TUCSON, AZ — Authorities say a new text message tied to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is not credible after review by the joint task force led by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. The update comes months into the investigation into the Tucson-area woman’s disappearance, with no main suspect or person of interest publicly named.
The sheriff’s department said the task force was recently alerted to a possible new ransom communication and checked it closely. Investigators then concluded the message did not appear to be legitimate. Officials urged people to forward any texts or other messages tied to the case, and they said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
How the latest message fits into a case already marked by false leads
Law enforcement has spent months sorting through ransom demands, suspicious tips, and other messages connected to Guthrie’s disappearance. The latest text is only the most recent example of that effort. In July, the FBI Phoenix office said some of the ransom demands that circulated were extortion attempts without legitimacy, while other possible notes were still being examined.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has repeatedly said every lead is being taken seriously. That caution has mattered in a case where some communications have been treated as possible clues and others have been dismissed after review. The new determination that the latest message was not credible does not change the basic posture of the investigation: detectives and federal agents are still working it as an active kidnapping-for-ransom case.
What investigators say happened at Guthrie’s Tucson home
Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson-area home on February 1 after spending the previous evening with family. Investigators say her doorbell camera was disconnected shortly after 1:30 a.m., and surveillance system data later showed movement near the house. Her pacemaker app also showed the device disconnected from her phone in the early morning hours.
Family members later realized she was missing and called 911. When deputies arrived, investigators found blood on the front porch that was later confirmed to be Guthrie’s. Authorities also released images and video showing a masked, armed person at the front door. The FBI described the suspect as a man about 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 with an average build.
Ransom demands, deadlines and family pleas kept the case public
The investigation quickly became public after multiple media outlets received ransom notes demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin. One note threatened Guthrie’s life if payment was not made by a deadline, while another later message claimed she had died. The family also offered a reward for information, and the FBI separately posted its own reward offer.
Savannah Guthrie, Nancy Guthrie’s daughter and an NBC “Today” host, has repeatedly urged people to come forward. In social media posts and on television, she said the family was desperate for information and asked anyone who recognized the writing in the ransom demand notes or knew something about the case to contact investigators. The family has also asked neighbors and the broader Tucson community to review video, messages and other details from the days around the disappearance.
Search activity expanded across southern Arizona and beyond
Investigators have canvassed neighborhoods, collected surveillance video and followed up on searches at several locations in and around Tucson. In February, law enforcement activity included a traffic stop and a search warrant in Rio Rico, about 60 miles south of Tucson, near the U.S.-Mexico border. Officials later said a detained person was released.
Authorities also worked with border agencies and shared information with Mexican officials, who said they had no indication Guthrie was taken into Mexico. The sheriff’s department has said it has reviewed thousands of hours of video, while other investigators have looked at gun shops and evidence from residences tied to people who were questioned and later released. The search has produced a long list of leads, but no public arrest in the disappearance itself.
The search has included DNA testing, gloves and remains found in the desert
One set of black gloves found near Guthrie’s home early in the investigation was traced by DNA to a local restaurant worker who was not part of the case. Authorities said the gloves did not match DNA from the home and did not return hits in the national CODIS database. Other DNA testing has continued, including work with partner laboratories and genetic genealogy options.
In August, human remains were found in the Tucson desert, about 15 miles from where Guthrie was believed to have been abducted. Authorities said there was no indication at the time that the remains were connected to her disappearance. The sheriff’s department later said a new possible note tied to the case had also been reviewed and ruled not credible. Each new development has brought another round of scrutiny, but not a final answer.
A family still waiting for answers after months of uncertainty
Guthrie’s loved ones have said the waiting has been exhausting and painful. Savannah Guthrie has described the family as living in anguish since her mother disappeared, and she has continued to balance that private loss with her work on NBC’s morning show. In public comments, she has said the family wants either a return home or certainty about what happened.
For investigators, the case remains open and active. The latest text message was only one more lead to test, and officials say it failed that review. But the larger search for Guthrie continues, with the sheriff’s department and the FBI still asking the public to report any communication or information tied to the disappearance.
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