A person has been detained for questioning in connection with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
The person was detained during a traffic stop in Rio Rico, Ariz., south of Tucson near the Mexico border, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said on Tuesday evening.
They also announced the department, assisted by the FBI’s Evidence Response Team, obtained a search warrant for a location in Rio Rico related to the investigation.
“This operation is expected to last several hours. No further details at this time,” they said in a statement.
While the person has not yet been identified, TMZ reports the person is not a member of the Guthrie family. The Post says the individual is a man.
Additionally, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed federal investigators were probing “persons of interest” during an appearance on Fox News Tuesday night.
“Without polluting the investigation, I will say we have made substantial progress in these last 36-48 hours, thanks to the technical capabilities of the FBI and our partnerships and I do believe we are looking at people who, as we say, are persons of interest,” he explained.
The update comes after horrifying photos and videos of a potential suspect were released by the FBI on Feb. 10. However, it’s not clear if the person detained is the person in the photos and videos.
In the images, an armed person in a ski mask was seen tampering with Nancy’s home security camera on the morning she was reported missing.
In a Feb. 5 press conference, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters that investigators were “actively looking at everybody” as a suspect.
“Does that mean we have a prime suspect? No,” he added, noting the Guthrie family had been “very cooperative.”
Nancy vanished from her Arizona home after being dropped off by son-in-law Tommaso Cioni on Jan. 31 following a family dinner. The matriarch was last seen around 9:30 p.m. — and caused alarm when she didn’t show up to church the morning of Feb. 1.
The following day, Nanos confirmed in a press conference that the 84-year-old’s Tucson residence was being treated as a crime scene due to “very concerning” circumstances.
Savannah, 54, released a statement at the time, reading, “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom.”
Later that evening, the NBC personality pleaded with her Instagram followers to pray for her mother’s safe return.
The journalist, notably, remained off air while navigating the family crisis and pulled out of hosting the Winter Olympics.
Nanos revealed on Feb. 3 that Nancy was believed to have been “taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night.”
The sheriff had previously emphasized Nancy’s “sound mind,” explaining, “This is an elderly woman in her mid-80s who suffers from ailments. … She couldn’t go 50 yards.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that the home showed signs of forced entry, with NewsNation releasing a video of what appeared to be a trail of blood outside the front door. Nanos later confirmed during the Feb. 5 press conference that the blood was Nancy’s.
Nanos has consistently shared his hopes during the investigation that Nancy is still alive.
He noted on Feb. 4 that the “clock [was] ticking” because Nancy’s “critical” medication had been left behind, meaning her alleged captors had “placed her in great jeopardy.”
Multiple ransom notes were sent to local news organizations, allegedly containing chilling details about Nancy’s home and outfit pre-disappearance.
Savannah, Annie and Camron filmed an emotional Instagram video on Feb. 4 telling the alleged captors, who have asked for millions in Bitcoin, they’re “ready to talk” — and sending love to their mom.
Camron did the same in an additional video Feb. 5, then joined his sisters for a third plea two days later.
In the Feb. 7 upload, Savannah said, “We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Ahead of the final ransom deadline on Feb. 9, Savannah pleaded for help finding her mom, as there were still no suspects.
Meanwhile, at NBC, the network reportedly ramped up security and police presence at its “tense” New York City studio out of an “abundance of caution.”
Savannah’s co-hosts expressed on-air how “rattled” they felt, with Sheinelle Jones saying, “A lot of us [have] had trouble sleeping.”
The journalists — including former co-anchor Hoda Kotb — sent Savannah their love as the Daytime Emmy winner, according to Nanos, coped by “leaning on” her family members.
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