Determined efforts by law enforcement to locate Nancy Guthrie continue unabated, as the sheriff’s office employs lie detector tests in their investigation. This comes as the reward for information leading to her safe return or the capture of her suspected abductor dramatically increases, thanks to a mysterious benefactor.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen in her Tucson, Arizona, home on January 31. Authorities suspect she was forcibly taken from her residence in the early hours of February 1. The case has captured widespread attention, partly due to her being the mother of Savannah Guthrie, host of the Today show.
As the search for Nancy enters its 18th day, no arrests have been made in connection with her alleged kidnapping. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office, alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is diligently pursuing all leads.
Initially, a $50,000 reward was set for information leading to Nancy’s return or the apprehension and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance. However, in a significant development on the 12th day of the investigation, the reward was doubled thanks to an anonymous $100,000 donation, bringing the total to $202,500. The sheriff’s office confirmed this increase on Wednesday, underscoring the community’s commitment to resolving this troubling case.
Authorities initially announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy’s return or the arrest and conviction of her alleged kidnapper.
The reward then doubled on the 12th day of the investigation. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Wednesday that an anonymous $100,000 donation has been added, bringing the reward to $202,500.
In addition to the massive reward, the sheriff’s office is also reportedly conducting lie detector tests to clear potential suspects, sources told NewsNation and Fox News.
It’s unclear exactly who the department is questioning using the polygraph tests.
Nancy Guthrie vanished from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1 in what investigators believe was a kidnapping. She and her daughter, Today Show host Savannah, are pictured on set in 2020
The FBI has increased a reward in the Nancy Guthrie investigation to $202,500 after an anonymous donation
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is reportedly instructing his team to conduct polygraph tests as his department continues to search for Nancy Guthrie. The sheriff is pictured here on February 13 during an interview with Reuters
Authorities have also obtained DNA evidence at Nancy’s home, which has been sent for lab analysis, according to the sheriff’s office.
Nancy was first reported missing after she failed to show up for a weekly virtual church service at her friend’s house.
Her family reported her missing, and authorities arrived at her Tucson home to find a disturbing scene.
The elderly woman was nowhere to be found, her front camera was disconnected, and there was blood on her front door.
It took the FBI 10 days to recover the lost surveillance footage, which later revealed that a masked individual had disabled the front camera.
The FBI said the suspect was believed to be male, approximately 5’9”-5’10” tall, of average build, and carrying a black backpack.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said on Tuesday that the suspect appeared to be wearing a ring under his black gloves.
‘I look at the same photo you look at and I get it, I see it,’ he told NBC News.
Authorities have been met with many challenges in the case, including Nancy’s age and health, the secluded area where she was allegedly taken, and increased media attention. Nancy and Savannah are pictured here in 2023 on the set of the Today Show
‘I’m going to give that to my team. They’ll look at that. They’ll analyze it and we’ll see. Maybe, maybe it is.’
TMZ and two local Arizona news stations have received several ransom notes allegedly from Nancy’s captors.
The news outlets have reported that the notes demanded millions in Bitcoin. TMZ shared on Wednesday that they received another demand, calling the note ‘sophisticated,’ adding it ‘puts the media right in the middle of it.’
The letter reportedly demanded $6 million in a different form of cryptocurrency and ‘graphically describes the consequences if the ransom isn’t paid,’ the report stated.
False hope for a break in the case came on Saturday when a Special Weapons and Tactics team raided a home near Nancy’s residence.
Authorities were also seen searching a grey Range Rover and detained the driver. Multiple individuals were detained and questioned, but no arrests were made.
Another brief glimmer of hope came when law enforcement recovered a glove near Nancy’s property that appeared to match the ones the suspect was wearing in the surveillance video.
However, Sheriff Nanos said the glove yielded no new leads and failed to match the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national database of DNA profiles of arrestees.
Sources have also revealed to TMZ that investigators are considering the possibility that Nancy was taken across the border.
The sheriff’s office said in a media release on Wednesday that they’ve received reports of their department working with Mexican authorities and utilizing polygraph tests, but wouldn’t be confirming that information at this time.
