The mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, Nancy Guthrie, is missing for a month and the search continues. One of the men briefly detained in connection with her disappearance is speaking out. Luke Daley who is 37 and an ex-con from Arizona, was held after a SWAT raid on his home but released shortly afterward.
In his first interview with True Crime Arizona, he told the host Briana Whitney that, “It’s not me. I have nothing to do with this case.”
Daley’s 77-year-old mother was also questioned by police during the investigation. Many people online speculated that Daley, who has a criminal record for drug and weapons offenses and was arrested as recently as last year, was the masked man seen breaking into Nancy’s home on February 1.
Daley dismissed the speculation and urged people not to get caught up in online theories. “I, like everyone else, just want Nancy to come home and be safe,” he said. “But that being said, I have nothing to do with this case,” adding that he doesn’t know who was involved but would tell investigators if he did.
Daley and his mother are among only a few people detained since Nancy vanished from her Tucson home, each released after only a few hours of questioning. Daley’s Range Rover was also seized by police, though it is unclear whether it has been returned.
His past criminal record had intensified attention on his detention. Daley served 18 months in 2019–2020 for solicitation of drugs and fleeing law enforcement, and was convicted in 2022 for selling drugs, receiving four years of probation. In 2025, he was arrested for possession of a gun and fentanyl but was allowed to remain free.
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Daley and his mother are among the few people who have been detained since Nancy disappeared from her Tucson home and both were released after only a few hours of questioning. Police also seized Daley’s Range Rover, though it is not clear if it has been returned.
His past criminal record drew extra attention during his detention. Daley served 18 months in 2019-2020 for drug solicitation and fleeing law enforcement. In 2022 also he was convicted of selling drugs and received four years of probation. And in 2025, he was arrested for possession of a gun and fentanyl but a judge allowed him to remain free.
Lawyer denies link as investigation continues
Daley’s lawyer has emphasized that he has no connection to Nancy’s disappearance. “Mr. Daley has no link whatsoever to Nancy Guthrie and has no information related to her kidnapping,” the lawyer said. “Like the entire Tucson community, both Mr. Daley and his mother are hopeful that Nancy will be returned to her family unharmed.”
Additionally, police have also gathered DNA evidence from Nancy’s home but no matches have linked Daley to the case, despite the likelihood that his genetic material is already in databases.