☕ Nancy Guthrie investigation: major developments

Good morning,

Police have detained and released a man in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, in the most meaningful development so far. In today’s newsletter, we catch you up on what has happened in Arizona over the past 24 hours.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• A federal grand jury declined to indict five Democratic lawmakers over a November video urging U.S. troops to reject unlawful orders, the group announced yesterday. The video featured House and Senate Democrats with military or intelligence backgrounds reminding service members that "no one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution." President Trump labeled the video seditious and called for an investigation, though the specific charges considered by the grand jury remain unclear. The lawmakers did not disclose further details about the failed indictment.

• Representative Jamie Raskin claimed Tuesday that newly accessed Epstein files mention President Trump over a million times and contradict Trump's prior statements about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Raskin is among several Democratic lawmakers given access to unredacted files after allegations of improper redactions emerged. The Maryland Democrat said an email contradicts Trump's account of expelling Epstein from Mar-a-Lago for recruiting spa workers, with Raskin claiming Trump never asked him to leave. Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Department of Justice denied Raskin's characterization of the documents.

• The three department leads who enforce domestic immigration policy have refused to discuss the killings of Minneapolis citizens Renée Good or Alex Pretti before a Congressional oversight committee on Tuesday. The Acting Director of ICE, the Customs and Border Protection Commissioner and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Director were called before Congress to answer questions about recent immigration enforcement actions. The heads insisted that their subordinates were following U.S. laws and trying to make America. Hearings continue today.

• The U.S. climbed to fourth in the Winter Olympics medal standings after winning four medals on day four, including the nation's first-ever curling medal for a pair. Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse made history in mixed doubles curling, while Alex Hall took silver in freestyle skiing slopestyle and Ben Ogden earned silver in cross-country skiing. Ashley Farquharson added bronze in luge as the U.S. total reached nine medals. Norway leads the overall standings with three medals on Tuesday, while controversy emerged when Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid admitted to infidelity after winning bronze.

I’ve got 1 minute

At least 10 people are dead following a mass shooting at a high school in Tumbler Ridge, a rural town in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The suspected shooter, believed to be a woman, died from self-inflicted injuries. Another 25 people were treated at the local medical center.

It marks the second-deadliest school shooting in Canadian history.

What happened?

On Tuesday afternoon (local time), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to emergency calls at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.

Police issued an active shooter alert for the town and a large surrounding area. The emergency alert described the suspect as a woman in a dress with brown hair. She was found dead at the scene.

Local residents were instructed to stay in place and seek shelter

The victims

Among the dead are two people who were found at a home believed to be connected to the incident.

Police confirmed all remaining students and staff were safely evacuated from the school

Response

Police lifted the active shooter alert, saying they don't believe there are any additional suspects or a public risk. There is no known motive for the attack at this time.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said: "I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens."

I’ve got 2 minutes

Police have released a man who was detained for questioning in connection with the suspected kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC 'Today' show anchor Savannah Guthrie.

The man said he hopes Guthrie is found safe. "I hope they get the suspect, because I'm not it," he said Wednesday from the doorstep of his wife and mother-in-law's home in Rio Rico, Arizona.

The detention and release mark the most significant developments in the nearly two-week case. Here's what you need to know

Context

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on February 1. Her older daughter, Annie, and son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at her home near Tucson, Arizona, after dinner. Hours later, at around 1:47 AM, her front door camera was disconnected. Investigators believe she was likely taken soon after.

Police found Nancy's blood on her doorstep and concluded this was likely a kidnapping. Efforts to find her have been unsuccessful, including public pleas from her daughter, Savannah and other family members.

Footage released

On Tuesday, the FBI released 44 seconds of black-and-white footage of a man wearing a ski mask, winter clothing, and gloves as he approached the front step of Nancy Guthrie. The man then tries to disable the Nest doorbell cam that captured it, instaled at Nancy’s home.

At 1:47 A.M on February 2, the camera is eventually disabled, and police suspect Nancy was abducted shortly afterwards. It took over a week obtain the footage because Guthrie had not paid her Nest subscription.

The FBI released the footage, hoping for tips leading to an arrest. Calls to the FBI have increased dramatically since its release.

Ransom demands

Authorities said last week they were reviewing a message sent to a Tucson television station. They did not confirm whether it was related to a purported ransom note sent earlier demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin.

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have released videos pleading with whoever is involved to reach out to them. They said they are prepared to listen to ransom demands

Detention and release

The FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department carried out a court-authorized search in Rio Rico on Tuesday, about an hour's drive south of Tucson, Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a statement. Rio Rico has long been a key transit point for smugglers because of its location near Interstate 19 and the desert hills that stretch across the border with Mexico.

Investigators detained a man during a traffic stop and questioned him. As of early Wednesday, the man had been released.

It is unclear whether authorities believe the detained man is the same person in the video, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share details.

Search continues…

Police have not clarified whether this week's actions have brought them closer to finding Nancy's whereabouts. Family members and police have warned that Nancy has multiple physical health conditions requiring regular medication.

Family members and police spokespeople have warned that Nancy suffers from multiple physical health conditions requiring regular medication.

TDU asks