Savannah Guthrie's mom still missing, backpack not a 'viable lead'

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYMon, February 23, 2026 at 4:40 PM UTC

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Law enforcement asks anyone with information to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov, the Pima County Sheriff's Department (520-351-4900) or 88-CRIME.

Authorities in Arizona are still searching for Savannah Guthrie's missing mother, more than three weeks after she was reported missing.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said its investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie remains active, and there have been no changes in resources. The Feb. 21 statement came as investigators continue working to identify the masked man seen at Guthrie's front door the morning she disappeared in security camera footage that the FBI released almost two weeks ago.

Authorities have said Guthrie, who was last seen on Jan. 31, was taken from her home against her will. She takes daily medication, and if she does not receive it, "that could, in itself, prove fatal," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos warned earlier this month.

1 / 0Search for Nancy Guthrie and person suspected of taking her continues

“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was seemingly abducted from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2026. Authorities released photos and videos on Feb. 10, of a potential suspect who was caught tampering with a camera on her front door on the morning of her disappearance.

No arrests have been made. DNA evidence has been collected and submitted for analysis, though authorities have warned this process will take time. But investigators have been making progress as they seek to identify the clothing worn by the suspect in the security camera footage, according to Nanos.

For onlookers, the investigation has provided limited clues and false starts, most recently with the recovery of a backpack that proved fruitless. Earlier in the month, authorities also recovered gloves that seemed to match those worn by the suspect, but a DNA analysis did not turn up any matches in the FBI's national database. Two individuals have also been detained during the investigation, but both were but quickly released.

The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie's recovery and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.

Here's everything to know about the Guthrie case as of Monday, Feb. 23.

What happened to Savannah Guthrie's mom?

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday, Feb. 1. She was last seen on Saturday, Jan. 31, when she attended a game night with family. Authorities have said Guthrie was dropped back at her home outside of Tucson, Arizona, at 9:48 p.m. local time.

The search for Nancy Guthrie, right, mother of "Today" show journalist and anchor Savannah Guthrie, is in its third week as investigators follow any possible leads in the case.

According to a timeline previously released by investigators, the doorbell camera in front of Guthrie's home disconnected at 1:47 a.m. on Feb. 1, and software for the smart home detected a person on the camera at 2:12 a.m. She was reported missing around noon on Feb. 1.

In a video released Feb. 15, Savannah Guthrie said that she and her family "still have hope." She also addressed the person who "has" her mother by saying, "It's never too late."

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What we know about the suspect in the Nancy Guthrie case

The FBI released images on Feb. 10 showing a masked man appearing to tamper with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning she disappeared.

The person in the video footage has not been identified, but the FBI previously confirmed the suspect is "a male, approximately 5'9"-5'10" tall, with an average build," who was "wearing a black, 25-liter 'Ozark Trail Hiker Pack' backpack."

1 / 0Search for Nancy Guthrie and person suspected of taking her continues

New images released by authorities on Feb. 10, 2026, from a Nest camera outside Nancy Guthrie's home show an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at the front door on the morning of her disappearance on Feb. 1.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of more than one person being involved in Guthrie's disappearance. Law enforcement has, however, ruled out all members of the Guthrie family as suspects.

"The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case," Nanos previously said. "To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel."

What evidence are investigators looking at?

The Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed on Feb. 13 that DNA "other than Nancy Guthrie's and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property" and submitted for analysis. "We believe that we may have some DNA there that may be our suspect," Nanos told NBC News. "But we won't know that until that DNA is separated, sorted out."

On Feb. 20, the sheriff's department said in an update that DNA analysis "is underway on biological evidence recovered during the investigation" but warned that "this process can be lengthy."

Nanos told NBC News on Feb. 20 that investigators are "getting a little closer to identifying some of the other articles" of clothing worn by the suspect in the door camera video. Investigators have also been working with Walmart to identify the person who purchased the backpack seen in the video.

Guthrie's pacemaker was another investigation focus that law enforcement mentioned last week. "Investigators are attempting to locate the device and are working with the manufacturer and other experts in the field to assist in that effort," the sheriff's department said on Feb. 17. Guthrie's pacemaker app showed it was disconnected from her phone at 2:28 a.m. the morning of her disappearance, according to authorities' previously released timeline.

Nancy Guthrie: Backpack found in search

Volunteers have been searching the area and on Feb. 22 recovered a backpack, which was handed over to a deputy. But the Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed on Feb. 23 that "after reviewing the bag and its contents, it does not appear that this is a viable lead for the investigation."

The bag does not seem to be the same brand of backpack that was seen in the doorbell surveillance footage, and it also "appears to have been outside for much longer than three weeks" and contained the identification of a minor, according to the sheriff's department.

Contributing: Helen Rummel, Sarah Lapidus and Rey Covarrubias Jr; Arizona Republic; USA TODAY staff

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Savannah Guthrie mom updates, backpack isn't 'viable lead'

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