Day 12 Guthrie update: Renewed activity near Nancy Guthrie’s home as key areas are re-checked
Investigators returned to the area around Nancy Guthrie’s home on Thursday, February 12, 2026, marking Day 12 of the search with visibly renewed activity and a tighter focus on evidence recovery. A white tent was erected near the front entrance as teams re-checked the immediate perimeter, revisited earlier search zones, and continued forensic work tied to items recovered in the neighborhood.
Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on February 1 after failing to show up for a scheduled church service. Authorities have said evidence at the home indicates she was taken against her will.
Renewed work at the home draws attention
Thursday morning brought a stepped-up law enforcement presence near the residence in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson. The tent and concentrated activity around the entryway signaled a return to the most sensitive part of the scene—often a sign that investigators are either verifying an earlier finding, conducting additional documentation, or collecting items that were previously overlooked or newly identified as relevant.
Officials have not publicly described what prompted Thursday’s return or what, if anything, was recovered. The sheriff’s office has also indicated it is limiting public briefings while leads are evaluated.
Black gloves and DNA testing remain central
The biggest evidence development disclosed so far this week is the recovery of black gloves in the neighborhood near Guthrie’s home. Authorities say the gloves are being tested for DNA as investigators work to determine whether they are connected to the person seen in recently released doorbell-camera imagery near the time Guthrie disappeared.
Investigators are also examining details tied to what the person in the video was carrying, including the backpack seen in the footage. Officials have not confirmed that the gloves match anything visible in the video, and they have cautioned that the forensic process will take time.
Camera timeline and key technical clues
Authorities have emphasized two technical details that remain important to the timeline:
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The home’s doorbell camera was disconnected in the early-morning hours of February 1, around the window investigators believe Guthrie was taken.
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A separate medical-device connection tied to Guthrie was reported to have gone offline around the same period, limiting the ability to track movement after she vanished.
Investigators have said the doorbell footage was recovered later and released publicly to help identify the individual captured on the porch. The images show a masked person, appearing armed, approaching the home and focusing on the camera.
Tips surge as investigators widen the net
Law enforcement says the volume of tips has grown dramatically since the suspect imagery was released. The sheriff’s department has reported receiving roughly 18,000 calls since February 1, including more than 4,000 in a recent 24-hour period.
Alongside tip triage, investigators have widened requests for neighborhood security footage beyond the immediate disappearance window. Residents have been asked to review recordings from January 11 and January 31 during specific evening time ranges, reflecting a working theory that someone may have been watching the area before the abduction.
Officials continue to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to locating Guthrie or identifying the person responsible.
Day 12 snapshot: where the case stands
| Development | What it means now (ET) |
|---|---|
| Day 12 activity near the home (Feb. 12) | Investigators re-check entryway and immediate perimeter for overlooked or newly relevant evidence |
| Gloves recovered; DNA testing underway | Potential forensic link to the suspect in doorbell footage, depending on DNA results |
| Doorbell camera disabled early Feb. 1 | Supports investigators’ belief the incident occurred overnight |
| Tip volume surging | Leads expanding, but verification workload increasing significantly |
| Footage requests broaden to Jan. 11 and Jan. 31 | Suggests investigators are looking for pre-incident surveillance or “casing” behavior |
| Detained individual released without charges | No public suspect named; investigators continue interviewing and clearing leads |
What to watch next
The next meaningful shift is likely to come from lab results and from camera-to-camera mapping of movement. If DNA from the gloves yields a usable profile, investigators could compare it to known persons of interest or use it to narrow search and interview priorities. If the profile is partial or contaminated, it may still help rule people out or guide follow-up collection.
Separately, the expanded request for older footage suggests investigators are building a broader behavioral timeline—looking for repeated vehicles, repeated late-night foot traffic, or patterns that place a person near the home before February 1. That kind of pattern evidence can be as valuable as a single “smoking gun” clip, especially when paired with physical evidence.
For now, authorities continue to describe the case as an active criminal investigation with the primary goal of locating Nancy Guthrie and identifying whoever removed her from her home.
