FBI Struggles to Find Leads in Disappearance of 'Today' Host's Mother

Authorities have yet to identify a suspect or person of interest 11 days after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Arizona home.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Eleven days after the mother of 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie vanished from her home in the foothills outside Tucson, Arizona, investigators have yet to identify a suspect or even a person of interest. A potential break in the case on Tuesday, when authorities detained a person for questioning, fizzled when the man was released hours later. The overall lack of progress has generated pressure and questions for local and federal investigators, who haven't held a news conference in days.

Why it matters

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old woman, has garnered national attention due to her connection to Savannah Guthrie, a prominent television personality. The case highlights the challenges investigators face in solving high-profile missing persons cases, especially when there are few initial leads.

The details

Authorities released surveillance footage showing a masked and apparently armed man at Nancy Guthrie's doorstep the night of her disappearance, offering the best opportunity yet for the public to help identify the suspect. Investigators are also searching for DNA evidence, such as hair or fingerprints, that could help solve the case, similar to how DNA evidence helped identify the suspect in the University of Idaho murders. In the days after a shooting at Brown University in 2025, a tip from a bystander who recognized the person of interest helped investigators identify the shooter.

  • Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1, 2026.
  • On February 10, 2026, authorities detained a person for questioning, but the man was released hours later.
  • On February 11, 2026, investigators released surveillance footage showing a masked and apparently armed man at Nancy Guthrie's doorstep the night of her disappearance.

The players

Nancy Guthrie

The 84-year-old mother of 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie, who disappeared from her home in the foothills outside Tucson, Arizona.

Savannah Guthrie

The host of the 'Today' show, whose mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing since February 1, 2026.

Mary Ellen O'Toole

A former FBI profiler who worked on the yearslong search for the 'Unabomber.'

Ted Kaczynski

Also known as the 'Unabomber,' he carried out a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others before being caught in 1996.

Luigi Mangione

The alleged shooter of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in New York, who was arrested five days after the shooting when someone recognized him at a McDonald's and called in a tip.

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What they’re saying

“Someone who knows the suspect may have noticed them acting unusual, such as not going to work, following the news closely or making offhand comments about the case.”

— Mary Ellen O'Toole, Former FBI profiler

“Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home.”

— Connor Hagan, FBI spokesperson

What’s next

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information that could help solve the case, and investigators are hoping a tipster like the one who helped identify the shooter in the Brown University case may come forward.

The takeaway

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie highlights the challenges investigators face in solving high-profile missing persons cases, especially when there are few initial leads. However, the release of surveillance footage and the public's help have been crucial in solving other cases, and investigators remain hopeful that a key piece of information from the public could help bring Nancy Guthrie home.