Police Release Man Detained in Nancy Guthrie Abduction | Crime Alert 02.11.26 - Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode Summary: Police Release Man Detained in Nancy Guthrie Abduction | Crime Alert 02.11.26

Podcast: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Air Date: February 11, 2026

Main Theme

This urgent episode covers fast-breaking developments in the Nancy Guthrie abduction case. The focus is on the recent detainment and subsequent release of a man known only as "Carlos," who claims he was mistakenly stopped by police and has no connection to Guthrie’s disappearance. The episode also details family reactions, insights from law enforcement, and the ongoing search for new leads in the investigation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Detainment and Release of "Carlos"

Incident:
- Carlos, identified as a person of interest, was reportedly stopped by police during a traffic incident in Rio Rico, Arizona.
- After questioning, he was released. His status remains unconfirmed by authorities.
Carlos’s Statement (00:43):
- Carlos insists on his innocence and confusion over becoming a suspect.
  
  “I'm innocent, that I [told] my whereabouts, where do I work, where was I, and all that. But yeah, I work in Tucson. … They just came up.” — Carlos (00:43)
- He claims investigators showed his in-law a photo of a masked individual, allegedly implicating him based only on “similar eyes.”
  
  “They show my…in law a picture of somebody wearing a mask or something, and they…supposedly look like my eyes. That's it. That's all I know.” — Carlos (00:54)

2. Investigation Status & Law Enforcement Comments

Verification Pending:
- Authorities have not confirmed whether Carlos is the person previously detained or if he has, in fact, been released.
Nancy Guthrie's Status:
- As of the episode's airing, Nancy Guthrie remains missing.
Pima County Sheriff’s Update:
- Sheriff Chris Nanoz reports “no leads” on Nancy Guthrie's current location.
Ongoing Search:
- Police and FBI continue to search areas around Rio Rico and Tucson, including the home of Carlos’s mother-in-law.

3. Family Response

Josephina Maddox (Carlos’s mother-in-law):
- Publicly asserts her son-in-law’s innocence and voices frustration over the police search of her home.
  
  “They’re just invading my property … I told them, you can go in and check. There’s nobody there. I have nothing to hide.” — Josephina Maddox (01:04)
- Recalls the moment she came home to find her son-in-law in handcuffs, and states that her daughter's silver vehicle was searched.

4. Surveillance Footage & FBI Involvement

Evidence Released:
- FBI Director Cash Patel shared new surveillance footage of a masked person with gloves and a backpack, possibly armed, taken from Nest cameras near Guthrie’s residence.
Technical Collaboration:
- The FBI worked with Google to review the Nest footage and extract residual data, improving image clarity.
Canvassing Efforts:
- Following the video release, the FBI and local authorities have intensified their search, including neighborhoods where Guthrie’s family members reside.

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

Carlos’s confusion and denial:

“All I know is that they show my… my… my in law a picture of somebody wearing a mask or something, and they…supposedly look like my eyes. That's it. That's all I know.” — Carlos (00:54)
Josephina Maddox on law enforcement search:

“I told them, you can go in and check. There’s nobody there. I have nothing to hide.” — Josephina Maddox (01:04)
Sheriff Nanoz on investigation progress:

"There have been no leads on Guthrie's whereabouts." — Sheriff Chris Nanoz (01:04)

Important Timestamps

00:43: Carlos on his detainment and insistence of innocence
00:54: Carlos describes the evidence shown to his family
01:04: Josephina Maddox’s comments on the police search and her son-in-law’s detainment
Post-01:04: Official law enforcement and FBI updates on the investigation’s status

Conclusion

The episode offers a rapid-fire update on the confusion following the release of a person of interest and underscores both the authorities’ lack of leads and the tension faced by families touched by the investigation. Surveillance footage and technical collaborations between agencies may provide future breakthroughs, but as of now, Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts remain unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. The case continues to unfold with emotions running high and public scrutiny intensified.

Transcript

A (0:00)

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human crime alert. Hourly update. Breaking crime news now. I'm Nicole Parton. A man claiming to be the person of interest in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case has been released from custody. Identifying himself only as Carlos, he stated that he was apprehended during a traffic stop. Speaking to reporters outside his residence in Rio Rico, Arizona, on Wednesday morning, Carlos expressed his surprise at being pulled over, insisting that he has no knowledge of who Nancy Guthrie is or why law enforcement suspects him of any involvement in her abduction. He said, I didn't do anything.

B (0:43)

I'm innocent, that I wore my whereabouts, where do I work, where was I, and all that. But yeah, I work in Tucson. Tls deliver packages? Nah, they just came up.

A (0:52)

They. They.

B (0:54)

Until right now. All I know is that they show my. My. My in law a picture of somebody wearing a mask or something, and they. They supposedly look like my eyes.

A (1:03)

That's it.

B (1:03)

That's all I know.

A (1:04)

Authorities have not yet verified whether Carlos is indeed the person who was detained and and. Or that he has been released. As of early Wednesday, a representative from the Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed that Nancy Guthrie remains missing. Angelica Carrillo stated this information as officials were wrapping up a search of a residence in Rio Rico, which was prompted. Prompted earlier by that traffic stop involving the person of interest. Josephina Maddox. The homeowner told the media that her son in law is the person of interest who was detained, but firmly claimed he had no connection to Guthrie's disappearance, a statement that has not been substantiated by authorities. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanoz informed a CBS affiliate, KOLD tv, that there have been no leads on Guthrie's whereabouts. A woman from Rio Rico insisted that her son in law, the man calling himself Carlos, who is a delivery driver in Tucson, was wrongfully implicated in the case. They're just invading my property, Maddox remarked to the media, stating that investigators were searching her home and taking numerous photographs. I told them, you can go in and check. There's nobody there. I have nothing to hide. She recounted the moment she returned home to find her son outside in handcuffs. And Maddox also mentioned that the silver vehicle stopped by authorities during her son in law's detention belongs to her daughter. Investigators presented Maddox with surveillance footage from Guthrie's residence, which was released on Monday. Asking her if she recognized the person captured in the video. She noted that her son in law does not possess any of the clothing worn by that person. Earlier, FBI Director Cash Patel had released images and videos related to the case showing a figure in a ski mask and gloves, carrying a backpack, and armed. The FBI and Sheriff's Department clarified that these images were obtained from residual data located in back end systems, with assistance from Google in assessing the Nest camera footage. Following the release of these images, search and rescue teams, along with the FBI, began canvassing the neighborhood where Nancy Guthrie's other daughter, Annie Guthrie, lives. The investigation remains ongoing. Count on Crime Alert Hourly Update to keep you posted throughout the day for the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert hourly Update on your favorite podcasting app. With this crime alert, I'm Nicole Parton.