Arizona Gun Store Owner Questioned by FBI in Nancy Guthrie Disappearance

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An Arizona gun store owner, Phillip Martin, says an FBI agent visited his store and asked him to check if any of the approximately 18 to 24 individuals on a list provided by the agent had purchased a firearm from his store within the past year. Martin said he complied with the request out of concern for Nancy Guthrie's family, but none of the names on the list matched any recent firearm purchases at his store. The Pima County Sheriff's Office has disputed reports that authorities have narrowed the suspect pool to a specific group of individuals.

Why it matters

The FBI's request to the gun store owner suggests that authorities are exploring all possible leads, including checking firearm purchases, as they continue their search for Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing for over two weeks. The case has garnered national attention, with Guthrie's daughter, Savannah Guthrie, being the host of the 'Today' show.

The details

According to Phillip Martin, the co-owner of Armor Bearer Arms in Tucson, an FBI agent visited his store with a list of approximately 18 to 24 individuals, along with their corresponding photos and names. The agent asked Martin to check if any of those people had purchased a firearm from his store within the past year. Martin said he initially questioned the request but ultimately agreed to help out of concern for Guthrie's family. He entered each last name into his store's electronic records system, but none of the names returned a match for firearm purchases within the past year. The agent told Martin that investigators planned to visit additional gun stores to determine whether anyone on the list had recently bought a weapon.

• Nancy Guthrie was last seen by her family on January 31, 2026, when they dropped her off at her home around 9:30-9:45 p.m.
• Her garage door closed around 9:50 p.m. on January 31, 2026, according to authorities.
• On February 1, 2026, her doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47 a.m., and her security camera detected motion at 2:12 a.m. Her pacemaker also disconnected from her phone application at 2:28 a.m. on the same day.
• On February 1, 2026, at 11:56 a.m., Guthrie's family checked on her after she missed a weekly church livestream gathering, and they called 911 at 12:03 p.m. Sheriff's deputies arrived at her home at 12:15 p.m.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The FBI plans to visit additional gun stores to determine whether anyone on the list of individuals provided to the Armor Bearer Arms store owner has recently purchased a firearm.