Three weeks after the disappearance of Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy Guthrie, there may finally have been a breakthrough in the case, although it is yet to be confirmed by authorities.
Having analyzed the doorcam video footage released by the FBI earlier from the night of the 84-year-old’s kidnapping, internet sleuths claim to have identified the masked man — one Lucas Daley.
Why is Lucas Daley in the spotlight?
Daley’s name came up in a video by popular YouTuber Max Vault, who claimed that the facial features of the man seen in the video matched that of Daley.
“The other person you see is Lucas Daley and this is who I believe was standing on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch, who I believe is involved in her abduction,” Vault said, explaining how internet sleuths had virtually unmasked him.
“I’m not assuming anything about him, but once you see the photo, it’s almost like they unmask the person that did it, and he has some relation to the family. And that the nose line, the nose. Yeah. The nose, the eyes, the hooded eyes were a big thing,” the YouTuber said.
Vault, in the video, also claimed that Daley’s girlfriend, Kayla Day, is related to the Guthrie family — “Her mother is a Guthrie.”
mint could not verify these claims, and it should be noted that authorities are yet to identify and name a suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance case.
Who is Lucas Daley?
Lucas Daley, 37, is a convicted felon and was detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on 13 February, along with his 77-year-old mother, in connection with the Nancy Guthrie case.
The New York Post reported that Daley was subjectd to two warrants, one on his mother’s house and another on his Range Rover.
However, Daley’s attorney, Chris Scileppi at the time insisted that the pair had “no link” to the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother.
“Mr. Daley and his mother were both detained by law enforcement while the search warrants were being executed. Neither Mr. Daley nor his mother were arrested in connection to this case or any other,” Scileppi told 12 News at the time.
The attorney further insisted that Daley had “no information” related to Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping, and added, “Like the entire Tucson community, both Mr. Daley and his mother are hopeful that Nancy will be returned to her family unharmed.”
As per 12 News, Daley had served 18 months in prison between 2019 and 2020 after he was convicted of solicitation of drugs, criminal damage and flight from law enforcement convictions.
Daley was arrested again in 2022 for selling drugs and sentenced to four years of probation.
The 37-year-old was then arrested again in 2025 in Marana, a city northwest of Tucson, for possession of fentanyl and a gun.
New search to begin
The buzz around Lucas Daley also comes at a time when the authorities are slated to mount a fresh search for the 84-year-old, who has been missing since the night of 31 January.
Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer wrote on social media that a new search was slated to commence from 8 am on Sunday, local time.
“Sounds like possible new information to make the decision to conduct a new search. I hope that is the case,” the former special agent wrote on X.
“If not, it means they are concerned they might have missed something,” she added.
Several people, however, commented on the former FBI agent’s post noting that the new search was not a law enforcement initiative but was being carried out by private citizens and YouTubers.
“If this is solely a search conducted by private citizens, then according to the sheriff, he will require permits,” said the former FBI agent.
