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An Arizona sheriff's section got much than 4,000 calls wrong 24 hours aft the merchandise of videos of a masked idiosyncratic connected Nancy Guthrie's porch. Many tips volition beryllium worthless. Others could person merit. Experts accidental 1 thing's certain: They can't beryllium ignored.
Tips tin lick crimes — large oregon tiny — and eerie images of a mysterious antheral covered caput to toed person been the astir important clues shared with the nationalist during Guthrie's astir 2-week-old disappearance successful the Tucson area.
“It's a tremendous magnitude of work,” said Roberto Villaseñor, a erstwhile Tucson constabulary chief.
“In a concern similar this, you truly cannot bash what's been done without tips and nationalist input,” helium said. “They person processed the scene. But erstwhile that’s done and exhausted, it's hard to determination guardant without further accusation coming in.”
Tens of thousands of tips
The Pima County sheriff and the FBI announced telephone numbers and a website to connection tips astir the evident kidnapping of Guthrie, the 84-year-old parent of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Several 100 detectives and agents person been assigned to the case, the sheriff's section said.
The FBI said it has collected much than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the time Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff's department, meanwhile, said it has taken astatine slightest 18,000 calls.
"Every extremity is reviewed for credibility, relevance, and accusation that tin beryllium acted upon by instrumentality enforcement," the FBI said Thursday connected X, adding that the effort is simply a 24-hour operation. It said it won't remark connected the tips received.
Tips person made a quality galore times
Major U.S. crimes for years person been cracked with a tip. In 1995, the member and sister-in-law of Ted Kaczynski recognized definite tones successful an anonymous, wide published anti-technology manifesto. Known by the FBI arsenic the “Unabomber,” Kaczynski was recovered surviving successful a shack successful Montana and subsequently admitted to committing 16 bombings implicit 17 years, sidesplitting 3 people.
The 1989 murders of an Ohio pistillate and 2 teen daughters successful Florida were solved 3 years aboriginal erstwhile St. Petersburg constabulary asked the nationalist if they recognized handwriting recovered successful the victims' car. A erstwhile neighbour led investigators to Oba Chandler.
Retired Detroit homicide researcher Ira Todd recalled however images from a state presumption camera solved the disappearance and decease of a 3-month-old babe — and stopped authorities from pursuing the incorrect idiosyncratic successful 2001. “A niece of this feline saw it connected TV and says, ‘That’s my uncle,’” helium said.
The murders of 4 University of Idaho students successful 2022 generated astir 40,000 tips to authorities and national authorities. None had a nonstop relation successful the seizure of Bryan Kohberger, but the public's engagement nevertheless was “absolutely” important, said Lt. Darren Gilbertson of the Idaho State Police.
“That's 1 of the things that kept america going for weeks,” helium said, portion authorities awaited DNA and different evidence.
Sorting the adjuvant from the odd
Gilbertson said overmuch of the aboriginal vetting successful the Idaho murders was done by the FBI. He said agents and analysts who were screening tips had a bully grasp of what accusation could beryllium spiked and what should beryllium handed up to cardinal investigators. Some tips arrived by regular mail.
“Aliens to bears to brainsick conspiratorial ideas — don't adjacent walk that along,” Gilbertson said.
Nancy Guthrie was past seen Jan. 31 and was reported missing the pursuing day. Hours earlier her household knew she was gone, a structure camera recorded video of a idiosyncratic with a backpack who was wearing a skis mask, agelong pants, overgarment and gloves — images that were released by the FBI on with a nationalist plea for help.
The FBI connected Thursday said the person, present a suspect, is simply a antheral astir 5 feet, 9 inches gangly with a mean build. The bureau besides named the marque and exemplary of the backpack.
Neighborhood nonmigratory Laura Gargano said she's tried to beryllium helpful. She recommended that authorities look astatine an underground vessel astatine Guthrie’s home, which was checked past weekend. She besides told them that a rental house, not emblematic for the neighborhood, had precocious been vacated.
“I noticed the cars were gone,” she told The Associated Press. “It could person been nothing, it could person been coincidental, but it was a change.”
The sheriff's section has not said whether immoderate tips from the videos person precocious the investigation.
“I'm hopeful,” said Villaseñor, the erstwhile Tucson chief. “I person seen cases wherever simpler and little elaborate accusation has helped bring idiosyncratic about. Maybe idiosyncratic recognizes clothing, possibly the bag. You ne'er cognize what idiosyncratic volition cardinal on.”
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Anyone with information: (800) 225-5324; (520) 351-4900; http://tips.fbi.gov
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Associated Press writer Sejal Govindarao successful Phoenix contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
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