FBI seizes SUV near Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson home; SWAT detains three in kidnap probe

TUSCON, ARIZONA: Federal and local authorities conducted coordinated operations late on Friday, February 13, near the Tucson home of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing since January 31. During the operation, agents seized a gray Range Rover from a restaurant parking lot roughly two miles from her home in Tucson.

Several individuals were detained as part of the broader investigation, though officials said those detentions did not result in arrests. The inquiry remains active as authorities continue to pursue multiple investigative leads. 

Range Rover seized in late-night operation

FBI agents and deputies with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department converged on a Culver’s parking lot in the Catalina Foothills late Friday, where a gray Range Rover was located.

Video broadcast by local outlet KGUN 9 showed officers photographing and searching the SUV before erecting a temporary barrier around the trunk area to shield investigative activity from public view. The vehicle was later towed from the scene.

A photographer at the scene reported that the SUV’s trunk was sealed before it was removed. Authorities have not publicly identified the vehicle’s owner or explained the basis for its seizure.

The driver was reportedly stopped in connection with a simultaneous raid at a nearby residence linked to the case. Sources told The Post that the driver was taken in for questioning and later released after an interview. 

 A spokesperson for Culver’s said the owner-operated restaurant is “fully cooperating with authorities,” but declined to provide further information. “We currently have no information indicating whether this investigation is connected to the Nancy Guthrie case. Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with the Guthrie family, and we continue to hope for her safe return,” the spokesperson said.

SWAT detentions, DNA evidence and expanded search efforts

At least three people were detained during a SWAT response tied to the disappearance investigation. Acting on a tip, authorities took two men and the mother of one of them into custody, though they were later released after questioning.

Officials emphasized that detentions do not constitute arrest and did not disclose the identities of those questioned. 

“Law enforcement activity is underway at a residence near E Orange Grove Rd & N First Ave related to the Guthrie case,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said on X shortly before midnight local time. “Because this is a joint investigation, at the request of the FBI, no additional information is currently available.” 

Earlier on Friday, February 13, investigators said they recovered DNA evidence from someone not known to be “in close” contact with Guthrie at her property.

The unidentified DNA sample has been sent to a laboratory for analysis. Authorities believe Guthrie was forcibly removed from her Tucson home, where she was last seen on January 31. She was reported missing the following day.

Multiple ransom notes have surfaced since her disappearance. The FBI released a description of an armed individual captured on a Nest camera at her front door. The suspect is described as a man approximately 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build. 

The FBI has doubled its reward to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s location or an arrest. Investigators continue to pursue leads in and around the area near her home as the search intensifies.