Law enforcement in Arizona continues to investigate the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen by relatives on January 31 after spending the evening at the Tucson residence of her older daughter and son-in-law. Below is a chronology of publicly disclosed developments that officials say relate to what they describe as an abduction.
Jan. 31 - Last known sighting
Family members reported last seeing Nancy Guthrie on the evening of January 31 at the Tucson home of her daughter Annie Guthrie and Annie’s husband. Relatives say Guthrie did not attend scheduled Sunday church services the next day.
Feb. 1 - Doorbell camera captures masked man; pacemaker app disconnects
Shortly after midnight, a doorbell video camera mounted at the front entrance of Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson house captured footage of an individual wearing a ski mask, gloves, a backpack and a holstered firearm, tampering with the device. Approximately 30 minutes later, Guthrie’s pacemaker app reportedly lost its connection with her phone line. By shortly before noon, relatives informed authorities that she was missing after she did not appear for church services.
Feb. 4 - Family issues first public videos
Savannah Guthrie, together with her sister Annie and brother Camron, posted the first of several video messages on social media regarding their mother’s disappearance. In those videos the family said they were aware of news reports about a purported ransom note and appealed directly to anyone holding information or communicating with the abductors to open lines of communication with them.
Feb. 5 - Blood on porch confirmed by DNA; first ransom deadline passes
Authorities announced that DNA testing established the blood discovered on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch belonged to her. A purported ransom letter included deadlines; the first of those deadlines passed at 5 p.m. on Feb. 5.
Feb. 7 - Family pleas continue
Savannah Guthrie released another video statement flanked by her sister and brother, in which she appealed publicly for their mother’s safe return. In that message she said, "This is very valuable to us and we will pay."
Feb. 9 - Public appeal and second deadline
In an Instagram video posted on Feb. 9, Savannah Guthrie said, "We believe our mom is still out there," and asked the public for assistance in locating her. A second ransom deadline subsequently passed without reported contact that satisfied investigators or the family.
Feb. 10 - Video released; search and questioning in Rio Rico
The sheriff’s department and the FBI publicly released the doorbell camera footage of the masked, armed man. Law enforcement later described that footage as the single biggest clue in the investigation to date. Hours after the video release, authorities conducted a search of a residence in Rio Rico, an Arizona border town about 60 miles south of Tucson, and briefly took a man into custody for questioning; he was later released and no arrests were made. Savannah Guthrie re-shared images from the doorbell footage on Instagram with the caption, "We believe she is still alive; bring her home."
Feb. 15 - Glove yields DNA sample linked to footage
The FBI said it had obtained a DNA sample from a glove found near Nancy Guthrie’s home and that the sample appeared to match the pair of gloves seen on the masked man in the doorbell camera footage.
Feb. 17 - Database search yields no match
On Feb. 17 the FBI reported that the glove DNA sample failed to produce a match when compared with known genetic profiles in a national database, removing what investigators had hoped would be a major lead in identifying the person seen on camera.
As described in the timeline above, investigators have combined forensic testing, public distribution of surveillance imagery and limited field operations in their response. Family members have maintained a public presence in appealing for information and pressing for their mother’s return. Despite the doorbell footage and forensic steps taken, the investigation remains unresolved and authorities have not confirmed Nancy Guthrie’s location.
If additional details are released by investigators, they will further shape the factual record of this case. At present, the chronology reflects the sequence of events and official statements made through Feb. 17.