Nancy Guthrie Update: What We Know About the Tucson Abduction

August 6 update: Read the verified Jan. 31–Aug. 6 timeline, the ransom-communication evidence guide, and the Arizona/federal jurisdiction explainer. Nancy remains missing; an unknown writer’s claim about her death has not been publicly confirmed by investigators.

Before she was a headline, Nancy Guthrie was a mother and a grandmother. She is 84 years old. She is the mother of “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and of her older daughter, Annie Guthrie. On the last night anyone in her family saw her, she had spent the evening at Annie’s home outside Tucson. Hours later, she was gone.

Case status — updated August 6, 2026: Nancy Guthrie remains missing, and the investigation is active. No person has been publicly identified or charged in her abduction. The masked individual shown in released doorbell footage remains unidentified. In a separate federal case, Derrick Callella pleaded guilty to harassing communications sent to the family; he has not been charged in Guthrie’s disappearance. The FBI currently offers a reward of up to $100,000, while the family has separately announced a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her recovery.

What is verified

Nancy Guthrie was last seen by her family on the evening of January 31, 2026. In the early hours of February 1, authorities believe she was taken from her home in the Catalina Foothills, an area just north of Tucson, Arizona. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has said it believes she was taken from her home against her will.

The most significant piece of evidence released publicly is a short clip from Nancy’s doorbell camera. It shows a masked individual approaching the residence around the time she disappeared. That person — whom investigators are still seeking to identify — has not been named, and no suspect has been publicly identified.

Early in the investigation, the sheriff’s department publicly cleared Nancy’s immediate family — including her children and their spouses — as suspects.

The messages sent after she vanished

In the days after Nancy disappeared, more than one purported ransom or informational message surfaced. Two notes were sent to news outlets that investigators believe were likely sent by the same person or group, originating from the same computer IP address; separately, members of the family received harassing communications. One message, reported in June 2026, claimed that Nancy had died after she was taken.

It is important to be precise here. Investigators have indicated that some of these communications were determined not to be legitimate, while others remain under active investigation — and the FBI has not verified that any came from a person actually involved in Nancy’s abduction. Investigators have not confirmed Nancy’s death, and her whereabouts remain unknown. Some details have been deliberately withheld by law enforcement. One man has since pleaded guilty to sending harassing, imposter messages to the family; his case is described separately below, and he has not been charged in Nancy’s disappearance.

Where the case stands now

A joint task force made up of the FBI and Pima County detectives continues to search for Nancy and to investigate her abduction. As of this update, no suspect has been publicly identified and no charges have been filed in connection with her disappearance. The case is open and active, and the science of searching for a missing person is still very much in play.

The two rewards in this case are separate offers. Nancy’s family has separately announced a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her recovery — a privately announced family reward, not part of a pooled government program. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000. Savannah Guthrie has spoken publicly about the toll the case has taken on her family, describing months of living in “agony” while they wait for answers.

A separate harassment prosecution

It is important not to confuse a related federal case with the abduction itself.

Derrick Callella, a California man, pleaded guilty on July 2, 2026 to two federal counts of harassment for sending fake, “imposter” ransom communications to members of Nancy Guthrie’s family. His sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2026.

To be clear about what this is and what it is not: Callella has not been charged in Nancy Guthrie’s abduction or disappearance. He is not a suspect in her abduction, and prosecutors have described his conduct as harassing the family — not taking part in her disappearance. The masked individual seen in the doorbell footage remains unidentified, and the search for whoever is responsible for Nancy’s abduction is ongoing.

Beware of scams exploiting the case

In July 2026, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department warned the public about fraudulent posts circulating online that use a QR code to solicit money supposedly tied to the Guthrie case. The department has said it will never ask for money in connection with this or any investigation.

If you see a post asking you to scan a QR code or send money “for Nancy Guthrie,” treat it as a scam: do not send money, and do not scan the code. Legitimate tips go directly to the FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department using the contacts below.

How you can help

This is the part that matters most. Cases like this are sometimes broken by a single tip from a member of the public — someone who saw something, heard something, or knows something and is willing to come forward.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, you are urged to contact:

• FBI: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
• Pima County Sheriff’s Department: 520-351-4900
• Or call 911

Nancy Guthrie is still missing. Her family is still waiting. The most useful thing any of us can do is keep her name and her face in front of the people who might hold the one detail that brings her home.

Published under Cassian Creed. True crime that names victims in life first. Facts in this account are drawn from reporting by ABC News, CBS News, The New York Times, NBC News, and Reuters. More at cassiancreed.com.

Listen to this case

Listen to the August 6 Nancy Guthrie case update on Spotify or watch the source-labeled YouTube explainer.

Get the next case file the day it ships Get The Stay Safe Field Guide, our field guide to the warning-sign patterns that recur across real cases and how to stay safe →