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Authorities swamped by 18,000 tips since her disappearance
The Brief
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has received nearly 18,000 leads in the 11 days since the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, with 4,000 tips arriving in a single day following the release of suspect surveillance footage.
Authorities briefly detained and questioned delivery driver Carlos Palazuelos after a traffic stop Tuesday night because he reportedly resembled the suspect in the video, but he was released without charges Wednesday morning.
Search teams in the Catalina Foothills located a glove Wednesday that appears to match one worn by the suspect in the FBI’s video; however, investigators have yet to formally confirm a forensic link to the abduction.
PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. – The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has received nearly 18,000 tips since 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was reported missing over 10 days ago, with more than 4,000 calls arriving within 24 hours following the release of home surveillance footage.
Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home on Jan. 31 and investigators believe she was abducted.
The Latest
Investigators searched roads and desert terrain near Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills home Wednesday, Feb. 11, as the search entered its 11th day.
During the search, authorities recovered a glove that appears similar to the one worn by a suspect in surveillance footage released Tuesday. However, investigators have not yet confirmed if the item is connected to the case.
One lead led investigators to search a home south of Tucson and briefly detain Carlos Palazuelos on Tuesday night, though he was released without charges.
Palazuelos told a reporter he was detained following a traffic stop and questioned before being released Wednesday morning. As a delivery driver who works in Tucson, Palazuelos said it’s possible he’s delivered packages to Guthrie’s home in the past, but he denied any involvement in her disappearance and described the experience as terrifying.
According to Palazuelos, there was belief his eyes matched those of a suspect seen in surveillance footage recovered from Guthrie’s doorbell camera.
The FBI said agents will continue searching the neighborhoods of both Guthrie and her daughter, Annie. Meanwhile, a growing tribute of yellow flowers has formed at Guthrie’s driveway since her abduction, with supporters using the color to symbolize hope for her safe return.
What they’re saying
With thousands of tips flooding in, criminologist Dr. Alex del Carmen said investigators are likely using artificial intelligence to filter the information. AI can use geolocation to prioritize local tips and discard outliers.
“There’s no way you can humanly possibly go through every single one of them in a matter of days,” del Carmen said. He noted that roughly 20% to 30% of tips are typically nonsensical or from overseas. “Then there’s a core that you want to pay attention to … all you need is one.”
Public attention has also focused on the heavy police presence at the home of Guthrie’s daughter, Annie. Investigators have been seen canvassing the area and removing boxes from the residence.
Del Carmen said such scrutiny is standard procedure, as Guthrie was reportedly at the home shortly before her disappearance. Investigators may be looking for clues regarding her state of mind or last known interactions.
“FBI training for years has taught agents to always look at family with an especially critical eye,” del Carmen said, adding that this does not mean any family member is a suspect. “A victim’s last known whereabouts are often some of the most critical pieces of evidence.”
Dig deeper
Questions have also surfaced regarding how the FBI recovered the doorbell camera footage, as Guthrie did not have a Google Nest subscription. The FBI attributed the recovery to “residual data located in backend systems.”
Cybersecurity experts noted it is technically possible to record and recover video from such devices without an active subscription.