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Tag: pima county sheriff

  • Law enforcement block road near Nancy Guthrie’s home

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    Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother sealed off a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona late Friday night.Video above: New tips in Nancy Guthrie caseA parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock that was set up about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the house.The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Nancy Guthrie case, but it said the FBI requested that it not release further information.Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch of her Tucson-area home. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.Authorities have expressed concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.Investigators have studied surveillance video, sorted through thousands of tips, and submitted DNA and other evidence for laboratory analysis.The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Nancy Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.On Tuesday, authorities released footage showing an armed, masked person at Nancy Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted. The videos — less than a minute combined in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Nancy Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson.Experts say the video could contain a mountain of clues. ___Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

    TUCSON, Ariz. —

    Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother sealed off a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona late Friday night.

    Video above: New tips in Nancy Guthrie case

    A parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock that was set up about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the house.

    The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Nancy Guthrie case, but it said the FBI requested that it not release further information.

    Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch of her Tucson-area home. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

    Authorities have expressed concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

    Investigators have studied surveillance video, sorted through thousands of tips, and submitted DNA and other evidence for laboratory analysis.

    The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Nancy Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

    On Tuesday, authorities released footage showing an armed, masked person at Nancy Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted. The videos — less than a minute combined in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Nancy Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson.

    Experts say the video could contain a mountain of clues.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

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  • Law enforcement block road near Nancy Guthrie’s home

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    Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother sealed off a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona late Friday night.A parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock that was set up about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the house.Video above: New tips in Nancy Guthrie caseThe Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie case. But it said further information was unavailable since it was a joint investigation with the FBI.Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch of her Tucson-area home. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.Authorities have expressed concerns Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.Investigators have studied surveillance video, sorted through thousands of tips and submitted DNA and other evidence for laboratory analysis.The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.On Tuesday, authorities released footage showing an armed, masked person at Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted. The videos — less than a combined minute in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson.Experts say the video could contain a mountain of clues.Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

    TUCSON, Ariz. —

    Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie‘s mother sealed off a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona late Friday night.

    A parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock that was set up about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the house.

    Video above: New tips in Nancy Guthrie case

    The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie case. But it said further information was unavailable since it was a joint investigation with the FBI.

    Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch of her Tucson-area home. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

    Authorities have expressed concerns Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

    Investigators have studied surveillance video, sorted through thousands of tips and submitted DNA and other evidence for laboratory analysis.

    The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

    On Tuesday, authorities released footage showing an armed, masked person at Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted. The videos — less than a combined minute in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson.

    Experts say the video could contain a mountain of clues.

    Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

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  • Experts say screening tips in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is ‘tremendous’ and critical work

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    An Arizona sheriff’s department got more than 4,000 calls within 24 hours after the release of videos of a masked person on Nancy Guthrie’s porch. Many tips will be worthless. Others could have merit. Experts say one thing’s certain: They can’t be ignored.Tips can solve crimes — big or small — and eerie images of a mysterious male covered head to toe have been the most significant clues shared with the public during Guthrie’s nearly two-week-old disappearance in the Tucson area.“It’s a tremendous amount of work,” said Roberto Villaseñor, a former Tucson police chief.“In a situation like this, you really cannot do what’s been done without tips and public input,” he said. “They have processed the scene. But once that’s done and exhausted, it’s hard to move forward without additional information coming in.”Tens of thousands of tipsThe Pima County sheriff and the FBI announced phone numbers and a website to offer tips about the apparent kidnapping of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Several hundred detectives and agents have been assigned to the case, the sheriff’s department said.The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day when Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.”Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance, and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement,” the FBI said Thursday on X, adding that the effort is a 24-hour operation. It said it won’t comment on the tips received.Video above: FBI shares video in Nancy Guthrie caseTips have blown open investigations many timesMajor U.S. crimes for years have been cracked with a tip. In 1995, the brother and sister-in-law of Ted Kaczynski recognized certain tones in an anonymous, widely published anti-technology manifesto. Known by the FBI as the “Unabomber,” Kaczynski was found living in a shack in Montana and subsequently admitted to committing 16 bombings over 17 years, killing three people.The 1989 murders of an Ohio woman and two teen daughters in Florida were solved three years later when St. Petersburg police asked the public if they recognized handwriting found in the victims’ car. A former neighbor led investigators to Oba Chandler.Retired Detroit homicide investigator Ira Todd recalled how images from a gas station camera solved the disappearance and death of a 3-month-old baby — and stopped authorities from pursuing the wrong person in 2001. “A niece of this guy saw it on TV and says, ‘That’s my uncle,’” he said.The murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022 generated nearly 40,000 tips to state and federal authorities. None had a direct role in the capture of Bryan Kohberger, but the public’s involvement nonetheless was “absolutely” important, said Lt. Darren Gilbertson of the Idaho State Police.“That’s one of the things that kept us going for weeks,” he said, while authorities awaited DNA and other evidence.Sorting the helpful from the conspiracyGilbertson said much of the early vetting was done by the FBI. He said agents and analysts who were screening tips had a good grasp of what information could be spiked and what should be handed up to key investigators. Some tips arrived by regular mail.“Aliens to bears to crazy conspiratorial ideas — don’t even pass that along,” Gilbertson said.Nancy Guthrie was last seen Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Hours before her family knew she was gone, a porch camera recorded video of a person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves — images that were released by the FBI along with a public plea for help. The FBI on Thursday said the person, who they now consider a suspect, is a male, about 5-foot, 9-inches tall with a medium build. The agency also named the brand and model of the backpack.The sheriff’s department has not said whether any tips tied to the videos have advanced the investigation.“I’m hopeful,” said Villaseñor, the former Tucson chief. “I have seen cases where simpler and less detailed information has helped bring somebody about. Maybe someone recognizes clothing, maybe the bag. You never know what someone will key on.”

    TUCSON, Ariz. —

    An Arizona sheriff’s department got more than 4,000 calls within 24 hours after the release of videos of a masked person on Nancy Guthrie’s porch. Many tips will be worthless. Others could have merit. Experts say one thing’s certain: They can’t be ignored.

    Tips can solve crimes — big or small — and eerie images of a mysterious male covered head to toe have been the most significant clues shared with the public during Guthrie’s nearly two-week-old disappearance in the Tucson area.

    “It’s a tremendous amount of work,” said Roberto Villaseñor, a former Tucson police chief.

    “In a situation like this, you really cannot do what’s been done without tips and public input,” he said. “They have processed the scene. But once that’s done and exhausted, it’s hard to move forward without additional information coming in.”

    Tens of thousands of tips

    The Pima County sheriff and the FBI announced phone numbers and a website to offer tips about the apparent kidnapping of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Several hundred detectives and agents have been assigned to the case, the sheriff’s department said.

    The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day when Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

    “Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance, and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement,” the FBI said Thursday on X, adding that the effort is a 24-hour operation. It said it won’t comment on the tips received.

    FBI via AP

    This combo from images provided by the FBI shows surveillance footage at the home of Nancy Guthrie the night she went missing in Tucson, Ariz.

    Video above: FBI shares video in Nancy Guthrie case

    Tips have blown open investigations many times

    Major U.S. crimes for years have been cracked with a tip. In 1995, the brother and sister-in-law of Ted Kaczynski recognized certain tones in an anonymous, widely published anti-technology manifesto. Known by the FBI as the “Unabomber,” Kaczynski was found living in a shack in Montana and subsequently admitted to committing 16 bombings over 17 years, killing three people.

    The 1989 murders of an Ohio woman and two teen daughters in Florida were solved three years later when St. Petersburg police asked the public if they recognized handwriting found in the victims’ car. A former neighbor led investigators to Oba Chandler.

    Retired Detroit homicide investigator Ira Todd recalled how images from a gas station camera solved the disappearance and death of a 3-month-old baby — and stopped authorities from pursuing the wrong person in 2001. “A niece of this guy saw it on TV and says, ‘That’s my uncle,’” he said.

    The murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022 generated nearly 40,000 tips to state and federal authorities. None had a direct role in the capture of Bryan Kohberger, but the public’s involvement nonetheless was “absolutely” important, said Lt. Darren Gilbertson of the Idaho State Police.

    “That’s one of the things that kept us going for weeks,” he said, while authorities awaited DNA and other evidence.

    Sorting the helpful from the conspiracy

    Gilbertson said much of the early vetting was done by the FBI. He said agents and analysts who were screening tips had a good grasp of what information could be spiked and what should be handed up to key investigators. Some tips arrived by regular mail.

    “Aliens to bears to crazy conspiratorial ideas — don’t even pass that along,” Gilbertson said.

    Nancy Guthrie was last seen Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Hours before her family knew she was gone, a porch camera recorded video of a person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves — images that were released by the FBI along with a public plea for help. The FBI on Thursday said the person, who they now consider a suspect, is a male, about 5-foot, 9-inches tall with a medium build. The agency also named the brand and model of the backpack.

    The sheriff’s department has not said whether any tips tied to the videos have advanced the investigation.

    “I’m hopeful,” said Villaseñor, the former Tucson chief. “I have seen cases where simpler and less detailed information has helped bring somebody about. Maybe someone recognizes clothing, maybe the bag. You never know what someone will key on.”

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  • FBI combs desert terrain for clues in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance

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    Fresh surveillance images from Nancy Guthrie’s porch the night she went missing, coupled with intense police activity across Arizona and the detention of a man had raised hopes that authorities were nearing a major break.But then the man was released after questioning, leaving it unclear where the investigation stood into last week’s disappearance of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie.FBI agents carrying water bottles to beat the 80-degree heat Wednesday walked among rocks and desert vegetation at Guthrie’s Tucson-area home. They also fanned out across a neighborhood about a mile away, knocking on doors and searching through cactuses, bushes and boulders.Several hundred detectives and agents are now assigned to the investigation, which is expanding in the area, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said.In a nearby neighborhood, two investigators emerged from daughter Annie Guthrie’s home with a paper grocery sack and a white trash bag. One, still wearing blue protective gloves, also took a stack of mail from the roadside mailbox. They drove away without speaking to reporters.The New York Post is reporting investigators have seemingly recovered a black glove in the area near Nancy Guthrie’s home, but it’s not clear if authorities believe it’s the same glove worn by the person seen in doorbell camera footage. Barb Dutrow, who was jogging through a neighborhood where teams were searching, said an FBI agent told her they were looking for anything that might have been tossed from a car. Dutrow, who was visiting from Louisiana for a convention, said she “can’t imagine the feeling of the family of having their mother taken.”A day earlier, authorities said they had stopped a man near the U.S.-Mexico border, just hours after the FBI released videos of a person wearing a gun holster, ski mask and backpack and approaching Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson. The man told media outlets early Wednesday that he was released after several hours and had nothing to do with Guthrie’s disappearance last week.Authorities have not said what led them to stop the man Tuesday but confirmed he was released. The sheriff’s department said its deputies and FBI agents also searched a location in Rio Rico, a city south of Tucson where the man lives.Video above: Person detained for questioning and released as search for Nancy Guthrie continuesIt was the latest twist in an investigation that has gripped the nation since Nancy Guthrie disappeared on Feb. 1. Until Tuesday, it seemed authorities were making little headway in determining what happened to her or finding who was responsible.The black and white images released by the FBI showing a masked person trying to cover a doorbell camera on Guthrie’s porch marked the first significant break in the case. But the images did not show what happened to her or help determine whether she is still alive.FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators spent days trying to find lost, corrupted or inaccessible images.Even though the images do not show the person’s face, investigators are hopeful someone will know who was on the porch. More than 4,000 calls came into the Pima County sheriff’s tip line within the past 24 hours, the department said Wednesday afternoon.Authorities have said for more than a week that they believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will. She was last seen at home Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day. DNA tests showed blood on her porch was hers, authorities said.Savannah Guthrie posted the new surveillance images on social media and said the family believes their mother is still alive.The longtime NBC host and her two siblings have indicated a willingness to pay a ransom.It is not known whether ransom notes demanding money with deadlines that have already passed were authentic, and whether the family has had any contact with whoever took Guthrie.TMZ reported it received a message Wednesday from someone claiming to know the kidnapper’s identity and that they unsuccessfully tried to reach Savannah Guthrie’s brother and sister. The person asked for bitcoin in exchange for the information, TMZ said. The FBI did not immediately respond to a message.Authorities have said Nancy Guthrie takes several medications and there was concern from the start that she could die without them.___Associated Press reporters Hallie Golden in Seattle, John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

    TUCSON, Ariz. —

    Fresh surveillance images from Nancy Guthrie’s porch the night she went missing, coupled with intense police activity across Arizona and the detention of a man had raised hopes that authorities were nearing a major break.

    But then the man was released after questioning, leaving it unclear where the investigation stood into last week’s disappearance of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie.

    FBI agents carrying water bottles to beat the 80-degree heat Wednesday walked among rocks and desert vegetation at Guthrie’s Tucson-area home. They also fanned out across a neighborhood about a mile away, knocking on doors and searching through cactuses, bushes and boulders.

    Several hundred detectives and agents are now assigned to the investigation, which is expanding in the area, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said.

    In a nearby neighborhood, two investigators emerged from daughter Annie Guthrie’s home with a paper grocery sack and a white trash bag. One, still wearing blue protective gloves, also took a stack of mail from the roadside mailbox. They drove away without speaking to reporters.

    The New York Post is reporting investigators have seemingly recovered a black glove in the area near Nancy Guthrie’s home, but it’s not clear if authorities believe it’s the same glove worn by the person seen in doorbell camera footage.

    Barb Dutrow, who was jogging through a neighborhood where teams were searching, said an FBI agent told her they were looking for anything that might have been tossed from a car. Dutrow, who was visiting from Louisiana for a convention, said she “can’t imagine the feeling of the family of having their mother taken.”

    A day earlier, authorities said they had stopped a man near the U.S.-Mexico border, just hours after the FBI released videos of a person wearing a gun holster, ski mask and backpack and approaching Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson. The man told media outlets early Wednesday that he was released after several hours and had nothing to do with Guthrie’s disappearance last week.

    Authorities have not said what led them to stop the man Tuesday but confirmed he was released. The sheriff’s department said its deputies and FBI agents also searched a location in Rio Rico, a city south of Tucson where the man lives.

    Video above: Person detained for questioning and released as search for Nancy Guthrie continues

    It was the latest twist in an investigation that has gripped the nation since Nancy Guthrie disappeared on Feb. 1. Until Tuesday, it seemed authorities were making little headway in determining what happened to her or finding who was responsible.

    The black and white images released by the FBI showing a masked person trying to cover a doorbell camera on Guthrie’s porch marked the first significant break in the case. But the images did not show what happened to her or help determine whether she is still alive.

    FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators spent days trying to find lost, corrupted or inaccessible images.

    Even though the images do not show the person’s face, investigators are hopeful someone will know who was on the porch. More than 4,000 calls came into the Pima County sheriff’s tip line within the past 24 hours, the department said Wednesday afternoon.

    Authorities have said for more than a week that they believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will. She was last seen at home Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day. DNA tests showed blood on her porch was hers, authorities said.

    Savannah Guthrie posted the new surveillance images on social media and said the family believes their mother is still alive.

    The longtime NBC host and her two siblings have indicated a willingness to pay a ransom.

    It is not known whether ransom notes demanding money with deadlines that have already passed were authentic, and whether the family has had any contact with whoever took Guthrie.

    TMZ reported it received a message Wednesday from someone claiming to know the kidnapper’s identity and that they unsuccessfully tried to reach Savannah Guthrie’s brother and sister. The person asked for bitcoin in exchange for the information, TMZ said. The FBI did not immediately respond to a message.

    Authorities have said Nancy Guthrie takes several medications and there was concern from the start that she could die without them.

    ___

    Associated Press reporters Hallie Golden in Seattle, John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

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  • Foul play suspected in the disappearance of ‘Today’ host Savannah Guthrie’s mom

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    The mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie has been reported missing from her home in Arizona and local authorities say they suspect foul play.

    Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen Saturday night at her residence in a community northeast of Tucson, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

    On Monday morning, Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed that detectives have transitioned their investigation from a missing person’s case to a criminal case.

    “We do in fact have a crime scene, we do in fact have a crime,” Nanos said at a news conference.

    “She did not leave on her own, we know that,” he said. “She’s very limited in her mobility.”

    Nanos declined to comment further on what led detectives to that conclusion, but said they found suspicious circumstances at her home.

    “It’s very concerning what we’re learning from the house,” Nanos said at a news conference late Sunday. Though he declined to comment on details, he pointed out that Guthrie was of “good, sound mind” with no cognitive issues. She lived alone.

    “This isn’t somebody that just wandered off,” Nanos reiterated Monday morning. “She couldn’t walk 50 yards by herself.”

    On Monday morning, “Today” hosts shared a statement from Savannah Guthrie that thanked viewers for their “thoughts, prayers and messages of support.”

    “Right now our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom,” the longtime “Today” personality and journalist wrote on behalf of her family. She encouraged anyone with information on her mother’s location to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

    That plea was echoed Monday morning by Nanos, who called on the public to report anything out of the ordinary or any possible sightings of Nancy Guthrie.

    “We’re asking the community’s help,” Nanos said. “We don’t need another bad, tragic ending — we need some help.”

    Still, he said their department remains focused on this case and is coordinating with any other agencies that may be able to help, including the security team for Savannah Guthrie. Nanos said they were not aware of any specific threats to the journalist that might be related to her mother’s disappearance.

    “We’re doing all we can to try to locate her,” Nanos said. “Every tool we have, we will use.”

    Particularly urgent in this case is that Nancy Guthrie needs to take a specific medication every day.

    “Medication that if she doesn’t have in 24 hours, it can be fatal,” he said.

    It’s not clear when she would have last taken her medication.

    Family members left Nancy Guthrie’s home around 9:45 p.m. Saturday evening, Nanos said. Someone at her church reached out to them when she didn’t show up to services Sunday morning.

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    Grace Toohey

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