Luke Daley's 'It's Not Me' Denial Resurfaces as Sheriff Says New Arrest Is Unrelated to Nancy Guthrie

Luke Daley's earlier denial has resurfaced after the Pima County Sheriff's Department said his latest arrest is unrelated to the Nancy Guthrie investigation. The 37-year-old was booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on 30 September.

Daley had previously been detained in February while investigators examined Guthrie's disappearance from her Tucson home. He was released hours later without charges connected to the case.

'It's not me,' Daley said in March while rejecting online speculation that he resembled the masked person seen outside Guthrie's home.

Guthrie, 84, has been missing for more than eight months after authorities said they believe she was abducted from her Catalina Foothills home. She was last seen on the evening of 31 January, and no suspect has been publicly identified.

Daley's name entered the case after police stopped him on 13 February in a Culver's car park. Investigators also searched his mother's home, about two miles from Guthrie's neighbourhood, during the investigation.

Luke Daley's Latest Arrest Is Unrelated, Sheriff Says

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has now stated that Daley's latest booking is not connected to Guthrie's disappearance. 'Luke Daley was booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on September 30, 2026,' a department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 'This is unrelated to the Nancy Guthrie case.'

Daley faces pending drug and firearm charges and was on probation in another case involving drugs and weapons violations, according to the supplied reporting. Prosecutors have also petitioned to revoke his probation in that separate matter.

The sheriff's statement concerns Daley's 30 September booking and does not identify him as a suspect in the Guthrie investigation. Daley's lawyer, Chris Scileppi, had previously denied that his client had any connection to Guthrie's disappearance.

'Mr. Daley has no link whatsoever to Nancy Guthrie and has no information related to her kidnapping,' Scileppi said after Daley's February release. He added that Daley and his mother hoped Guthrie would be returned to her family unharmed.

Luke Daley Denied Being the Masked Man

Daley addressed online speculation himself during a March interview with True Crime Arizona. Attention had focused on whether he resembled a masked person captured by Guthrie's Nest doorbell camera. The FBI released images from the footage during the investigation, but authorities have not publicly identified the person shown.

'It's not me. I don't see the resemblance of it looking like me. Absolutely not. I have nothing to do with this case,' Daley said.

He also criticised what he described as speculation spreading without evidence. 'I mean, for my personal interest, I would just say just not to go off speculation of everything you hear on the internet and kind of like the hive mind mentality that someone says something and then they just go off of it based on no evidence, no truth.'

Daley said he wanted formal confirmation about his status from investigators. 'But I mean, in terms of moving forward, I just want to be cleared and have actual verification that I was cleared by the FBI and sheriff, whoever else.'

The latest sheriff's statement addresses only his September booking. It does not state that Daley has been permanently cleared from the wider Guthrie investigation.

Rewards Grow as Search for Nancy Guthrie Drags On

Guthrie's whereabouts remain unknown more than eight months after her disappearance. A masked person seen at her doorstep around the time she vanished has not been publicly identified. Authorities have also not publicly named a suspect in the case.

The Guthrie family has offered substantial reward money for information leading to her recovery. Savannah Guthrie offered $1 million (£757,719), while the combined reward available in the case now exceeds $1.2 million (£907,749).

Guthrie's family also received purported ransom communications through online media tip forms. One reportedly demanded money, while another claimed she had died unexpectedly. Investigators have not identified the senders or confirmed the messages' authenticity.

Daley's latest arrest has renewed attention on a man whose name had already surfaced during the investigation, but the sheriff's department has drawn a clear distinction between that booking and Guthrie's disappearance. Its statement says the 30 September arrest is unrelated to the case.

The wider investigation remains unresolved. No suspect has been publicly identified in Guthrie's disappearance, and more than $1.2 million (£907,749) in reward money remains unclaimed.