‘Swollen wrists, held against will’: More details emerge about DoorDash delivery driver in Nancy Guthrie missing case

The ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of ‘Today’ show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has intensified as investigators continue efforts to track down her alleged kidnapper. A delivery driver from Arizona, associated with the platform DoorDash, who was detained by law enforcement Tuesday night in connection with the case, has been released after several hours in custody.

Speaking to reporters, the man – Carlos Palazeulos — reportedly said his ‘wrists were left swollen from the handcuffs’, and that he was held against his will.

“They held me against my will,” the 36-year-old delivery driver told reporters outside his home. “They didn’t even read me my rights until two hours later," New York Post quoted the driver as saying.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:30 PM on Saturday, 31 January, after being dropped home by a family member. When she failed to attend church Sunday morning, another churchgoer alerted the family, prompting a welfare check and a 911 call around noon.

He said that he works in Tucson for a parcel delivery service, but doesn’t recall encountering Guthrie.

“We are urgently investigating reports that an individual detained in relation to the Nancy Guthrie case was a delivery driver. We have reached out to law enforcement and are ready to support their critical investigation in any way we can. Like tens of millions around the world, our hearts are with the Guthrie family during this heart-wrenching time,” DoorDash's post on X read.

To date, Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings have issued multiple video appeals asking for their mother’s safe return and signaling a willingness to pay a ransom.

Officials have described Nancy Guthrie as mentally alert but with limited mobility. She relies on several medications, and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has repeatedly expressed concern that she could face life-threatening consequences without them.