Man Detained in Search for Missing Mother Speaks Out

A man known simply as “Carlos” came forward after being held for several hours related to the case of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie.

Authorities detained Carlos, 36, on February 10 in Rio Rico, Arizona, around 90 miles from Tucson, as the search for Nancy continued. He told The New York Times that police questioned him over several hours, but he chose not to provide his last name. Carlos alleged that officers forced their way through his front and garage doors.

“I hope they catch the real suspect because I’m not involved,” he stated.

“They need to do their job and find whoever did this, so they can clear my name, and then I can move on,” he added.

According to Carlos, he was not informed of the situation until detectives arrived. “They said I was being held for kidnapping, and I was just like, ‘Who did you kidnap?'” he recounted, as reported by ABC15.

Interestingly, he claimed he had never watched “Today” and didn’t know who Savannah Guthrie was, saying he was unaware of the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie.

Carlos recounted that he was interrogated about his whereabouts for hours before being told he was “free to go.” While he was released without charges, he felt overwhelmed by the entire incident.

“Just think about what I’m putting my family through. And it’s not just them; even my parents in Tucson are affected,” he noted, gesturing towards his home.

When reporters asked about his feelings on being embroiled in such a high-profile case, he responded, “What the hell am I doing here? I didn’t do anything.”

Carlos told KNXV that he works as a delivery driver and suggested he might have delivered a package to Guthrie’s home at some point, but insisted he had no personal connection to her.

On the same day, the FBI released surveillance footage from Nancy’s home depicting a masked and armed individual at the front door, a video released shortly after a ransom deadline had passed.

Law enforcement reported Nancy missing on February 1, but no suspects have been identified yet. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has not confirmed if anyone detained has been released, although spokeswoman Angelica Carrillo mentioned that detectives had finished a search of the property in Rio Rico.