Signal Sniffer Technology Deployed in Search
Investigators searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, who hosts a television show, have deployed advanced technology to help locate her. Law enforcement officials are now using a device known as a “signal sniffer” to attempt to detect weak electronic signals emitted by her embedded pacemaker during the search operation in Tucson Arizona.
The search entered its third week after Guthrie disappeared from her home on the night of January 31–February 1, 2026. Authorities needed to use specialized equipment after both her pacemaker and Nest home security camera stopped working at the beginning of the day. The signal sniffer has been mounted on low-flying helicopters that sweep the area in grid patterns, hoping to pick up Bluetooth Low Energy signals from the pacemaker. Experts have warned that the signal range which operates at this range, has extremely restricted boundaries.
What Experts Say About the Device
The cybersecurity experts and digital forensics experts consider the tool to be a remote possibility for success yet they believe the tool should be tested. Pacemakers operate to transmit brief data packets to their connected mobile devices instead of transmitting continuous streams of recognizable signals. The signal sniffer will identify multiple signals which overlap each other but it will not reveal which signals actually belong to Guthrie’s device. The police department has announced that they are using all existing resources to find her as quickly as possible.
Both retired FBI agents and forensic analysts have provided their expert opinions on the matter. Authorities are conducting DNA tests on male DNA discovered in a glove to match it against samples collected from the scene of the crime to find potential suspects. Officials are examining security footage from local businesses while they investigate purchasing records of items like backpacks and masks which were observed on a suspect who appeared in front of the Guthrie residence during the time of her disappearance.
Investigation Continues With Public Support
Authorities have excluded Guthrie’s family from suspicion and established that they require public assistance to continue their investigation. The FBI raised the reward to $100000, which authorities established after they received more than 10000 tips, to obtain information about Guthrie’s safe return or to arrest all involved parties. Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have made repeated public pleas for their mother, emphasizing that she requires medication and is in fragile health.
The investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance remains active because law enforcement agencies follow new evidence while investigating leads and search areas with both traditional methods and advanced technologies.
