Sheriff Warns It Could Take 'Years' to Find Savannah Guthrie's Abducted Mom but Vows They 'Won’t Quit' as the Search Continues
Sheriff says search for Savannah Guthrie’s mom could take 'years.'
Feb. 15 2026, Published 3:20 p.m. ET
The search for Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy, continues in Tucson, Arizona, as investigators follow every lead in the case, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Nancy, 84, was last seen at her home on January 31 after a family dinner and was reported missing the next day when she didn’t make it to church.
'Keep Moving Forward'
Sheriff vows they 'won't quit' searching for Savannah Guthrie’s mom.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told The New York Times on February 13 that there's no set timeline for finding Nancy.
"Maybe it's an hour from now," he said. "Maybe it's weeks or months or years from now. But we won't quit. We're going to find Nancy. We're going to find this guy."
Nanos admitted the investigation has been emotionally draining. "It's exhausting, these ups and downs," he said, but reassured that the search will continue. "But we will keep moving forward."
Collecting Evidence
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson home after a family dinner.
Reflecting on the evidence collected so far, the sheriff explained, "This has to be it, the evidence, everything's there. Then you talk to people, you learn, you do your search, and you think, 'Maybe not.'"
Over the past two weeks, authorities say several developments have emerged, giving investigators hope as the search continues. Despite the uncertainty, Sheriff Nanos emphasized that every lead is being pursued to bring Nancy home safely.
Recent Developments
FBI releases footage of masked suspect carrying a backpack and gun.
FBI agents recently shared black-and-white footage from Nancy's Tucson home showing a masked man carrying a backpack, wearing gloves, and armed with a gun.
A SWAT team moved in on the neighborhood after a tip led them to issue a search warrant. Three people—two men and a woman—were detained at separate locations, while a fourth individual was stopped in a gray Range Rover.
Analyzing the Footage
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SWAT detains three people and stops a fourth in a gray Range Rover.
Now, the FBI is investigating every aspect of the video to identify anything noteworthy about the alleged suspect and what they were wearing.
"They'll determine where that holster, that backpack, that weapon can be purchased," said Lance Leising, a retired supervisory special agent, told Daily Mail. "They're going to identify the exact make and model, figure out where it's sold, pull the video, and see who walked out with it."
The suspect was seen wearing a fleece or windbreaker-style jacket with reflective details, which experts say could help narrow down possible brands. Small features like stitching, zippers, and seams may point investigators to the manufacturer.
The backpack could be even more important. Analysts note it looked like a standard 25-liter bag, full and tightly packed, similar to ones sold at major retailers. Former FBI Behavioral Science Unit chief Greg Vecchi said that how the suspect wore and packed the bag might also reveal clues about their planning.
Authorities are also examining the ski mask, gloves, and firearm holster. Experts say the way the holster was worn could mean the suspect isn’t an experienced gun owner, while the gloves—possibly nitrile work gloves—were clearly used to avoid leaving fingerprints.
A single black latex glove found about 1.5 miles from the scene could become a crucial lead if DNA is recovered.
