Search for Missing Woman in Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz. — A significant raid took place on Friday night in Rio Rico, Arizona, which is just north of the Mexican border. This event marked the first major development in the investigation for Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing from her family’s property.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, alongside the FBI, secured a court order to search the home of Carlos Palazuelos in the area, known for its small population of around 20,000. Palazuelos was taken in for questioning and briefly held by authorities.
Hours later, investigators left the scene early Wednesday morning. Until Tuesday night, the only homes that had been searched belonged to Nancy Guthrie and her eldest daughter, Annie.
Authorities conducted a raid on Nancy’s residence on February 1st after she failed to attend a weekly meeting where she and friends typically watch live-streamed church services. They returned on the evening of February 6th to remove media equipment and conduct a thorough search, including the rooftop.
A drone captured footage of officers retrieving a cylindrical object from a shelf in the property’s courtyard. They also towed away a blue SUV from Guthrie’s garage, which raised questions about what evidence might be inside.
In addition, Annie Guthrie’s home was searched twice, first on February 4th, three days into the investigation, and again on February 7th. On February 6th, authorities briefly entered Nancy’s backyard but did not stay long. The second search was more extensive; investigators carried what seemed to be bags and remained on-site for a couple of hours.
Officials have also organized several large-scale searches in both neighborhoods, and the latest occurred Tuesday evening when the FBI canvassed Annie’s neighborhood, going door-to-door.
This follows the first significant update in the ongoing case. On Tuesday afternoon, FBI Director Kash Patel released footage from a doorbell camera at Nancy’s home. It showed a masked individual, fully covered, carrying a backpack, gloves, and a firearm, approaching the front door.
As of now, no suspects have been identified in connection with Nancy’s disappearance.
