Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance investigation in Arizona moved into a new phase late Friday night, when law enforcement sealed off a road near the Tucson-area home of the 84-year-old, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock that was set up about 2 miles from Guthrie’s residence, the Associated Press reported.
The sheriff’s office said the action coincided with a separate effort in the immediate area: the agencies also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a Culver’s restaurant parking lot roughly 2 miles from Guthrie’s home. The sheriff’s office said the activity occurred around the same time its own deputies closed a road just north of Guthrie’s property.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that investigators executed a federal court-ordered search warrant at Guthrie’s home on Friday. The warrant, the sheriff’s office said, was based on a lead the agency had received, and no arrests were made in connection with the search. The sheriff’s office also said a traffic stop was conducted during the operation, and while someone was questioned, authorities did not report any arrests.
No additional details were released Saturday as investigators continued to build their case. Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1, and authorities have said her blood was found on the front porch of her Tucson-area home. The investigation has also included purported ransom notes sent to news outlets, with two deadlines for paying described as having passed.
Authorities have said they remain concerned about Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. According to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com cited in the report, Guthrie has a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues.
Investigators have studied surveillance video, reviewed thousands of tips and submitted DNA and other evidence for laboratory analysis. The FBI said it had collected more than 13,000 tips since Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1, and the sheriff’s department said it had taken at least 18,000 calls.
On Tuesday, authorities released footage showing an armed, masked person at Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted. The videos, described in the report as less than a combined minute in length, gave investigators and the public their first view of who was outside Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson.
The Associated Press also noted that reporters from other offices contributed to the report, including Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu and Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.