Authorities investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie believe the person responsible for her apparent abduction lives in her hometown of Tucson, Ariz.
Soon after Guthrie went missing from her home on Feb. 1, a ransom note from the possible kidnapper was received by two local TV stations as well as TMZ. A second letter was sent only to one of the Tucson stations on Friday.
Investigators have said they’re working under the assumption that the notes are authentic and would offer clues about where the person or people who sent them might reside.
Given certain clues in the letters and the suspect’s choice of media outlets, law enforcement sources told TMZ on Tuesday that they’re operating under the belief the notes were written by someone who’s very familiar with area and likely lives in southern Arizona.
What’s more, the kidnapper’s promise to return Guthrie to Tucson within 12 hours of receiving the $6 million ransom points to them currently being within a 700-mile radius of the city, according to TMZ.
Little else was known about the 84-year-old’s disappearance until investigators recovered footage from a broken doorbell camera at Guthrie’s home. Photos and video released by the FBI on Tuesday show an armed individual wearing a mask and carrying a backpack to Guthrie’s front door the morning she’s believed to have gone missing.
New images in the search for Nancy Guthrie:
Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost,… pic.twitter.com/z5WLgPtZpT— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 10, 2026
“Someone out there recognizes this person,” said Guthrie’s daughter, “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie. “We believe she is still out there. Bring her home.”