Federal agents with K-9 teams arrived at Nancy Guthrie's home in Arizona on Wednesday evening and conducted searches in a nearby wooded area as well as inside the garage of the missing woman. Nancy, 84, vanished Saturday evening after her Italian son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at the large Arizona property — the last known person to see her.
A pickup truck from the Pima County Sheriff's Department pulled up to the home, followed by two vehicles carrying FBI investigators. The property was quickly cordoned off with tape, before launching an extensive search in a wooded area, and agents were still inside the house as of 5:30 p.m. local time.
Focus Shifts to Nancy's Home
K-9 teams were also seen combing the inside of the home, Fox News reported. At the same time, two investigators visited the home of Savannah Guthrie's sister, Annie. Witnesses saw them unloading what appeared to be a tripod and lighting equipment before heading back inside.
Law enforcement had already been spotted at another house on Tuesday—believed to be where the "Today" show anchor is staying — as the case continued to unfold.
Wednesday's developments came shortly after a detective from an online child exploitation unit arrived to speak with members of the Guthrie family.
A man was seen outside the house wearing a T-shirt marked with the badge of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force — a specialized FBI affiliate focused on tracking online grooming and technology-enabled child abuse, the Daily Mail reported.
The uptick in law enforcement activity comes after a source told a local ABC News station that the FBI had brought in outside specialists, including hostage negotiators, as concerns around the case deepened.
Until Tuesday, the investigation had been handled solely by the Pima County Sheriff's Department. That changed once authorities concluded the devout grandmother had likely been abducted, prompting them to request additional federal support.
Signs of struggle remain at Nancy's home. Her Ring doorbell camera had been removed, and investigators noted a small blood splatter near the front entrance.
Cops Still Clueless
The 84-year-old mother of three lived alone in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood. After she vanished on January 31, police found her phone, wallet, and car still at the house — heightening fears that she never left voluntarily. An Apple Watch was also found inside. Investigators say it stopped syncing with her pacemaker around 2 a.m., suggesting that may have been the moment she was taken.
Detectives are now looking into whether Savannah Guthrie's superfans could play any role in the case. The Daily Mail reported earlier Wednesday that the "Today" show host has long received large volumes of gifts and mail from admirers.
According to a senior source, investigators specifically asked NBC whether there had ever been any unsettling fan interactions that might be relevant.
So far, no suspect has been named, and police stress there is no known threat to the general public. Still, they have not ruled out the possibility that Nancy was targeted because of her connection to her famous daughter — a haunting possibility as the search continues.
At the same time, the Pima County Sheriff's Department is also exploring whether Nancy's abduction could be connected to a trespassing incident reported in January, according to TMZ.
In that earlier case, one of her neighbors contacted authorities after spotting a suspicious person lingering outside his home — a detail investigators are now taking a closer look at as they piece together what may have happened.
