Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping: FBI Releases First Image of Suspect as Search Intensifies
More than ten days have passed since 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home, and investigators remain locked in an intensive search with no sign of her yet. Family members and law enforcement continue to huddle as they follow up on leads, but the critical question persists: Are authorities any closer to finding Nancy Guthrie?
Timeline of Disappearance and Disturbing Discoveries
Nancy Guthrie had dinner with her daughters on January 31st, taking an Uber to her daughter Annie's house. After the meal, her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni dropped her back home around 9:48 pm. Alarm bells rang when Nancy failed to join her friends for their usual Sunday virtual church services, prompting them to alert her family.
The Sheriff and officers arrived at Nancy Guthrie's residence to discover evidence of a forced entry. Upon further investigation, they found blood on the front porch. The sheriff later confirmed that the blood belonged to Nancy Guthrie. With these disturbing signs, authorities concluded that the 84-year-old mother of TV host Savannah Guthrie had been kidnapped.
Ransom Demands and Family's Emotional Appeals
Two ransom notes demanding billions of dollars in bitcoin were sent to the family. The FBI later verified that the Guthrie family received these letters with explicit payment demands. As police searched the home and questioned individuals known to Nancy, the family released emotional video appeals to both the abductors and the public.
"We will pay," Savannah Guthrie stated in one of these appeals, underscoring the family's desperation.
First Major Break in the Investigation
Ten days into the disappearance, on Tuesday, February 10, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released the first image of the suspected kidnapper. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that for the previous eight days, the agency and Pima County Sheriff's Department had worked to recover images or video footage that might have been "lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors - including the removal of recording devices."
"Law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance," he explained in the post.
A video released by the investigation agency depicted a masked man wearing a handgun holster approaching Nancy's front door. He then moved to cover the front door camera with his hand and was seen picking up foliage in an attempt to obscure the camera further.
Detention and Search Operations
Later that day, a person identified as Carlos Palazuelos was detained for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department. The department and the FBI also conducted a court-authorized search at a location in Rio Rico, approximately an hour away from Nancy Guthrie's house.
A woman claiming to be Carlos Palazuelos's mother-in-law told CNN that authorities searched her Rio Rico home after indicating they were acting on a "tip that the lady was in my house." She denied any connection to Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, stating that her son-in-law works as a delivery person and had nothing to do with the case. Carlos was subsequently released.
Ongoing Manhunt and Unanswered Questions
Despite the release of the first images of the suspected kidnapper, Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts remain unknown. The high-profile manhunt continues, with investigators piecing together clues from the ransom notes, blood evidence, and surveillance footage. The community and family await any breakthrough that could bring Nancy home safely.
