Nearly six months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Catalina Foothills home near Tucson, Arizona, the FBI has been observed conducting a renewed search of the desert brush behind her property, according to neighbors and a retired law enforcement official. The activity comes after powerful monsoon rains reportedly altered the landscape and potentially shifted evidence in the high-profile case.

A neighbor reported seeing federal agents methodically combing the scrubland in the days leading up to the six-month anniversary of Guthrie’s disappearance. The renewed presence occurred even as local Pima County Sheriff’s Department officials stated that task force investigators had not recently returned to the area.

Retired Pima County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant and former SWAT commander Bob Krygier told Fox News Digital that the onset of monsoon season about a month earlier brought heavy rains that “moved the environment.” He described how sudden floods in the desert washes can rise from a few inches to as much as 12 feet, with enough force to push rocks, debris, trees and potentially critical evidence significant distances. “A lot of water has come down, a lot of water at once, and it pushes things,” Krygier said, noting that rocks had been “pushed away” in the area behind Guthrie’s home.

Guthrie, the mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31, 2026. She was reported missing the following day after failing to appear for a planned activity. Authorities quickly determined she had been taken against her will from her home. Blood evidence was found near the front door, and doorbell camera footage later recovered with Google’s assistance showed a masked, armed man approaching the residence in the early morning hours of Feb. 1.

The investigation has been marked by tension between local and federal authorities. FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly stated that the bureau was kept out of the case for the first four critical days, while Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has maintained that an FBI task force member was present from the outset and that coordination began without delay. Investigators have reviewed tens of thousands of tips and videos, processed DNA evidence from multiple labs, and examined purported ransom notes, some of which the FBI has deemed illegitimate extortion attempts while others remain under review.

A substantial reward, totaling more than $1.2 million, remains available for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery. Savannah Guthrie and her family have made repeated public appeals, describing the ordeal as a nightmare that continues without resolution. No arrests have been made, and Guthrie has not been found.

The monsoon-driven changes to the desert terrain have prompted some observers to suggest that previously overlooked or displaced evidence could now be accessible. Whether the latest search activity yields new leads remains to be seen, but it underscores that the investigation, while prolonged, has not been abandoned.

Main Sources : New York Post