The neighborhood where Nancy Guthrie went missing has breathtaking views of the Santa Catalina mountains and strict limits on outdoor lighting to protect Tucson's standing as a stargazer's paradise.
The streets of the Catalina Foothills are lined with Arizona's iconic, giant three-armed Saguaro cacti – and throngs of journalists, investigators and neighbors fixated on the disappearance of the mother of TV presenter Savannah Guthrie.
It's unbelievable. This just doesn't happen here, said Susan Crosson, who was out for an afternoon walk with her daughter Courtney and newborn grandson. Crosson lives around the corner from Nancy Guthrie but does not know the family.
We're shocked, she said. We're locking our doors. A security guard patrols the Guthrie house, keeping media and amateur sleuths from coming too close.
Outside the property, a sign reads: Dear Guthrie Family, your neighbors stand with you. Laura Gargano, a neighbor and board member with a local group, the Catalina Foothills Association, admitted some people in the area were beefing up their security since the 84-year-old disappeared. Officers believe Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home against her will at around 02:30am local time on 1 February. There were signs of a forced entry, a security camera had been removed, and police found splatters of blood which DNA tests confirmed belonged to Nancy Guthrie.
While an arrest has been made regarding a fake ransom note sent to the Guthrie family, police are taking other ransom communications seriously. St Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church hosted a candlelight vigil for Nancy Guthrie, which many in the neighborhood attended. The community continues to express love and support for Nancy as law enforcement investigates the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Nancy is beloved in the community, and as the investigation unfolds, worries persist about safety in the ordinarily peaceful neighborhood.
