As more and more days are passing after Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, the case is turning more complicated. Recently, officials detained a man, but turned out he was just a driver doing his job.
All eyes have been on Rio Rico resident Carlos Palazuelos, who was detained in the abduction of Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie. He was handcuffed for several hours and later released when they didn't find any evidence regarding him being the kidnapper. Now, Carolos shared his story and how he had no idea about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
The man in Nancy's case is identified as Carlos Palazuelos. However, he was later released after being detained. Carlos shared his side of the story and revealed that he was kept at the scene of the initial traffic stop for several hours. However, his nationality is not yet known, but he has been identified as a 'DoorDash driver' in many X posts. As per New York Post columnist Paul Sperry, Carlos delivers packages on contract for UPS, and he drives a white van.
In an interview with ABC15, Carlost revealed that his wife was driving when police pulled them over while following them. He expressed his shock after being pulled over and revealed that he was entirely unaware of Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping or who she was. Carlos further revealed that he told the authorities that he might have delivered a package to their house, but never kidnapped anyone. However, authorities have not yet confirmed whether Carol was the person they were looking for.
However, after Carlos was detained, his mother-in-law opened up about his innocence. She went on to claim that he is a good guy. In an interview with NewsNation, Josefina Maddox stated that authorities were investigating the property that belongs to her. They told her that they some lady named (Guthrie) was in the house. However, she knows nothing about her. She was quoted as saying:
"(Investigators told me) they had somebody give a tip that the lady (Guthrie) was in the house. I don't know who she is. I don't know anything about her. ... I told them you can go in and check the house; there's nobody there. I have nothing to hide. ... They're investigating my son-in-law. ... He had nothing to do with it."
The mother-in-law further revealed that when she reached her home, she saw her son-in-law was outside the residence with handcuffs. She added that the car which the authorities halted belonged to her daughter. She also revealed that the investigators provided her with the surveillance footage from Nancy Guthrie's residence that was made public. They were trying to identify the person captured in the video. She added that her son-in-law didn't have any clothing that the potential suspect was wearing in the footage.
Josefina further stated that she was positive that her son-in-law was at home at the time of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. She added that he stays at her house on weekends and does not go anywhere. When asked whether he could have left during the night, she stated that his van is currently not working.
A while ago, former FBI Assistant Director, Chris Swecker, shared his insights into the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie. He pointed out that the way ransom demands kept changing, and no verified proof of life was given to the family. Swecker questioned why the ransom amount changed from USD 1 million to USD 6 million within a short period. He stated that he believes that there's a third party that might be taking advantage of the situation. He was quoted as saying:
"I really think there's a third party here that's just playing with them, opportunists who think they can exploit this situation."
It is worth mentioning that since Nancy's disappearance from her home, there have been two messages that claimed to be ransom notes. One of them was sent to multiple media outlets. He further expressed doubt that 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was alive and being held by kidnappers. As per him, the situation is highly doubtful.
Savannah and her siblings had reportedly agreed to pay a ransom amount, which was reportedly USD 6 million, to bring their mother back. But as per the ex-FBI official, in genuine kidnapping cases, there is a proof of life which is given, which has not been shared or verified in Nancy Guthrie's case. He explained:
"If this was a kidnapping, it would be a very simple matter to authenticate and provide proof of life. You have to allow for the possibility that this was something more or something other than a kidnapping."
It is worth mentioning that Nancy's disappearance news came in a picture after she missed church on February 1, 2026. Soon, the message was sent to Savannah, who called her back, but there was no answer. Later, Nancy was found nowhere near her home. When police investigated the matter, they found out that the 84-year-old didn't leave the home of her own will, but rather, she was forced.
What do you think about Carlos being detained in the matter?
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