TUCSON, Arizona — Federal investigators have recovered a black glove along a desert roadway approximately one and a half miles from the home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, a development authorities describe as potentially significant in the ongoing abduction investigation.

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her Tucson-area residence on February 1. Investigators believe she was forcibly taken during the early morning hours.

According to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, her doorbell camera disconnected shortly before 2 a.m., and later forensic analysis indicated suspicious activity near the front entrance.

On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel publicly released newly recovered surveillance images showing a masked individual wearing black gloves, a ski mask and a holstered handgun outside Nancy Guthrie’s front door around the time of her disappearance.

Authorities allege the individual appeared to tamper with or disable the security camera.

The glove recovered this week was located during what the FBI described as an “extensive search” of surrounding desert areas.

Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team were seen collecting the item from low brush near a roadside south of Tucson.

Law enforcement officials have not confirmed whether the glove matches those seen in the surveillance footage, but former federal investigators note that such an item could potentially yield forensic evidence, including DNA.

The FBI has not identified a suspect or officially named a person of interest. On Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff’s deputies, with assistance from the FBI, detained Carlos Palazuelos, a delivery driver from Rio Rico, during a traffic stop south of Tucson.

Authorities later released Palazuelos without charges. He has publicly denied any involvement in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

In addition, investigators confirmed they executed a court-authorized search at a location in Rio Rico in connection with the case. Officials have not disclosed what, if anything, was recovered during that search.

The investigation has also been complicated by ransom communications. Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have acknowledged receiving messages demanding cryptocurrency payments in exchange for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return.

One of the most recent messages reportedly requested a bitcoin transfer of approximately $67,000 in exchange for identifying the alleged captor. Authorities have stated that no verified proof of life has been provided.

The FBI says it has received nearly 18,000 tips from the public since the case began. A $50,000 reward remains in place for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery.

Savannah Guthrie has continued to make public appeals for her mother’s safe return, writing on social media that the family believes Nancy is still alive and urging anyone with information to contact federal authorities.

As of now, no arrests have been made, and investigators continue to analyze forensic evidence, digital data and public tips as the search for Nancy Guthrie enters its second week.