Volunteers Use Metal Detector to Search Yard of Savannah Guthrie's Missing Mother as Family Recovers Vehicle

Volunteers Scour Tucson Property in Search for Savannah Guthrie's Missing Mother

A pair of volunteer podcasters armed with a metal detector spent hours scanning a roadside easement outside the Tucson home of Nancy Guthrie on Tuesday, as the search for the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie continues to intensify.

Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from her Tucson, Arizona residence in the early morning hours of February 1. Separately, three unidentified men were observed working inside the home during the same timeframe, though authorities do not believe the two groups were connected. The men inside were thought to have had family permission to enter the property and declined to speak with reporters upon leaving.

Dedicated Searchers Leave No Stone Unturned

The volunteer duo — equipped with a metal detector capable of detecting objects up to 15 feet underground, along with a garden spade and a vinyl brush — methodically swept the front of the property, searching for jewelry or small items that might have been dropped during the alleged abduction.

Tucson resident Alex Zabel, who has been actively volunteering in the search since February 2, confirmed that the sweep yielded no findings but emphasized the importance of community involvement.

"We didn't find anything, but we're just trying to do as much as we can without trespassing," Zabel told Fox News Digital.

Zabel and his anonymous female partner were also part of a volunteer group that organized a neighborhood search last month — an effort that authorities said produced no evidence of investigative value. Despite the setbacks, Zabel remains optimistic.

"They say it takes a village. We could use all these searchers," he said.

Family Vehicle Returned as Investigation Continues

In a separate development, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed that a vehicle belonging to Nancy's older daughter, Annie, is in the process of being returned to the family. Investigators had seized the car weeks ago as part of their ongoing inquiry into Nancy's disappearance.

Sheriff Chris Nanos has publicly stated that Nancy's adult children and their spouses are not considered suspects in the case. Savannah's brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, joined both sisters on Monday to lay flowers at a growing memorial near the foot of Nancy's driveway.

Investigation Status and Key Details

Law enforcement has yet to publicly name any suspects, vehicles of interest, or persons of interest in connection with the case. However, haunting footage captured by a Nest doorbell camera shows a masked individual standing on Nancy Guthrie's front steps around the estimated time of her abduction. The suspect is described as being of average height and build and was seen wearing a black Ozark Trail backpack.

A combined reward exceeding $1 million — contributed by the FBI, local authorities, and the Guthrie family — remains unclaimed for any information leading to Nancy's recovery.

Savannah Guthrie is urging anyone with relevant information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.