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Nancy Guthrie latest update: FBI releases new details about suspect, raises reward to $100K on day 13 of search
FBI described the man as “approximately 5’9” - 5’10” tall, with an average build." FBI also doubled its reward for information leading to her location.
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie has been missing since Jan.31. Believed to be a case of kidnapping, authorities shared the CCTV footage and images of a masked individual on the porch of Nancy's Arizona home on the night she vanished.
As the desperate search for the 84-year-old entered the 13th day on Friday, the FBI provided new description of the kidnapping suspect.
Based on the forensic evidence from the doorbell camera, FBI described the man as “approximately 5’9” - 5’10” tall, with an average build."
The agency also revealed the man was "wearing a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack" when he was caught on CCTV.
"We hope this updated description will help concentrate the public tips we are receiving. Since February 1, 2026, the FBI has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to this case," FBI said in a statement.
"Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance, and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement. Threat Intake Examiners at the National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) and FBI personnel are supporting a 24-hour command post in which dozens of agents and investigators are assigned leads and tips to action each shift."
Additionally, FBI doubled its reward for information leading to her location, increasing it from $50,000 to $100,000.
FBI wrote, "Continue to submit information to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or http://tips.fbi.gov to help us bring Nancy home."
FBI vs Sheriff?
On Thursday, reports surfaced that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was "blocking the FBI's access to key evidence in the case."
A law enforcement official told Reuters that FBI asked Nanos for physical evidence in the case, including a glove and DNA from her home, to be processed at the FBI's national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. According to the official, Nanos instead insisted the materials be analyzed by a private lab in Florida.
The official said outsourcing the forensic analysis to a Florida contractor, rather than sending it to the FBI's lab, was effectively denying the bureau access to critical evidence and delaying its ability to assist in the investigation.
In an interview with KVOA-TV on Friday, Nanos dismissed the report as "not even close to the truth."
He said he had discussed sending recently discovered gloves to the FBI’s lab but argued there was no need.
"I said 'No, why do that? Let’s just send them all to where all the DNA exist, all the profiles and the markers exist,'" Nanos explained. "They agreed, makes sense."
