The sheriff overseeing the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance told reporters Saturday that detectives are closing in on answers, marking the most direct statement yet from authorities in a case that has now stretched past 100 days without a suspect being named.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos offered the brief assessment when approached by FOX News Digital outside his department. Asked whether investigators were close to solving the abduction of the 84-year-old Catalina Foothills, Arizona, woman, Nanos answered with two words: “We are.” The comment represented the strongest public signal to date that progress is being made in a case that has captivated Tucson and drawn national attention because the victim is the mother of NBC’s Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie.
Nanos has acknowledged having a theory about the motive but has not disclosed it. There remains no evidence indicating whether Nancy Guthrie is still alive.
A Quiet Saturday Night, Then Silence
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her residence near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue on the evening of January 31, 2026. She had eaten dinner that evening with her daughter, Annie Guthrie, a poet married to Tommaso Cioni. When she failed to appear for a virtual church service the following morning, February 1, friends grew concerned. She was reported missing that day.
Investigators discovered drops of blood inside the home, along with her phone and the heart medication she takes daily. DNA from an unknown individual was recovered inside the residence. More blood was found on the front steps. Authorities concluded she had been taken against her will.
Her home security system provided the clearest picture of what transpired that night. A Ring Doorbell camera captured video of a male intruder. A Nest camera recorded a masked man on the doorstep who appeared to be carrying a stuffed backpack and a holstered handgun. The FBI later released footage of an armed suspect tampering with the front doorbell camera. Investigators describe the man as between 5 feet 9 and 5 feet 10 inches tall, of average build, and carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack.
One unusual piece of evidence has helped frame the timeline: Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker, which lost its connection to her smartphone, gave investigators a narrow window for when she was likely seized.
The 100-Day Mark and a Reward That Keeps Growing
The case has not produced a public update in several weeks, despite an array of digital evidence including cell tower data, roadside surveillance, security camera footage, and forensic material still undergoing lab analysis. Volunteer search groups have ceased their operations.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement this week attempting to address public frustration. “As we reach the 100-day mark in this investigation, scientific evidence processing and digital media analysis remain ongoing,” the office said, adding that detectives continue to pursue fresh leads and tips alongside the established evidence.
A reward of more than $1.2 million is on the table for information that leads to a resolution — one of the largest sums ever assembled in an Arizona missing-persons case.
A Family’s Mother’s Day Plea
Nancy Guthrie’s family marked Mother’s Day with a public appeal that underscored their determination not to let the case slip from public consciousness. Savannah Guthrie posted a collection of videos and photos of her mother to Instagram on Sunday, accompanied by an emotional message.
“Mother, daughter, sister, Nonie — we miss you with every breath. We will never stop looking for you. We will not be at peace until we find you,” she wrote, before urging anyone with information to contact federal authorities at 1-800-CALL-FBI and reminding the public that tips can be submitted anonymously.
Nancy Guthrie’s three children — Savannah, Annie, and retired military colonel Camron Guthrie — have presented a united front throughout the ordeal. Savannah Guthrie is married to Mark Feldman; Annie to Tommaso Cioni. The family has sustained a public campaign that has reached from local communities to national television.
Political Turbulence Around the Sheriff
The investigation has played out amid political upheaval surrounding Nanos himself. A recent effort to remove the sheriff was unsuccessful, though Pima County supervisors voted to send perjury allegations against him to the state attorney general’s office. Nanos has maintained leadership of the Guthrie probe throughout the turmoil, stating his priority remains bringing Nancy Guthrie home.
For now, the case rests in a fragile balance — a sheriff who says he is closing in, a family that refuses to stop asking, and a masked man on a doorstep whose identity remains, 100 days later, unknown.