A 6-year-old boy in suburban Tucson, Arizona, recently spent his first night away from his parents — not for a sleepover or school activity, but because a wave of online accusations had escalated into a real-world ordeal outside his family’s home.

The child’s father, 48-year-old elementary school teacher Dominic Evans, became the focus of internet speculation surrounding the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of television host Savannah Guthrie.

Though Evans has not been named as a suspect by authorities, online commentators began circulating claims that he might be involved in the abduction.

The accusations stem largely from Evans’ indirect connection to the Guthrie family: he plays drums in a local band with Tommaso Cioni, who is married to one of Savannah Guthrie’s sisters.

Online speculation also resurfaced a decades-old 1999 misdemeanor arrest involving a bar incident and a prior drunken driving conviction. For some social media users, those details were enough to elevate Evans to the status of “prime suspect,” despite no official indication from investigators that he was under suspicion.

Within days of security footage being released from Nancy Guthrie’s residence — showing a masked individual at her door in the early morning hours of February 1 — social media users began comparing images of Evans to the individual in the video. Side-by-side photographs were posted online, with commentators analyzing facial features and eye shape.

The online activity quickly spilled offline.

Evans and his wife, Andrea Evans, reported that vehicles began gathering near their neighborhood park before pulling onto their street. Groups of onlookers reportedly sat in trucks and cars, photographing their home. Journalists, livestreamers, and curious bystanders knocked on neighbors’ doors seeking information.

Fearing escalation, the couple instructed their teenage son not to return home and left their younger children with their grandmother overnight. They remained inside their darkened home, avoiding windows and refraining from turning on lights.

“It was all night looking through the window, trying not to let any light out of our home,” Andrea Evans, 39, said, describing the experience as frightening and overwhelming.

The investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is being led by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Sheriff Chris Nanos acknowledged the toll the online speculation has taken on Evans and expressed frustration over public accusations circulating without evidence.

“He’s going through hell, and it is horrible,” Sheriff Nanos said in a recent interview, adding that individuals spreading defamatory claims could potentially face legal consequences.

Evans confirmed that he voluntarily met with investigators for approximately 40 minutes two weeks ago. He stated that detectives asked about his band, his friendship with Cioni, and his whereabouts on the night of February 1. Evans said he informed them he was at home with his family at the time. He has not been contacted by investigators since that meeting.

Authorities have publicly cleared Nancy Guthrie’s immediate relatives and their spouses but have declined to comment on other individuals in order to protect the integrity of the investigation.

On February 13, rumors circulated online that a SWAT vehicle had departed the sheriff’s department headquarters. That information triggered another surge of online attention directed toward the Evans family’s address, which had been posted publicly. The family feared they were about to become the target of a law enforcement raid — possibly the result of a malicious “swatting” attempt.

Ultimately, the police operation in question involved a separate residence approximately 30 minutes away. No action was taken against Evans.

Nonetheless, the experience left lasting emotional effects. Evans later addressed colleagues at his school and briefly stepped away from teaching. He said he feared parents of his students might believe the allegations spreading online. He has since returned to work and reports receiving support from coworkers and families within the school community.

Dominic and Andrea Evans say they have attempted to live a quiet life in Tucson, where they are raising three sons. The couple met years ago while working at the same school. Evans later graduated from the University of Arizona and has worked in education since.

In 2007, he responded to a Craigslist advertisement seeking musicians and joined a rock band called Early Black alongside Tommaso Cioni. Evans said he met Nancy Guthrie only once, in 2011, when he attended an Easter gathering at her home.

As of this week, Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance remains unsolved. Savannah Guthrie has publicly offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her mother’s recovery, stating that while the family acknowledges the possibility she may be deceased, they continue to hold out hope.

For the Evans family, the episode has underscored the dangers of online speculation during high-profile criminal investigations.

“I feel like someone’s taken my name,” Evans said, reflecting on the experience. “I don’t know if it’s for money, for clicks, or just to be relevant — but innocent people get hurt.”

Andrea Evans added that despite knowing the accusations lack evidence, the sheer volume of online content makes it difficult to ignore.

“None of it is real,” she said. “But there’s so much of it. How can anyone possibly catch or correct all of it?”

Authorities continue to investigate the abduction.