Sheriff Chris Nanos shut down a viral rumor with one word: “Nope.”

Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos, speaks to the media on February 3, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona. He was answering questions about the search for Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie.(Photo by Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)
(Jan Sonnenmair via Getty Images)

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos publicly shut down a viral rumor Friday night that a new person of interest had been detained in the Nancy Guthrie case.

Asked directly by Fox News reporter Michael Ruiz whether there had been a new detention, Nanos gave a one-word answer: “Nope.” The denial came after claims began circulating on X and aggregator sites throughout the day, drawing tens of thousands of views.

Savannah Guthrie has been back at the Today anchor desk for nearly two weeks after a two-month hiatus following the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, whose case continues to grip the public’s attention.

On Wednesday’s show, Today viewers questioned whether Savannah was OK after she seemed to suddenly dip out of the episode despite teasing an upcoming interview with Anne Hathaway. When the show returned from a commercial break, former co-anchor Hoda Kotb, who has been filling in for Craig Melvin while he’s on vacation this week, spoke with the Oscar winner instead.

Some people wondered whether Savannah had stepped away because she received an update about her mother. The show didn’t address the sudden switch, but Savannah did return to the episode later on.

The area around Nancy Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood, north of Tucson, Ariz., has seen increased activity in recent days amid complaints about vloggers and amateur journalists. Patrols have also increased around the home of Savannah’s sister, Annie, and brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 31, when family members dropped her off at her home following dinner out. She was reported missing around noon the next day after she did not show up at a friend’s house to watch an online church service.

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The FBI released footage of a masked and armed individual taken from her doorbell camera the morning she went missing. But authorities have still not named a suspect or identified a motive in Nancy Guthrie’s apparent abduction.

Guthrie and Kotb are co-anchoring Today for the first time since Kotb stepped down in January 2025. On reuniting amid this challenging time, Kotb told People, “I feel like I get to be in the seat to watch what strength looks like. There’s nobody like her.”

In late February, Savannah Guthrie announced that the Guthrie family was offering $1 million for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s “recovery.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Pima County Sheriff’s Department tip line at 520-351-4900 or the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.