Fact Check: Did investigators find a body during Nancy Guthrie search?

TUCSON, ARIZONA: After Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, went missing, a claim has been circulating on social media platforms that a body has been found during the search operation.

The claim has sparked speculations, with many questioning the authenticity of the rumor. Let us analyse the viral video and fact-check the claim.

Claim: Body with similarities to Nancy Guthrie found during search 

The rumor surfaced on Friday, February 13, when a video on X claimed that a body had been found in Pima County, Arizona, during the search and that it 'shares similarities' with Nancy Guthrie, with identification pending.

The post came with a link to the video and was accompanied by a caption stating, “Body found in Pima county search shares similarities with missing Nancy Guthrie, ID pending.”

This is among the latest rumors circulating on social media platforms following the disappearance, sparking speculation among many.

Fact Check: False, the video is AI-generated

The video, however, appears to be generated using artificial intelligence and originated from an unreliable source. It shows a compilation of news media footage related to the search operation and includes nothing that supports the claim.

There are no confirmed reports from the authorities, such as the police and the FBI, that a body has been found, and it shares similarities with the missing person. 

A search on Google found no credible news reports supporting the claim. Hence, it is evident that the viral claim is false.

Mystry deepens in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

It's been 13 days since Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing. She was last seen in the evening of January 31, when family members dropped her off at her home in the Catalina Foothills near Tucson.

Surveillance footage from that night shows an armed man attempting to tamper with a camera outside her home, which authorities believe the case may involve a kidnapping for ransom.

Multiple ransom notes were reportedly sent to media outlets in the days that followed.

The FBI has released additional details about the masked man seen in the footage, who is believed to be the primary suspect. 

The suspect is described as approximately 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build. He was also seen wearing a black 25-liter 'Ozark Trail Hiker Pack' backpack.

"We hope this updated description will help concentrate the public tips we are receiving. Since February 1, 2026, the FBI has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to this case," the FBI said in a statement.