captured by Fox News Digital showed pool cleaners leaving the backyard of Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson on Friday.

There was a sheriff's department member and two other people seen in the backyard of the property near the pool.

Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy vanished on Feb. 1, and Friday is the 13th day in the search for her.

TUCSON, Ariz. — The FBI’s decision to increase the reward for information on Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts is drawing analysis from multiple former FBI officials, who say the move reflects both strategy and investigative progression nearly two weeks into the case.

Retired Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI Scott Duffey told Fox News Digital that the increase may be designed to target someone close to whoever is responsible.

"I believe this is the right time to increase the reward," Duffey said. "My belief is the FBI started high to attract a family member, friend, or colleague of the attackers. The public is typically there to help regardless of an award."

Drawing on his experience working fugitive cases involving smaller rewards — typically between $2,500 and $5,000 — Duffey said valuable tips often came from insiders.

"When I worked crimes with lower-level reward amounts, the contacts were from friends or family members. This was typically in fugitive work," he said.

He noted that the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list carries million-dollar rewards for the same reason.

"You are seeking ‘inside’ information," Duffey said.

Forensic expert Joseph Scott Morgan told “Fox & Friends First” on Friday that it's likely the suspect in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie cased her property beforehand.

Morgan made the remark after being asked about a request by authorities for Guthrie’s neighbors to review their security cameras.

Fox News host Todd Piro asked, “Does that lead you to believe that authorities think this house was cased?”

“Yeah, yeah, I'd buy that 100%," Morgan said. "I think that that's probably the situation that we're looking at right now."

“Somebody has seen something. And, you know, I mean, all of us live in various locations where we have neighbors that can observe things. You know, and they might say, ‘hey, I keep seeing this particular type of car pass up and down the street,’” Morgan added.

“And keep in mind, shoe leather is in effect here. You've got door knockers that are going around and asking these people questions. So if they find this common thread between all of these houses that are adjacent to Mrs. Guthrie's home, that's significant,” he continued.

“If they have videography that's out there, you might see the vehicle passing, making rotations, maybe slowing, hey, you might even have an opportunity to see somebody actually get out of the vehicle, walk up, and remember, this is being done under the cover of darkness. We've heard lighting isn't great out there. So you could sneak and peek, if you will, all around this property, try to get an idea of where cameras are, any kind of surveillance equipment, and maybe just the habits or lights left on,” Morgan said. “Is there some kind light I have to avoid? But it's interesting that an individual would not pick up on this Nest camera that's out there if they have in fact been casing it. Maybe their skills at casing a location are not that refined.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday that, “Investigators are requesting any video showing vehicles, traffic, pedestrians, or suspicious activity,” from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Fox News Correspondent Matt Finn on Friday his office has not found a glove at Nancy Guthrie’s home and that they are working well with the FBI. 

“We have no glove. We never found a glove on that property,” Nanos said regarding the search efforts at Guthrie’s property in Tucson. 

Nanos said the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is working well with the FBI after a federal law enforcement source accused him of blocking the FBI from obtaining key evidence in the case. 

Nanos told Fox News it is “absolutely crazy” that he wouldn’t seek out the FBI’s help and partnership.  

The Monday after Guthrie disappeared, Nanos said he called the FBI. He pushed back on claims he was reluctant to include the FBI, and said for example, they quickly let the FBI take the lead on the ransom notes because the FBI is better at that with their technology.    

Nanos said his office sent evidence in the case to a private lab in Florida from the beginning, and that the Guthrie family DNA and other DNA swabs are at that facility.  

“We trust the FBI’s crime lab, we’ve used them before, but in this case we started with that lab. It’s just that simple,” Nanos said. 

The sheriff said “we believe it’s a kidnapping,” in the Guthrie case, but you “always consider all possibilities.”   

He added that, “Nobody is ever really eliminated,” when asked if anyone has been ruled out.   

Fox News' Matt Finn contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump was asked Friday whether cartels or possibly another "nation state" could be involved in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.

"You can't say that yet," Trump said outside the White House, responding to a question from Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich. "It's a little bit early."

"But it's somebody either knew what they were doing very well, or they were rank amateurs. Either way, it's not a good situation," Trump added.

President Donald Trump commented Friday on why the FBI has not taken over the Nancy Guthrie case while departing the White House.

Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich asked the president, "Why hasn't the FBI taken over the Nancy Guthrie case as the lead investigator? Do you have any updates on how it's going?"

"Well, they took it over originally. You know, it was a local case originally, and, they didn't want to let go of it, which is fine," Trump said. "It's up to them. It's really up to the communities. But ultimately, when the FBI got involved, I think, you know, progress has been made."

A Fox Flight Team drone has captured activity Friday around the pool at Nancy Guthrie's home in Arizona.

There was a sheriff and two other people seen in the backyard of the property near the pool. 

Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her home on Feb. 1.

Fox News' Lissa Kaplan contributed to this report.