Authorities Released New Details in Nancy Guthrie's Case as the Alleged Suspect Was Caught on Camera

As the search for the whereabouts of news anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother enters its tenth day, a string of rapid-fire developments has reshaped the case.

A traffic stop, a house search, and evidence that was never supposed to exist are now at the center of the investigation.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished from her Tucson home on February 1, 2026. For more than a week, authorities released few details publicly. Then day nine changed everything.

A Traffic Stop on Day Nine

On Tuesday, February 10, deputies detained a subject during a traffic stop south of Tucson.

In a statement posted on the Pima County Sheriff's Department X account, Sheriff Chris Nanos said, "Earlier today, Pima County Sheriff's Department deputies detained a subject during a traffic stop south of Tucson. The subject is currently being questioned in connection to [sic] the Nancy Guthrie investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available."

The stop took place in Rio Rico, about 60 miles south of Tucson near the US border with Mexico. Authorities also executed a search warrant at a home in Rio Rico, a spokesperson told CNN. But by Tuesday night, the narrative would shift again.

Police Act on a Tip in Rio Rico

The Rio Rico home that authorities searched belongs to a woman identified only as Josefina. She told news outlets that officers searched her home after receiving a tip related to Guthrie’s disappearance.

"They had somebody give a tip that the lady was in my house," she said. "I told them you can go in and search my house; there is nobody there. I have nothing to hide."

Josefina said authorities were investigating her son-in-law in connection with the case. She added, "He had nothing to do with [the case]."

She had returned home from Tucson to find her door broken down and officers inside.

"I'm sorry what's happened to (the Guthries)," she said. "I don't know her, I don't know anything about their lives or what's going on, but I'm so sorry - whoever took her, I hope she [gets] back safe."

At that point, authorities had not publicly identified the detained subject.

Detained Man Says He's Innocent - So Why Was He at the House?

By Tuesday night, the detained man, who identified himself only as Carlos, was released. "They arrested me as soon as I got out of the car," he said.

He also addressed why investigators may have connected him to Guthrie’s home. "I told them, I work in Tucson for GLS, I might have delivered a package to her house, but I never kidnapped anybody."

He continued, "They [held] me from 4:00 p.m. till now." In another video shared on X, Carlos said he hopes authorities catch the real suspect so his name can be cleared.

The Footage That Wasn't Supposed to Survive

While the detention and release drew attention, investigators revealed a potentially more consequential development.

Earlier on Tuesday, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department released images and video from a Google Nest camera mounted outside Guthrie's front door. The footage was first detailed by Page Six.

The video shows a masked, armed individual carrying a backpack and approaching the home. The person appears to tamper with the camera before disconnecting and taking it. Yet investigators still obtained the footage.

Nancy did not subscribe to Google's $10-a-month storage plan, according to the New York Post, and the physical camera was also missing.

Former prosecutor John W. Day said, "It gives us some insight to what Google is capable of."

He added, "You can only imagine how difficult that was if it took 10 days to get there." Day called it "a miraculous turn of events because this could be the thing that leads to a break in the case."

Investigators have not detailed what prompted Google to help retrieve the footage. But the release of the images suggests cooperation led to new leads.

Did the Suspect Make a Critical Mistake?

Private investigator Andy Kay told Page Six that the suspect may have made a costly error.

"The cameras will record to the servers as long as they have internet. According to Nest, without a subscription, usually they are quickly overwritten by next images. But if the camera is disconnected, there should be nothing to overwrite on the server," he explained.

In simple terms, disconnecting the device may have preserved the final images instead of erasing them. Kay referred to the suspected kidnapper as a "rookie," noting that the weapon appeared to be holstered incorrectly.

The footage also shows the masked individual grabbing foliage from the ground in an apparent attempt to cover the lens.

Rookie - Or Experienced?

Still, former FBI senior profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole saw something different when analyzing the video.

"He doesn't seem to manifest really strong signs of being nervous... He's not racing around nor does he appear jittery. That's impressive to me," she noted.

O'Toole added, "You can only get that calmness from two things: your personality and your experience being in situations like this before." She also pointed to adaptability.

"Take a look at the gloves the person was wearing. They were so thick it was difficult for him to even move his hands... He was able to come up with something that allowed him to at least probably smudge the front of that lens," she said.

Entering Day 10

In nine days, the case moved from silence to a detention, a release, a house search, and footage recovered despite missing equipment and no subscription plan.

Now, as day ten unfolds, one major question lingers: if the man detained was released and the suspect on camera made a mistake that preserved evidence, what will the next break reveal?

Authorities say additional information will be released as it becomes available.