Nancy Guthrie case update: Pima County Sheriff’s Office officials answered several questions Thursday related to the kidnapping of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother. It was also revealed that the FBI is now offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the locating of the 84-year-old mother of three and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
“The FBI Phoenix Field Office and the Pima County, Arizona Sheriff’s Department are investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen on the evening of January 31, 2026, at her residence in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona. She is considered a vulnerable adult who has difficulty walking, has a pacemaker, and requires daily medication to treat heart disease,” the FBI further stated.
first arrest
Pima County officials said the FBI has arrested the suspect. The agency detained an imposter who submitted a false ransom note to law enforcement because “they wanted to profit from the situation.” The identity of the imposter was not revealed at the press conference.
The latest on the suspect
Sheriff Nanos noted that no one has been ruled out as a potential suspect, but investigators don’t have any information to indicate they have a suspect or even a person of interest.
“We are actively looking out for everyone we encounter, and in this case, everyone,” Nanos said. “We would be irresponsible if we didn’t talk to everyone.”
He further responded to unconfirmed reports that Nancy’s son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, was involved in her disappearance. “It’s really reckless behavior to report someone as a suspect when that person is likely to be a victim,” Nanos said.
Ransom letter deadline
Meanwhile, FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke noted that one of the ransom letters had a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday.
“So we are continuing to handle normal kidnapping cases; contact will be made now to try to discuss the issue,” Janke said. “But these are the time frames we are looking at as we move forward.”
“There is no evidence of life,” Janke added. “They are still waiting for communication.”
