The mother-in-law of a man detained by police in Arizona overnight in connection with the Nancy Guthrie case said Tuesday night that her family had nothing to do with the missing woman.
The woman, who identified herself as Josefina when speaking to NewsNation, said her son-in-law was in her home in Rio Rico when police detained him.
“When we got home, we found out that they took my son out. They went inside, they bust the doors from my house, they went inside and took my son to the living room and had him handcuffed,” she said, adding that she asked if officers had a search warrant, which they said they did not need.
“I saw it on Facebook, but since I don’t know her, I didn’t read what was going on,” she said of Guthrie.
The man was later released, telling reporters Wednesday morning that he was terrified by the ordeal.
Why It Matters
The detention on Tuesday was the latest twist in a missing persons case that has seemingly stumped investigators and drawn attention from across the country—largely because Guthrie’s daughter, Savannah, is one of the nation’s most-watched morning TV hosts on NBC’s Today. Eleven days into the case, authorities have seemingly had few leads on who or how the 84-year-old was abducted.
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What To Know
Speaking to reporter Brian Entin on Tuesday night, Josefina said law enforcement took her phone, along with devices belonging to her husband, daughter, and grandchildren.
She explained that her son-in-law works in Tucson, where Guthrie is from, delivering packages, and that she had told law enforcement they could speak to his employer if needed.
Entin then showed her pH๏τos from Guthrie’s doorbell camera, showing a man in a balaclava, which had been released by the FBI, and asked her if they looked anything like her son-in-law, which she denied.
“No, that’s not him,” she said. “Nope, I can ᴀssure you, it’s not him.”
Authorities were back near Guthrie’s neighborhood on Tuesday, using vehicles to block her driveway. A few miles away, law enforcement was going door-to-door in the area where daughter Annie Guthrie lives, talking with neighbors and walking through a drainage area, then examining the inside of a culvert with a flashlight.
For over a week, investigators have said they believe Guthrie was taken against her will and was last seen at her home on January 31.
What People Are Saying
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Fox News on Tuesday night: “I will say, we have made substantial progress in the last 36, 48 hours thanks to the technical capabilities of the FBI and our partnerships. And I do believe we are looking at people who, as we say, are persons of interest. But as you know with any investigation, you are a person of interest until you are either eliminated or you’re actually found to be the culprit or culprits involved and that’s the safe we’re at right now.”
Savannah Guthrie posted on Instagram, alongside images of the apparent kidnapper, on Tuesday: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”
What Happens Next
The FBI has offered a $5,000 reward for information. The search for Guthrie continued Wednesday morning.
This article contains reporting by The ᴀssociated Press.
Correction 2/11/26, 10:57 a.m. ET: This article’s headline was updated to state that she is the man’s mother-in-law, not mother. The article was also updated to correct the spelling of the woman’s name. It is Josefina, not Josephina.
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