FBI Discovers Black Glove in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Probe
In a significant development, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents have recovered a black glove from a roadside close to the residence of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show host Savannah, who vanished on February 1. This discovery, reported by the New York Post, could provide a crucial lead in the hunt for the masked assailant believed to be responsible for the kidnapping.
Expanding Investigation and Key Evidence
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has revealed that numerous hundred detectives and agents are now actively working on the investigation, which is widening across the Tucson area. Investigators state that the glove is similar to those worn by the armed suspect captured on video, and it was found approximately 1.5 miles from Guthrie's home. The FBI reportedly located the glove during an extensive search of the neighborhood, with agents heavily patrolling and combing roadsides for clues.
Video and photos have captured a member of the FBI Evidence Response team retrieving the glove from low desert brush in Guthrie’s remote Tucson-area neighborhood. Authorities have not yet named any suspects in the apparent kidnapping, during which Guthrie appears to have been dragged from her home, leaving a blood trail behind.
Additional Searches and Family Involvement
In a nearby neighborhood, two investigators were observed leaving the home of Annie Guthrie, the daughter of the missing woman. They carried a paper grocery bag and a white trash bag, with one investigator still wearing blue protective gloves. The agent also removed a stack of mail from a roadside mailbox before departing without speaking to reporters.
Barb Dutrow, who was jogging in the area during the search, mentioned that an FBI agent informed her they were looking for any items that might have been thrown from a vehicle. Visiting from Louisiana for a convention, Dutrow expressed sympathy, stating she "can't imagine the feeling of the family of having their mother taken."
Previous Leads and Detentions
Authorities disclosed that a day earlier, they had detained a man near the US-Mexico border, just hours after the FBI released videos showing an individual in a ski mask, gun holster, and backpack approaching Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson home. The FBI’s black-and-white images, depicting a masked person attempting to block a doorbell camera on Guthrie’s porch, represented the first major lead in the investigation. However, these photos did not reveal Guthrie’s fate or indicate whether she is still alive.
The detained man told media outlets on Wednesday that he was held for several hours but had no connection to Guthrie’s disappearance last week. Officials have not disclosed what prompted the stop on Tuesday but confirmed the man was released. The sheriff’s department added that deputies and FBI agents also searched a property in Rio Rico, a city south of Tucson where the man resides.
Mysterious Bitcoin Demand
Adding to the intrigue, a mysterious note sent to TMZ on Wednesday morning demanded a Bitcoin payment in return for information about Guthrie’s abductor. According to TMZ, a transfer of $67,000 was requested in exchange for revealing the "name of the individual involved." This development underscores the complex and ongoing nature of the investigation as authorities continue to pursue all leads.
