Luke Daley, Questioned Early in Nancy Guthrie Case, Booked Again as Police Name No Link to Her Disappearance

TUCSON, Ariz. — An Arizona man who was detained and questioned early in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has been booked into the Pima County jail, drawing renewed attention to the unsolved case. Authorities have not linked the booking to the search for the missing 84-year-old.

Luke Daley, 37, appeared in a recent Pima County jail booking record, according to published reports. Records cited in reports listed a bond of $22,500 but did not identify the specific charges.

Reports and social media posts have claimed Daley was booked on drug and weapons charges. Those claims have not been confirmed by authorities or by booking information cited in published reports.

Authorities have not identified Daley as a suspect in Guthrie's disappearance or said the new booking is related to the case. A jail booking does not establish guilt.

'Nothing to do with this case'

Daley has repeatedly denied any involvement in Guthrie's disappearance.

In a March interview with Arizona's Family, he rejected online comparisons between himself and a masked figure captured on Guthrie's doorbell camera on the night she vanished.

"It's not me. I don't see the resemblance of it looking like me," Daley said.

"But absolutely not. I've nothing to do with this case. Nothing to do with it," he added.

Daley also criticized online speculation about him, arguing that people had drawn conclusions without evidence.

His attorney said in February that Daley "has no link whatsoever to Nancy Guthrie and has no information related to her kidnapping."

Detained in February operation

Daley's name first surfaced in connection with the investigation in February, about two weeks after Guthrie disappeared.

On Feb. 13, he was detained during a law enforcement operation in Tucson. Investigators searched and towed his vehicle, and his mother was also detained while authorities searched their home, which is about two miles from Guthrie's house. Both were released without new charges arising from that operation.

The operation came days after the FBI released images from Guthrie's doorbell camera showing a masked, armed person outside her front door. The FBI said the individual appeared to tamper with the camera and asked the public for help identifying the person.

That person has never been publicly identified.

Online speculation

News of Daley's latest booking sparked a new wave of speculation on social media, where some users compared his appearance with the masked figure in the surveillance images.

Law enforcement has not supported those comparisons. Experts have long warned that online sleuthing in high-profile cases can harm innocent people and distract from legitimate leads.

A case still unsolved

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills north of Tucson on Jan. 31. She was reported missing the next day. Authorities believe she was taken from her home against her will.

The FBI continues to list her as missing. Eight months later, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly named.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her return.

Ransom messages and scams

The investigation has been complicated by a series of ransom communications and hoaxes.

In July, investigators released two ransom messages that had been sent in February, hoping members of the public might recognize the wording or have information about who sent them.

Last week, the Pima County Sheriff's Department ruled that a new purported ransom message, sent to a woman who knew Guthrie, was not credible. The department warned the public against sending money or personal information in response to unsolicited messages.

A former FBI agent also disclosed last week that she had received a similar fake ransom demand in April. Earlier this year, a California man pleaded guilty to harassment after sending the family a fake bitcoin demand.

Family's plea

Savannah Guthrie has made repeated public appeals for help in finding her mother.

"Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her," she said in a video in July.

What is known

The confirmed development is limited: Daley, who was detained and questioned during the investigation in February, appears in a new county jail booking record months later. Authorities have not announced that the booking is connected to Guthrie's disappearance, and the investigation remains open.

How to help

Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), the Pima County Sheriff's Department at 520-351-4900, 88-CRIME, or the P3 Tips app.