Who Was the Man Detained in the Nancy Guthrie Case?

More than one man has been detained during the investigation into the February 1, 2026 abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. The two publicly identified men detained in the Nancy Guthrie case, Carlos Alfredo Palazuelos and Luke Daley, were both released without charges and neither has been linked to the kidnapping. A third man, Derrick Callella, was arrested by the FBI, but the charges against him involve a fake ransom demand sent to the family, not the abduction itself. As of late June 2026, no suspect has been publicly identified in the kidnapping and no one has been charged with taking Nancy Guthrie.

Carlos Alfredo Palazuelos

Carlos Alfredo Palazuelos, a 36-year-old delivery driver, was the first man publicly detained in the case. On February 10, 2026, Pima County Sheriff’s deputies pulled over a vehicle south of Tucson during a traffic stop and detained Palazuelos, who was the passenger. He was held for several hours and then released without charges.¹

According to his mother-in-law, Josefina Maddox, authorities had received a tip claiming Nancy Guthrie was being held at the family’s home in Rio Rico, Arizona. “They had somebody give a tip that the lady was in my house,” Maddox told reporters.¹ The FBI Evidence Response Team and the sheriff’s department searched the Rio Rico home and a vehicle pursuant to a warrant. Investigators did not publicly confirm whether Palazuelos matched the masked individual seen in FBI surveillance footage from the abduction.²

After his release, Palazuelos said he was innocent, told reporters he had never heard of the kidnapping, and alleged he had been held against his will. His attorney called the detention “a mistake” and publicly asked Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos to formally clear his client’s name.³

Luke Daley

Three days later, on February 13, 2026, law enforcement detained a second man: Luke Daley, a 37-year-old Tucson resident. Deputies stopped Daley outside a Culver’s restaurant and held him in the back of a patrol car for four to five hours while FBI agents questioned him. Officers were executing two federal search warrants tied to Daley.⁴

His mother, Mary Daley, was separately detained at their shared home for about six hours while investigators searched the residence and broke locks on interior doors. Authorities also towed Daley’s Range Rover for a search and seized his cell phone.⁴⁵

Daley was released the same night without charges. His attorney, Chris Scileppi, confirmed that neither Daley nor his mother had been arrested and said Daley “has no link whatsoever to Nancy Guthrie.”⁶

In a later interview with Arizona’s Family, Daley denied any involvement. He said he did not see a resemblance between himself and the masked figure captured on the Guthrie doorbell camera, and he pointed out that he had purchased the Range Rover after Guthrie was reported missing. He acknowledged prior drug-related charges that appear in public records but said they had nothing to do with the Guthrie case.⁴

Daley told reporters he was frustrated that he had not received formal written verification of his clearance. Scileppi indicated that Daley and his mother were exploring legal action against law enforcement and against people who had accused Daley online.⁷

Derrick Callella and the Hoax Ransom Charges

One man arrested during the investigation was formally charged, but the charges do not involve the abduction. On February 5, 2026, the FBI arrested Derrick Callella, a resident of Torrance, California, on federal charges related to a fake ransom demand.⁸

According to the federal complaint, Callella used an app to generate a phony phone number and texted Nancy Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law. One message read: “Did you get the Bitcoin were waiting on our end for the transaction.” After being read his rights, Callella admitted to sending the messages, telling investigators he was “trying to see if the family would respond.”⁸

Callella was charged with two federal counts: transmitting a ransom demand in interstate commerce, and using interstate communications with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass. Prosecutors emphasized that he had no established connection to the actual abduction, and that his messages were separate from other purported ransom communications received by media outlets. He was taken into federal custody in Tucson.⁹

Where the Abduction Case Stands

None of the men detained or arrested so far has been publicly linked to the abduction itself. The FBI has described the abduction suspect as male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build, wearing a face mask, gloves, and a black 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack. Doorbell camera footage showed the armed, masked person tampering with the camera in the early morning hours of February 1, 2026, and investigators later determined the same person had appeared on the doorstep on two separate occasions.¹⁰

As of late June 2026, Nancy Guthrie remains missing, no suspect has been publicly identified in the kidnapping, and the case is still active under joint investigation by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. Sheriff Nanos has said, “We believe Nancy is still out there.”¹¹ The Guthrie family has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy’s return, in addition to the FBI’s reward of up to $100,000.¹²

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.¹³

1
WHSV. Person Detained for Questioning in Connection With Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance Released
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CBS12. Person of Interest Released After Hours Held in Search for Missing Nancy Guthrie
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Court TV. Man Detained, Released in Nancy Guthrie Case Wants His Name Cleared
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Arizona’s Family. Luke Daley, His Mother Give First Interview After Detainment in Guthrie Case
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E! Online. Nancy Guthrie Case: Luke Daley on Detainment, Release
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KGUN9. Attorney for Tucson Man Detained by FBI Says Client Has No Link to Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping
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Newsweek. Who Is Luke Daley, Detained in Nancy Guthrie Case
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ABC7. Nancy Guthrie: Derrick Callella Arrested for Demanding Bitcoin Ransom From Family
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Courthouse News. FBI Charges Man With Making Phony Ransom Demand in Guthrie Kidnapping Case
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CNN. Timeline of the Nancy Guthrie Search
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CBS News. Timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance
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BBC. Nancy Guthrie: Family Appeals for Renewed Attention
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People. Savannah Guthrie Shares New Message About Mom Nancy’s Disappearance