Arizona gun store owner says FBI wanted to check gun purchases amid Nancy Guthrie search
Arizona gun shop owner says FBI brought list of names
Phillip Martin, co-owner of Armor Bearer Arms in Arizona, said an agent showed him three pages of photos and asked him to check if about 18 to 24 people had purchased firearms in the past year, but no matches were found. (Credit: Fox News)
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TUCSON, Ariz. – An Arizona gun store owner says an FBI agent asked him to review recent firearm purchases linked to a list of nearly two dozen people as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues into a third week.
Phillip Martin, co-owner of Armor Bearer Arms in Tucson, told Fox News’ Amalia Roy that an FBI agent visited his store with three pages of approximately 18 to 24 people with associated photos and names.
Martin said the agent wanted to check to see if any of those individuals had purchased a firearm from his store within the past year.
“He actually gave me a paper list with pictures and names on it and wanted to know if I could help him get into my system if any of these people had purchased guns in the last year,” Martin said.
EXPERTS SEE POSSIBLE ROLE OF ADVANCED VIDEO EQUIPMENT AT NANCY GUTHRIE HOME
An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the “TODAY” co-host’s 84-year-old mother. (Courtesy NBC)
Martin said he initially questioned the request but eventually agreed to help out of concern for Guthrie’s family.
“I feel bad for the family. Anything that can help them find the person I want to help,” he said.
Martin said he entered each last name into his store’s electronic records system, which would display identifying information if the person made a purchase. He said no names corresponded to firearm purchases in the past year.
The agent said investigators plan to visit other gun stores to determine if anyone on the list has recently purchased a gun, according to Martin.
Photos released on February 10, 2025, show the suspect carrying a gun onto Nancy Guthrie’s property. (FBI)
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On Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos disputed reports that authorities had narrowed the pool of suspects to a few dozen people. In an interview with Fox News’ Jonathan Hunt, Nanos denied that the researchers were focusing on one particular group.
Asked if authorities had identified nearly 40 people as potential suspects, Nanos said: “That’s not true.” he said.
“We didn’t narrow it down other than some evidence that we looked at to try to find this person,” Nanos said.
The FBI has released a description of a suspect seen on doorbell camera footage before Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. (Fox News)
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance timeline:
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January 31, 2026
• 21:30-21:45 – Family drops Nancy off at her home
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• 21.50 – Garage door closes (according to authorities)
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie to call them or contact them via the QR code on this missing person flyer. (Pima County Sheriff’s Office)
February 1, 2026
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• 1:47 – Doorbell camera disconnects
• 02:12 – Security camera detects movement
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• 02:28 – Pacemaker disconnects from phone app
• 11:56 – Family checks in on Nancy after she missed her weekly church livestream meeting
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• 12:03 — 911 called
• 12:15 — Sheriff’s deputies arrive at home
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
