FBI Tracking Nancy Guthrie's Kidnapper's Outfit and Gun — As Search for Missing Mom Ramps Up After Wrong Man Detained
Detectives are focusing on Nancy Guthrie's alleged kidnapper's clothing as the search goes on.
Feb. 11 2026, Published 2:34 p.m. ET
Investigators are ramping up their desperate search for Nancy Guthrie, RadarOnline.com can report, as they are combing the Catalina Foothills north of her Tucson, Arizona, home.
They are also focusing on the alleged kidnapper's clothing and accessories, as the search for a suspect falls back to square one after a person of interest was released overnight.
FBI Agents Zeroing In
Officials are trying to track down where the mystery man bought his concealing items.
The brief video the FBI has shared with the public has already yielded a plethora of clues. Agents are especially interested in who bought the abductor's nondescript clothing and from where.
Reports already suggest the suspect's backpack resembles Walmart's Ozark Trail Hiker bag, as both have the same reflective pieces seen in the video.
Other items, such as the person's ski mask, gloves, and gun, have also triggered widespread searches for their origins, with the hope that once located, the businesses may have security footage or paperwork that could provide vital clues.
The Kidnapper Concealed His Identity
They are zeroing in on his gloves, mask, and gun.
Criminal justice experts have said the unidentified man went to great lengths to conceal his identity, wearing nondescript clothing, gloves, and a heavy ski mask that completely obstructed his face.
"The person likely put some thought into this event," criminal justice expert Kevin Hale told Radar. "The full facial covering with a ski mask is a bit odd, given the normal temperature in Tucson. This could have been ordered online, but there are certainly masks made of a lighter material."
From the few clues available, Hale also detailed that the suspect appeared to be right-handed and was holding a flashlight.
"The positioning of the gun/holster is also unconventional," he added, noting the gun was holstered in the middle of his waist, "where it is normally located on the person's side in the back waistband."
False Hopes After Person of Interest Was Detained.
A delivery driver was released overnight hours after being detained.
Hope for a breakthrough in the nearly two-week-old case was quashed when a man detained near the Mexican border was quickly released
Carlos Palazeulos, 36, then vented his anger at being overrun by FBI agents. Speaking outside of his home in Rio Rico, Arizona, he said: "They held me against my will, they didn't even read me my rights in two hours in."
When asked if he knew who Nancy was, he told reporters "no" and that he was being followed by officers while out on deliveries.
He explained, "They told me to stop moving. What the f--- am I doing here? I didn't do anything, to be honest. I'm innocent."
Delivery Driver Is Not the Suspect
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Detectives have admitted they have few new leads.
Palazeulos added he also had no idea who Today show host Savannah is either saying he didn't watch the news, and that officers didn't ask him any questions.
Feds searched his home near Interstate 19, which he shares with his wife, kids, and in-laws. He was released shortly after 1 am local time.
"I hope they find the suspect, cause I'm not it," Palazeulos railed. "They better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name."
