Nancy Guthrie Update Today: Major Development Surfaces in Tip Line
Two days ago, the FBI reported 750 tips had come in following Savannah Guthrie's public plea for help finding her missing mother. As of Thursday, that number has doubled — surpassing 1,500 tips in less than 48 hours.
The surge comes directly on the heels of the family's announcement of a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie's return, and it marks one of the most significant developments in a case that has now stretched into its 26th day without a suspect.
The seven-figure reward didn't come without a fight. According to the New York Post, Savannah Guthrie wanted to offer $1 million on the very first day her mother was reported missing — February 1. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos reportedly pushed back, concerned that a reward of that size would flood the tip line with bogus leads and muddy the investigation.
He wasn't wrong to worry. But with nearly four weeks gone and no suspects identified, the family moved forward anyway — and the response has been immediate.
Are the Tips Helping?
Inevitably, when a large sum of money is on the line, and when a case is high-profile like this one, not every time that comes through is going to be genuine, despite the FBI's efforts to manage the volume. In a statement posted to X, the bureau acknowledged the family reward, confirmed their own offer remains on the table, and made one thing very clear: the tip line is for leads, not well wishes.
The FBI's own $100,000 reward remains active and can be combined with the family's offer — meaning credible information could be worth up to $1.1 million total. Both rewards may also be split among multiple people if more than one tip contributes to Nancy's recovery.
@cnn CNN visited the Pima County Sheriff's Department 911 Communications Center to find out more about the tips people are sending in to help police find Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen on January 31. #nancyguthrie #cnn
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According to officials at the Pima County Sheriff's Department 911 Communications Center, before the reward was raised, the highest amount of calls came in the day the photo of the suspect was released, and most calls are coming from out of state. They route calls according to whether they seem helpful and urgent, or whether they can get passed down the line to review later. For the tips specifically, they're looking for anyone who has seen Nancy or who has a connection to the kidnapper.
The Strategy
According to CNN, the messaging isn't aimed at the suspect themselves. "It's not the suspect themselves that the messaging is focused on, it's this broader orbit of associates — potentially friends, family, co-conspirators — really for them to break their silence," former Secret Service agent and CNN law enforcement analyst Jonathan Wackrow explained. Someone with a personal connection to the abductor may not have been tempted by the prior $200,000 reward, but the prospect of a million-dollar payout could make the risk of coming forward feel worth it.
The bureau specifically asked for anyone with "firsthand knowledge of Nancy's whereabouts or any information about where she may be located" to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.