Authorities late Tuesday detained a person of interest — a suspect — into custody for questioning in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie after a burst of new tips followed the release of FBI surveillance video. Besides, investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Rio Rico, Arizona, as the search for Guthrie continued with no public confirmation of her location.
Person of interest detained in Nancy Guthrie case after FBI’s surveillance video
A law enforcement source told CNN that officers detained a suspect, the person of interest, in custody after releasing surveillance video related to Nancy Guthrie’s case. They detained the person during a traffic stop in Rio Rico, about an hour south of Tucson. Notably, the person has not been charged. Moreover, investigators searched a vehicle and a home tied to the detention, while keeping the road near the search site closed.
The developments came after the FBI released doorbell camera footage from outside Guthrie’s home taken the night she disappeared, showing a masked person at the front door who appears armed and tampers with the camera. CNN reported that Google engineers helped recover the data after it was initially believed to be lost.
Former FBI senior profiler Mary Ellen O’Toole told CNN the person’s calm behavior stood out. She said, “He doesn’t seem to manifest really strong signs of being nervous,” adding, “He’s not racing around nor does he appear jittery.”
At the Rio Rico search scene, a woman who identified herself as Josefina told CNN that it was her home being searched, claiming, “They had somebody give a tip that the lady was in my house.” She added, “I told them you can go in and search my house, there is nobody there. I have nothing to hide,” and claimed that authorities were looking into her son-in-law, who she said was detained, but insisted “he had nothing to do with that (the case).”
Nancy Guthrie vanished from Tucson on February 1, after her family last saw her the night before. Investigators have pointed to signs of forced entry and have also tracked ransom demands sent to media outlets. However, they warn that not every message may be legitimate.
