You follow the trail where investigators are working directly with Walmart stores across Arizona to track purchases and surveillance tied to the Nancy Guthrie disappearance. That coordination — centered on a backpack sold exclusively at Walmart and store video reviews — gives law enforcement a concrete lead they can use to narrow suspects and locations.
You’ll learn how detectives and corporate staff piece together purchase records and footage, and why those steps matter to expanding search efforts and identifying potential suspects. Expect clear updates on the evidence being prioritized and how the investigation has widened across the region.
Coordinated Investigation With Walmart Stores
Law enforcement officials have focused on a specific retail connection and are using store records and footage to narrow timelines, identify potential purchasers, and locate physical evidence tied to the disappearance.
Tracing Ozark Trail Hiker Pack Sales
Investigators identified a 25‑liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack as a clearly visible item worn by the person on surveillance and treated that product as a lead. They requested Walmart transaction logs, receipt data, and loyalty-program activity from stores across southern Arizona to find purchases matching the pack’s SKU and time window.
Teams targeted purchases at stores within driving distance of the Guthrie residence and cross-checked credit-card and cash-transaction anomalies against CCTV timestamps.
Walmart’s point‑of‑sale records can show exact SKUs, quantities, and timestamps, while self-checkout video can help match clothing or accomplices at purchase time. Law enforcement officials also examined return records for identical packs and flagged suspicious refunds or exchanges for follow-up interviews.
Walmart Surveillance Video Analysis
Investigators obtained exterior and in‑store camera clips to compare the suspect’s gait, clothing, and backpack details with customers captured on store cameras. The FBI and Pima County officers coordinated frame-by-frame reviews, using stills to generate enhanced images for canvassing witnesses.
Analysts looked for the pack’s distinctive straps, tags, and wear patterns, then mapped timestamps to travel routes between stores and the Guthrie home.
Video teams prioritized footage from the hours before and after Jan. 31 and shared clips with patrol units to expedite doorstep inquiries. They treated any matched face, vehicle, or companion as an investigative lead and sent promising frames for forensic comparison.
Collaboration With Walmart Corporate Security
Local detectives worked with Walmart corporate security to access proprietary tools and centralized databases that individual stores cannot provide. Corporate staff guided the legal request process and expedited data pulls when investigators submitted formal law‑enforcement requests and subpoenas.
Walmart’s loss-prevention analysts assisted in narrowing searches by using SKU-level filters and internal audit trails. Corporate also helped coordinate store-by-store canvasses and alerted nearby managers to preserve footage and sales records.
A law enforcement official said corporate involvement reduced delays in obtaining nationwide sales history when investigators needed to expand beyond Tucson. Walmart’s policy portal outlines the proper channels for these requests, which helped avoid procedural stalls while the FBI led the evidence review.
Key Evidence, Search Efforts, and Case Updates
Investigators have focused on specific items of evidence, coordinated with retailers, and expanded search operations across Tucson-area neighborhoods. Law enforcement continues to process DNA, review video, and appeal to the public for tips.
Doorbell Camera Footage and Suspect Description
Doorbell camera video captured a masked person outside Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson home the night she vanished. The footage shows an individual wearing a ski mask, long pants, a jacket, gloves and carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack,” which investigators say is sold exclusively at Walmart; authorities are working with Walmart management to trace purchases and leads (US News report).
The FBI described the person as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build. Investigators have highlighted the holster visible in other surveillance frames and continue to compare clothing and gear seen on video with retail inventories and receipts.
Law enforcement has released selected images to the public to solicit tips. Family members, including Savannah Guthrie, remain cooperative with authorities and are not considered suspects, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Discovery and DNA Testing of the Glove
A glove found near the Guthrie residence was submitted for DNA testing and produced a preliminary result that investigators called promising but unconfirmed. Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed law enforcement has DNA from a glove but said at the same time they do not yet know whose DNA it is.
The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department are coordinating evidence processing, with agencies discussing lab handling and chain-of-custody issues reported in local coverage. Officials await official confirmation of the DNA match before making public identifications or arrests.
Investigators continue to search nearby properties and execute targeted operations, including a late-night law enforcement presence two miles from the Guthrie home reported in media updates. Results from the glove testing could directly narrow the suspect pool or corroborate other investigative leads.
Ransom Notes and Public Appeals
Media outlets received purported ransom notes after Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance; two payment deadlines passed without resolution. Authorities treated the notes as part of the investigation and analyzed them for handwriting, paper, and other forensic markers.
The FBI has offered a $100,000 reward for information that helps resolve the case, and officials have asked the public to call 1-800-CALL-FBI with tips. Local news coverage and televised updates, including statements by Savannah Guthrie and law enforcement, have kept the case in public view to encourage witnesses to come forward.
Investigators continue to examine whether the notes relate directly to the abduction or represent an attempt to mislead. Forensic comparisons of the notes and other physical evidence remain ongoing.
Role of Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is leading local operations while the FBI provides federal resources and forensics expertise. The two agencies share evidence, coordinate search tactics, and manage public communications about leads and safety concerns.
The sheriff’s department has clarified that family members are victims and not suspects, and it has worked with media to release selective surveillance imagery. The FBI’s involvement includes expanded lab testing and broader outreach, such as the reward announcement and nationwide requests for tips.
Tensions over evidence handling and processing timelines appeared in some local reporting, but both agencies emphasize collaboration to locate Nancy Guthrie and resolve outstanding forensic questions. Investigators continue to follow material leads like the backpack, glove DNA, and surveillance recordings.
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