A quiet residential street in Rio Rico, Arizona, became the epicenter of a dramatic development in one of the nation’s most closely watched missing person cases. As patrol cars lined the road and FBI evidence teams combed through her property, homeowner Josefina found herself at the center of a mystery that has captivated millions.
The evening of February 10th started like any other for the Rio Rico resident – until law enforcement vehicles surrounded her home. Officers informed her they had received a tip suggesting that Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, might be inside her residence. The allegation sent shockwaves through the small community located just 60 miles south of Tucson and mere miles from the Mexican border.
Josefina’s response was immediate and unequivocal. “They had somebody give a tip that the lady was in my house,” she told CNN reporters gathered outside. “I told them you can go in and search my house, there is nobody there. I have nothing to hide.”
But the investigation wasn’t focused on her – it was her son-in-law, Carlos Palazuelos, who authorities had detained during a traffic stop earlier that evening. As FBI agents and Pima County Sheriff’s deputies executed a court-authorized search warrant, Josefina stood firm in her defense of her family member. “He had nothing to do with that,” she insisted, her voice steady despite the chaos unfolding around her.
The search came on the heels of a major break in the case. Earlier that day, FBI Director Kash Patel had released chilling surveillance footage from Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera showing a masked individual appearing to tamper with the device in the early morning hours of February 1st. The grainy black-and-white images showed a person wearing gloves, a ski mask, and carrying a backpack – their eyes barely visible through the mask’s openings.
Law enforcement officials showed Josefina the surveillance images, asking if the individual resembled her son-in-law. Her answer was clear: she didn’t believe it was him. She also noted that he didn’t own clothing matching what was seen in the released footage.
Carlos Palazuelos, a DoorDash delivery driver, was questioned for several hours before being released just after midnight. Speaking to reporters outside his home in Spanish, he appeared shaken but adamant about his innocence. “Something I didn’t do. I felt like I was being kidnapped, bro. They didn’t tell me anything,” he told ABC News affiliate KNXV. “All I know is they showed my in-law a picture of somebody wearing a mask or something and it supposedly looked like my eyes.”
Palazuelos explained that he was pulled over while making deliveries, his wife behind the wheel when police surrounded their vehicle. “They told me I was being detained for kidnapping. I asked them, ‘kidnapping of who?'” he recounted. As a delivery driver, he acknowledged he might have delivered packages to Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood before, but he had no specific memory of her address and didn’t know who she was.
The search of Josefina’s home lasted several hours. Authorities removed electronic devices – computers, phones, and other digital equipment – to examine for potential evidence. By early Wednesday morning, the FBI’s Evidence Response Team had concluded their search and left the scene. Josefina returned home to find her doors damaged from the entry, but no arrests had been made.
Despite the dramatic developments, Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts remain unknown. The 84-year-old grandmother was last seen on the evening of January 31st when her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni dropped her off at her Catalina Foothills home around 9:50 PM. The following morning, when she failed to appear at church as expected, concerned congregation members contacted the family. What they discovered at her home would launch one of the most intensive missing person investigations Arizona has seen in years.
Blood drops on the front porch were later confirmed through DNA testing to be Nancy Guthrie’s. Her doorbell camera had been disconnected at 1:47 AM, and her pacemaker lost connection to its monitoring app around 2:30 AM. Inside the home, investigators found her wallet, cellphone, and medications – all left behind. For a woman with limited mobility who required daily medication to survive, the implications were dire.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has been inundated with tips since the case began. More than 18,000 calls flooded the tip lines in the first ten days, with over 4,000 coming in the 24 hours after the surveillance footage was released. Sheriff Chris Nanos has repeatedly emphasized his belief that Nancy Guthrie is still alive, though he admitted there have been no confirmed signs of her.
The case has drawn national attention not only because of Savannah Guthrie’s prominence as a journalist but also due to the mysterious ransom notes that have surfaced. Multiple media outlets received demands for payment in Bitcoin, with deadlines that have come and gone without resolution. The FBI has stated it cannot verify the authenticity of these communications, and notably, they provide no mechanism for the family to respond – raising questions about whether they’re genuine or cruel hoaxes.
Savannah Guthrie has suspended her broadcasting duties, including planned coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, to focus on finding her mother. In multiple video appeals posted to social media, she and her siblings have pleaded directly with whoever has their mother. “We believe our mom is still out there,” she said in one message. “We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help.”
President Donald Trump has also weighed in, offering federal resources and calling the situation “terrible.” The White House has amplified the FBI’s appeals on social media, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urging anyone with knowledge of the suspect to contact authorities.
For Josefina and Carlos Palazuelos, the nightmare of being swept into the investigation has been profound. Though he was released without charges, Palazuelos told reporters he simply wants to clear his name. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has declined to comment on his release, stating they don’t release information about individuals detained and released without charges.
As the investigation enters its second week, FBI agents continue conducting extensive searches along roadways in the Catalina Foothills area. Neighbors have tied yellow ribbons around trees – symbols of hope for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return. The community remains on edge, with some residents expressing fear for their own safety after seeing the chilling surveillance footage.
“Seeing that monster come onto the porch is, like, I mean, it’s horrible,” neighbor Nicollete Daly told reporters. “My mom lives here in town. She lives alone — now I’m worried as heck about her.”
For now, the investigation continues with no suspects publicly named and no confirmation of Nancy Guthrie’s condition or location. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. Anyone with tips is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
As for Josefina, she stands by her statement: her son-in-law had nothing to do with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. Whether investigators agree remains to be seen as they continue piecing together what happened on that fateful early morning in the Catalina Foothills.