A significant law enforcement operation unfolded Friday night in connection with the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old Arizona woman who has been missing since Feb. 1. Federal and local authorities executed a search warrant at a residence about two miles from Guthrie’s home, where a SWAT team and forensics units were seen Saturday morning.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the operation was “directly related to the ongoing investigation” into Guthrie’s disappearance, though officials offered few additional details. Multiple vehicles — including SWAT, FBI and forensic units — surrounded the property near East Orange Grove Road and North First Avenue late Friday.
Two individuals were taken from the home without incident, and a third person was detained after a traffic stop involving a white van nearby. Authorities have not confirmed any arrests or identified those detained as official suspects in Guthrie’s case.
Investigators believe Guthrie was taken from her Tucson-area residence in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. Footage released by the FBI from a security camera shows a masked individual — described as about 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 with an average build — wearing a black backpack walking near her front door around the time she disappeared.
Forensic teams have also found DNA evidence at Guthrie’s home that does not match her or known associates, and several gloves discovered in the surrounding area are being tested. The FBI has increased the reward to $100,000 for information that leads to Guthrie’s location or an arrest.
The case has drawn widespread national attention, with family members and law enforcement urging anyone with information to contact investigators as the search continues.