Pacemaker Might Hold the Key to Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance, as Authorities Consult Manufacturer

As the search for Nancy Guthrie continues, authorities in Arizona have contacted the manufacturer of her pacemaker in hopes the device could provide clues about her disappearance.

In a statement shared Tuesday, Feb. 17, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the investigation began Feb. 1, when the 84-year-old mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie was reported missing by her family. She was last seen at her Tucson home on Jan. 31.

“Investigators are attempting to locate the device and are working with the manufacturer and other experts in the field to assist in that effort,” the department said.

Law enforcement sources have said investigators are using a “signal sniffer” in an effort to detect signals from her pacemaker.

David Kennedy, a former NSA hacker who created and provided the device to authorities, described helicopters flying low near Nancy’s home and noted that the distance required to detect a signal from the pacemaker is limited, according to CNN.

Investigators have also outlined an approximate timeline of Nancy’s last known moments. At 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 31, family members dropped her off at home and the garage door opened. Two minutes later, the garage door closed. This was the last time she was reportedly seen.

Hours later, at 1:47 a.m., her doorbell camera was disconnected. At 2:12 a.m., the camera briefly detected a person. Then at 2:28 a.m., Nancy’s pacemaker was disconnected from the monitoring app on her cellphone.

Former CIA and FBI agent Tracy Walder has described the signal-sniffing approach as new and somewhat experimental, noting that detection typically requires close range — making it difficult unless searchers already have a strong sense of where to look.

Authorities believe a masked, armed person seen on Nancy’s doorbell camera kidnapped her in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. The FBI’s Phoenix office described the person as a male, approximately 5’9” to 5’10” tall, with an average build, wearing a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack, according to an FBI post on X.

The suspect’s identity has not been released. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said this week that Nancy’s relatives have been ruled out as potential suspects.

On Tuesday, the sheriff’s department also said DNA evidence recovered from gloves found about two miles from Nancy’s home did not match any profiles in the national DNA database. Investigators believed the gloves were similar to those worn by the assailant.

In an Instagram video shared Sunday, Feb. 15, Savannah Guthrie urged “whoever has her or knows where she is” to come forward.

A $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or an arrest in the case.