The sheriff leading the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance was asked directly on Thursday whether her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, is being treated as a suspect.
Cioni, who is married to Savannah Guthrie’s sister, Annie, was believed to be the last person to see Nancy, 84, before she vanished at 1.47am on Sunday morning.
Now, sheriffs are less certain that he alone drove her home.
When asked if Cioni was among those being considered for her abduction, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos refused to be drawn.
‘We’re actively looking at everybody we come across in this case. Everybody. It would be irresponsible if we didn’t talk to everybody.
‘The Uber driver, the gardener, the pool person, whoever, everybody. It’s so cliche, but everybody’s still a suspect in our eyes.
‘That’s just how we look at things and think as cops.’
Cioni is yet to speak publicly about his mother-in-law’s sudden disappearance. His wife appeared in an emotional video plea alongside her siblings on Wednesday night.
Tommaso Cioni, pictured, has not been ruled out as a suspect in the kidnapping of his mother-in-law Nancy Guthrie, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said
Savannah, Nancy and Annie Guthrie are all pictured attending an event together
Sheriff Chris Nanos is pictured at Thursday’s press conference in Tucson, Arizona
Sheriff Nanos originally told reporters Cioni was the last person to see the missing woman alive.
On Thursday, he walked that assertion back, instead saying she had been dropped off at home by ‘family’.
Nanos answered: ‘You know we’ve talked to so many, I’m sure my investigators have feelings that “this one’s clear, this one isn’t”, but I wouldn’t say anybody’s ruled out yet because what if I rule you out and then later I learn something else. So, no.’
Earlier in the same press conference, Nanos said that he was unable to identify any suspect or person of interest for the abduction.
He explained: ‘I know there’s been a lot out there about suspects…
‘At this time we have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case.
‘We are working very hard to do that, but we do not have a person of interest or anyone you’d consider a prime suspect, we are not there yet.’
Nancy, who is the mother of Today anchor Savannah Guthrie, was dropped off at her $1 million Tucson home at 9:48pm on Saturday night.
She had spent the evening enjoying dinner and playing a game of Mahjong with Cioni and her other daughter Annie.
Nancy was reported missing around midday Sunday after failing to appear for an online church service.
On Thursday, Sheriff Nanos said the doorbell camera outside her house had been disconnected at 1:47am MT Sunday morning.
At 2:12am the camera’s software detected a person on the camera but they were not filmed because its subscription was inactive, Sheriff Nanos said.
Nancy’s pacemaker disconnected from her phone at 2:28am, the sheriff said.
It had earlier been reported that the heart device had stopped syncing to her Apple Watch, suggesting she may have been taken out of its range.
During Thursday’s conference, the FBI revealed the deadline for an unverified ransom note sent earlier this week was for 5pm this evening.
Annie Guthrie and Tommaso Cioni are pictured leaving their Tucson home on Tuesday evening
Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson home is pictured on Thursday morning. She was dropped off at the property by Cioni on Saturday night
A secondary deadline was set for Monday evening.
Cioni was photographed leaving the $650,000 home he shares with Annie Guthrie on Tuesday evening.
Both he and his wife attempted to cover their faces as they drove off.
The Italian-born teacher has been married to Annie since 2006 and the couple have one child together.
Sheriff Nanos said Thursday he hopes that Nancy Guthrie is still alive.
She requires medication for an illness, with Nanos warning earlier this week that depriving Nancy of the medication could kill her.
Savannah is extremely close to her mother and released an emotional video pleading for her return on Wednesday night.
Flanked by Annie and her brother Camron, Savannah said her family was willing to engage with any kidnappers but that she required proof that her mother is still alive.
