Nancy Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills outside Tucson has become a steady stop for news crews and social media streamers over the past three weeks since she went missing, drawing complaints from neighbors and prompting a wider parking crackdown by Pima County officials.
Officials said the no-parking zone around the area is being expanded in response to what neighbors described as growing traffic problems, including congestion on local roads as well as trespassing and trash left alongside roadways.
The new restrictions take effect Thursday. Pima County said journalists and streamers would still be able to access the area, but they will have to park elsewhere and be dropped off in the neighborhood, and officials said violators would face a $250 fine.
Authorities cited safety concerns tied to the physical presence of media operations along the road, including tents, generators and satellite trucks, saying those setups have contributed to congestion.
Neighbors said the impact has been uneven. Holly Vatter, who lives on a street perpendicular to the one Guthrie’s home sits on, said her neighborhood has shifted from being quiet to looking like a parking lot, and she described seeing vehicles constantly pass through or park on her street. She said she has taken steps to reduce disruptions in her home during the morning and afternoon, including keeping her blinds down and avoiding opening her screen door, and she said she has avoided spending time outside because she has seen drones flying overhead.
Vatter said navigating through traffic has added stress while she is recovering from surgery, and she said she paused hair appointments for clients who planned to come to her home. “Nobody wants to, like, drive through a media circus to come to an appointment,” she said.
Other residents were more receptive to the attention. Neighbor Laura Gargano said she does not mind the media presence, saying it creates a “safety cocoon” for neighbors who are concerned about crime and that having more people on the streets is beneficial. She said she also supports keeping the investigation’s focus visible. “I think it’s a good thing to keep for the purposes of the investigation to keep the investigation front and center,” Gargano said.
Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home just outside Tucson on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day, according to authorities. Authorities said they believe she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will, and they have said drops of her blood were found on the front porch, while they have not publicly disclosed much additional evidence.
Even with the sheriff’s request that people not search on their own, volunteers have kept looking, authorities said. A small group reported finding a black backpack on Sunday, though authorities said it was not the same brand as one identified in video surveillance that the FBI released of a masked person at Guthrie’s home the night she disappeared.
Supporters of the Guthrie family have also shown up outside the home, leaving items such as flowers, yellow ribbons, crosses and prayers.