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Nancy Guthrie kidnapping update: First arrest made in ransom note case; massive reward revealed
Nancy Guthrie case: Pima County officials addressed several questions in relation to ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie's mother's kidnapping
Nancy Guthrie case update: Pima County Sheriff's Office officials on Thursday addressed several questions in relation to ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie's mother's kidnapping. It was also revealed that the FBI is now offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of the 84-year-old mother of three and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Phoenix Field Office and the Pima County Sheriff's Department in Arizona are investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, last seen at her residence in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, on the evening of January 31, 2026. She is considered to be a vulnerable adult who has difficulty walking, has a pacemaker, and needs daily medication for a heart condition,” the FBI further stated.
First arrest made
Pima County officials said that the FBI has made an arrest. The agency detained an imposter who submitted a fake ransom note to law enforcement because ‘they wanted to profit from the situation’. The identity of the impostor was not revealed in the press conference.
Update on suspect
Sheriff Nanos noted that no individual has been ruled out as a potential suspect, but there is no information for investigators to say they have a suspect or even a person of interest.
"We're actively looking at everybody we come across, in this case, everybody," Nanos said. "We would be irresponsible if we didn't talk to everybody."
He further addressed unverified reports linking Nancy's son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, to her disappearance. "It's really kind of reckless to report that someone is a suspect when they could very well be a victim," Nanos said.
Ransom note deadline
Meanwhile, FBI Phoenix’s special agent in charge, Heith Janke, noted that one of the reported ransom notes had a deadline of 5 PM Thursday.
"So we are continuing in a normal kidnapping case; there would be contact by now, trying to discuss that," Janke said. "But those are the time frames we're looking at as we move forward."
“There has been no proof of life,” Janke added. “They’re still waiting for communication.”
