September 14 recap: Tucson news you may have missed today

For Tucson residents, the most consequential story in this recap remains the unresolved disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old woman taken from her Tucson-area home, according to authorities. The case has brought a major law enforcement presence to the Catalina Foothills, prompted requests for surveillance footage from nearby residents, and raised concerns about whether the person responsible could pose a continuing threat. The roundup also includes a brief update on the Arizona Wildcats, who are trying to respond to what coach Brent Brennan described as difficult lessons from their game against BYU.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has said the search for Guthrie entered its sixth week, with Friday marking the 41st day since she was reported missing. Guthrie disappeared on the night of Jan. 31 and was reported missing Feb. 1 after she failed to attend church. Investigators believe she was taken from her home against her will. The circumstances have made the case especially urgent for people living near the home, where law enforcement has sought help reviewing neighborhood camera footage and identifying anything unusual.

The FBI has released images and video showing a masked man at Guthrie's doorstep, and investigators have continued examining video and other evidence. The Sheriff's Department said additional footage from cameras had been recovered, but it did not provide details about what the material shows or explain how it may affect the investigation. Officials said evidence is being reviewed along with material from laboratories. They have not publicly described a suspect or announced an arrest.

Residents within two miles of Guthrie's Catalina Foothills home have been asked to review surveillance recordings from Jan. 1 through Feb. 2 and submit anything they consider unusual or potentially important. The request applies to home security systems and other cameras that may have captured vehicles, people or activity in the area. Deputies also reportedly went door to door in the neighborhood during the search. The Sheriff's Department has created a tipline and an online form, while the FBI is accepting information at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

One recent change in the search involves cadaver dogs. The Sheriff's Department said the dogs were no longer being used in the active search, although Sheriff Chris Nanos said they remain available if investigators determine they are needed again. Officials also acknowledged a damaged utility box near Guthrie's home. The significance of that damage has not been made public. Authorities have continued to analyze other physical evidence, including gloves found during the investigation.

One glove found slightly more than two miles from Guthrie's home produced DNA that was traced to a restaurant employee who works near the area. The Sheriff's Department said that person was not connected to the disappearance. Additional gloves remain under examination at a private laboratory in Florida. Guthrie's family vehicle, belonging to her daughter Annie, was returned to the family. People also entered Guthrie's home with a metal detector while looking for jewelry or other small items that might have been lost during the suspected abduction.

The case has received national attention because Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, the NBC “Today” show host. Savannah Guthrie returned to the studio to see and thank her colleagues, although a program spokesperson said she remained focused on supporting her family and helping bring her mother home rather than immediately resuming regular on-air duties. Family members placed flowers outside Nancy Guthrie's home on March 2. Savannah later posted that the family felt the public's support and asked people to continue praying and hoping.

The family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Guthrie's recovery. TMZ also reported receiving a sophisticated ransom demand involving cryptocurrency and described threats tied to failure to pay. The demand was reportedly sent to the FBI. The report referenced a $6 million amount similar to an earlier ransom message, but law enforcement has not publicly confirmed that the messages are legitimate or connected to Guthrie's disappearance. The Sheriff's Department has warned that the suspected offender could strike again and that there may be a danger to the public, making residents' reports of unusual activity particularly important.

On the sports side, Arizona is turning its attention to improvement after facing BYU. Brennan said the Wildcats encountered difficult lessons in that game and need to learn from them. The available update does not provide a final score or identify specific plays, injuries or statistical developments. It does make clear that the program's immediate focus is correcting problems exposed by the matchup and using the experience to improve in the weeks ahead. For Tucson fans, that means the BYU result is being framed by the coaching staff as a test of the team's ability to respond, rather than as an isolated setback.