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Six months after “Today” show star Savannah Guthrie‘s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was abducted from her Arizona home, true-crime enthusiasts are actively disrupting the investigation.
According to newly released court documents obtained by Fox News, authorities have issued fresh warnings and charged three men with misdemeanors near the Catalina Foothills search area.
The influx of internet sleuths has grown so intense that one content creator allegedly turned a roadside area near the site into a full livestreaming set—complete with traffic cones, a tripod, and a “pee tent.”
Anyone with any information about Nancy Guthrie’s case should call 1-800-CALL-FBI, 520-351-4900, or 88-CRIME, or visit https://tips.fbi.gov/.
To start, there are several allegations against Alexander Zabel Jr., also known as “CriminalNetwork,” who has been charged with obstructing a public thoroughfare and public nuisance, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department citation and misdemeanor probable-cause statement.
Police first encountered Zabel on May 26, sitting in a lawn chair after blocking the road with traffic cones to protect his livestreaming equipment.
Then, on June 6, the probable cause statement notes that Zabel allegedly set up a “pee tent” on the area, “insinuating that he was urinating.”
According to deputies, because of the “sensitivity & proximity to the high-profile address,” Zabel allegedly created an offensive environment.
He was cited for two misdemeanor charges, including obstructing a public thoroughfare and public nuisance, both of which were listed as criminal offenses. He has pleaded not guilty and has a hearing scheduled on July 21.
A second livestreamer, Troy Lewis Bradshaw, who is known online as “DAA JUICE,” also found himself facing legal trouble after the Pima County Sheriff’s Department cited him in early June.
Court records show Bradshaw was accused of obstructing a public roadway and was issued a traffic citation on June 4.
Although the documents obtained by Fox do not detail the specific actions that led to the citation, Bradshaw entered a not guilty plea on June 16 on the charge, which carries a listed fine or civil penalty of $282.
A third content creator, Damian Todd Enderle, who goes by the online name “857 Tucson,” was also cited by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department after being accused of creating a public nuisance on June 8.
However, the charge was later dropped after prosecutors requested its dismissal, according to court records dated June 30. Enderle has no future court appearances scheduled, his attorney confirmed.
Meanwhile, officials have also issued a separate warning about fraudulent social media posts circulating in connection with the case.
The sheriff’s department said scammers have been sharing fake QR codes requesting donations while falsely claiming the money would support the investigation.
Authorities emphasized they will never ask the public to send money related to the case and urged anyone who encounters the posts to report them.
The plea for people to be aware of messages surfacing about the case come weeks after the FBI concluded that all three ransom notes sent after Nancy’s abduction were fake.
Multiple ransom notes were sent to various news outlets in the days after Nancy vanished from her Arizona home—and recent reports revealed that the second note had included a claim that she had died shortly after she was kidnapped.
Five months after the first of the notes was sent, federal investigators—who asked that their identities be kept hidden—told Reuters that the agency has determined the messages were fraudulent.
This includes the two notes that were sent in the days immediately following Nancy’s Feb. 1 abduction from her Arizona home and a more recent message in which the sender claimed to have information about the identities of her kidnappers.
“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the unnamed official told Reuters.
According to the anonymous official, the first two ransom notes were sent to the FBI by the same person.
The first, which was also received by entertainment news outlet TMZ, demanded millions of dollars in cryptocurrency be sent in return for information about Nancy’s whereabouts. The second alleged that she had died.
Little other information about the details included in the notes was initially revealed to the public. However, in June, multiple reports began circulating about the second missive, in which it was claimed that Nancy had died.
CNN, one of the outlets that received the notes, revealed in its report that law enforcement asked all news publications to refrain from reporting that information in order to give authorities time to authenticate the communications.
Shortly after those reports began to circulate, Savannah made an “unprecedented” plea to “Today” show viewers for help in her mother’s case.
At the time, she made it clear that she is not actively involved in NBC’s coverage of her own mother’s disappearance, but noted that she cannot simply ignore the news while she is on the air—admitting that her family has been left in “agony” while waiting to find out what happened to Nancy.
Following her heartbreaking confession, co-host Craig Melvin praised Savannah’s “bravery.”
The “Today” host went on to call attention to the $1 million reward she and her family are still offering to anyone who can provide information that leads to the location of her mother or the arrest of those involved in her disappearance.
Thus far, there has been little development in Nancy’s case, which is now in its sixth month, even as her daughter has continued to encourage members of the public to come forward with information.
Just a few weeks ago, Savannah opened up to her co-host Jenna Bush Hager about what it has been like to return to the NBC studios even as the search for her mother is ongoing.
Stepping in for Sheinelle Jones as a co-host of “Today With Jenna & Sheinelle,” Savannah held back tears as she explained how much she has appreciated the opportunity to go back to work—while sharing the bittersweet emotions she feels stepping in front of the cameras every day.
Savannah—who returned to “Today” on April 6—admitted that although work can become “too much” at times, she is thankful for her NBC family, who welcomed her back with open arms, allowing her to avoid thinking about her mom for “two hours.”
Although the morning show helps take her mind off the heartbreaking situation, Savannah noted that the thought of her mom being kidnapped is always with her.
Savannah then made a personal plea to the viewers of the show for information about her mother’s case: “We still need everybody’s prayers,” she said. “I wish someone would call and say what they know and tell the truth.”
What is the full timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance?
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos noted during a media briefing on Feb. 5 that, while times are approximate, his team has pieced together several pieces of evidence that indicate Nancy’s movements—and the timeline of her apparent abduction.
Nancy was reported missing at around 12 p.m. local time on Feb. 1, around 14 hours after she was dropped off at the property following a family dinner. When she failed to turn up at her usual church gathering on Sunday, her friends alerted her family, who found her home was empty.
SATURDAY, JAN. 31
5:32 p.m. Nancy travels to Annie’s house in an Uber for “dinner and playing games with the family.”
9:48 p.m. A garage door at Nancy’s house opens when she was dropped off at the property by her daughter.
9:50 p.m. The garage door closes, indicating that Nancy was inside the home.
SUNDAY, FEB. 1
1:47 a.m. Nancy’s doorbell security camera is disconnected.
2:12 a.m. Movement is detected on a security camera at the home. No footage of this is currently available.
2:28 a.m. Nancy’s pacemaker app indicates that the device has been disconnected from her phone.
11:00 a.m. Nancy fails to arrive at the home of a friend, where she had been due to watch a church service livestream.
11:56 a.m. Nancy’s family travels to her home to check on her and finds the property empty.
12:03 p.m. The family calls 911 to report Nancy missing.
12:14 p.m. Police officers arrive at Nancy’s home.
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