Community-driven search party deployed to find Nancy Guthrie

TUCSON, Ariz. (NBC, KYMA) - A community-driven search for Nancy Guthrie deployed throughout her neighborhood Sunday morning to search for anything that might point to her or a possible suspect involved in her disappearance.

"If there's two people or twenty people, we're searching," said Alex Zabel, organizer.

For the last couple of weeks, Zabel has been looking for Guthrie on his own, and then he asked for help, organizing this volunteer-based search party.

"I'm hoping that the locals are interested in this case enough that they want to go help search," Zabel expressed.

Just less than a dozen volunteers decided to help, searching down Orange Grove Road, east to First Avenue, looking in surrounding washes, and nearby areas.

Searchers divided into smaller groups, on the lookout for anything that could provide clues to help find guthrie.

Volunteers came from as far as Phoenix to help.

"Yeah we really feel like people should be out here supporting more, especially if it was their own parents, and it's really scary out, and people should be more aware of what's going on," said Maggie Q, one of the search volunteers.

One of the search groups say they found this backpack in the Pima Wash just off Orange Grove, between Oracle and First.

911 was then called and the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) responded, but investigators tell us that the backpack is not connected to the Guthrie case.

Also along for the search were more than a dozen members of media, YouTubers and influencers working to spread awareness.

"She's human. So, if I can go out and I can look, then that's what I'm gonna do," said one of the searchers.

In a series of posts on social media, PCSD said they appreciate the volunteer's concerns, but asked searchers to give investigators the space they need to do their work, and reiterated that "this work is best left to the professionals."