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Sam Hyde arrested in Nancy Guthrie kidnapping? Debunking viral claim amid reports of SWAT action in Marana
As SWAT reportedly headed to Marana, Arizona, related to Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping unfounded claims were made that one Sam Hyde had been arrested.
The search for Nancy Guthrie is on, and SWAT teams of Pima County Sheriff's Office have reportedly headed to Marana, amid a manhunt there. While there has been no official confirmation whether this police movement is linked to the Guthrie case, reports have suggested they are linked and SWAT has set up there, as per ground reporters. Amid this, social media chatter claimed one Sam Hyde had been arrested in the case.
To be sure this came from unverified sources and there has been no official confirmation. However, the post garnered a lot of attention, causing confusion about the status of the investigation.
“SAM HYDE (39) arrested in connection to Nancy Guthrie kidnapping,” a person wrote on X, claiming that this was from sources like AP, NBC, and CNN. Another remarked “SAM HYDE has been arrested in connection with #NancyGuthrie kidnapping.” Yet another said, “news nation says they arrested a guy in marana named Sam Hyde connected to the case. It’s on twitter.”
None of the posts mentioned or went into detail about who this Sam Hyde might be.
Debunking Sam Hyde claims in Nancy Guthrie case
To be sure, none of these above mentioned publications have reported on said claims. There have been no official announcements from the sheriff's office or the FBI – both law enforcement bodies who are probing the matter. Apart from social media chatter, no local reporter or independent journalist on the ground has put out the name either.
Such posts were slammed by another person who is featured on KYW Newsradio.
“No one has been arrested, all those rumors saying some guy named sam hyde is arrested are FALSE. Theyre conspiracy theorists. Theyre claiming cnn and others are reporting it. THIS IS NOT TRUE,” the person wrote in a now-deleted X post.
When Grok was asked about the claims, the AI chatbot also fact-checked it. “No, Sam Hyde was not arrested in the Nancy Guthrie case. Claims circulating online (e.g., on X/Twitter) that comedian Sam Hyde (age 39) was arrested in connection with the kidnapping/disappearance of Nancy Guthrie (mother of TODAY show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie) are unfounded and appear to be part of a long-running internet hoax/meme,” Grok wrote.
It also explained that there is a recurring internet meme where comedian Sam White is blamed for various crimes and untoward occurrences.
Given the gravity of the situation, not everyone took kindly to the hoax. “Very funny,” one person remarked sarcastically.
Brian Entin of News Nation reported that there was an ‘active situation involving the Pima County swat team connected to the Nancy Guthrie investigation.' On the livestream he reportedly said two people had been pulled from their house and it was a man and a woman. Entin reported that the duo might be mother and son and the incident reportedly took place two miles from Guthrie's home.
Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on February 1 and authorities believe that she was taken from her home the night before. They have not announced any suspects yet though FBI director Kash Patel has indicated there are persons of interest in the case. Guthrie has three children, TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie, and her siblings Annie and Camron.
