NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, February 13, 2026

Episode Date: February 14, 2026

Sheriff defends handling of evidence in search for Nancy Guthrie; ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin falls and fails to medal; Growing questions about ice dance scoring after French team wins gold over Americans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight we're in Milan with shock and heartbreak on the ice after skating star Ilya Malinen falls twice in his quest for gold. And back at home, the search for Nancy Guthrie, what the sheriff just told our reporter about the suspect. New details about the leads they are now pursuing, including where those gloves were discovered. Is there more surveillance video? And is that man previously detained and released still on their radar? and the sheriff's response to reports his department withheld evidence from the FBI. Here in Milan, Quad God Ilya Malin, in tears, failing to meddle, falling not once but twice, our interview in the moment after he lost.

Plus, the growing judging scandal did a French judge favor a French team over this American power couple what the Americans are now saying about appealing. Also tonight, President Trump with his strongest statement, yet on Iran saying regime change would be a good thing as another American aircraft carrier heads to the region. Did two ice officers lie about what led them to shooting a Venezuelan man that set off protests in Minneapolis, what federal officials are now investigating? Figure skating coach murdered, the beloved ice skater ambushed in a fatal Starbucks drive-through shooting, what happened? Pulled from the flames, officers racing to rescue this woman from a burning

car following a carjacking pursuit with a one-year-old in the back. And that golden moment American athletes opening up about the powerful emotions when they stand atop the podium and hear the star-spangled banner play. Nightly News. Starts

right now. This is NBC Nightly News. Live from the Winter Olympics in Italy. Reporting tonight from Milan, here's Tom Yamaz. Good evening from Milan, where there was heartbreak on the ice tonight. A collective gasp went up from figure skating fans across America and the world when Iliam

Allen and the American skating powerhouse seemingly destined for gold failed to medal today in spectacular fashion. We'll hear from him about what went wrong in a moment, and we'll have more on that growing controversy over judging and ice dancing. Will the Americans now appeal? But we begin tonight once again in Tucson and the latest in the search for the suspect in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie. Today, the sheriff revealing new details to NBC News about how many gloves have been found and how many viable leads they have. It comes amid criticism that the sheriff and the FBI aren't working together seamlessly. Our Liz Croyd sat down with the sheriff and starts us off tonight. Tonight, Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos, speaking with us for the first time in a week about the investigation

into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. We've got some good leads today that we're working on that we hope we hope pan out. Hundreds of detectives are fanned out across the Catalina foothills, scouring the desert floor for any potential evidence like gloves. The sheriff says they found a pair two miles from Nancy's home. Two miles away is the closest we have. Is there another pair of gloves? There's a lot of gloves.

Those gloves are all being sent to a private crime lab. He says the department has used for decades and that's been processing the DNA for this case from the beginning. But it's a decision that has come under some scrutiny amid reports of tension between the FBI and Sheriff's Department, including that the Sheriff is blocking the FBI's access to evidence. The FBI and the Peehan County Sheriff's Department are connected at the hip. That has not changed. In this case of blocking evidence from the FBI, that's just so far from the truth. We asked him, why not send the DNA samples to the FBI's lab? There's gloves found. So if I says, Okay, so shall we send them to the FBI lab?

I said, no, let's send it all to our lab. Let's just keep it all in one place. Our lab does good work. Their lab does good work. We talked to FBI. They said, yep, makes sense. Thanks, Sheriff. And we move on to the next problem.

So you're basically saying this is maybe one person that had a problem with it, but you feel like... You know, we've got 400 officers out there working together. They're not always going to see IDI. Are you sharing the results with FBI? Absolutely. And they are with us. Like, the surveillance. which the FBI used to create a profile of the suspect, 59 to 510 average build with this backpack

that's exclusively sold at Walmart. Do we know hair color or race or anything like that? You have the same video I have. That's all that's all we have. I assume you guys have been in touch with Walmart to figure out. There's all kinds of investigative efforts into all of that. Nearly two weeks since Nancy's disappearance, so many questions still unanswered. There's no vehicle of interest and little surveillance footage. Nano says he's hoping more will be retrieved from other cameras outside Nancy's home. Are you close to finding this person? We think we're getting there. We think we're getting closer. Like what, a day two, three? I mean, people, it is, we're day 13 now. I know, but you know what? Some of these cases go for months. Some of these cases can go for years.

We're prepared that whatever that time is, we will find this person. That we know. And with that, Liz joins us now live. Liz, you asked the sheriff about that delivery driver who was detained, but then released earlier this week. Did he explain what happened there? Yeah, Tom, what he told us is that there were several things about him that built up enough probable cause in their mind for them to go ask and then get a search warrant. One of them is that as a delivery driver, he was in the area of Nancy's home. But the sheriff says, while they have released him in his mind, nobody right now is cleared since there's still no suspect. Tom. Liz Kreutz for us and a reminder for the latest developments on this story from a trusted source, you can go to NBCNews.com 24-7.

All right, now to a stunning turn of events here in Milan where quad god Ilya Malinin, the favorite for gold, struggled through his free skate and failed to metal, dropping all the way to eighth place. Tonight, a shock in men's figure skating. Oh my gosh. Oh, my goodness. American Ilya Malinin, the quad god, finishing off the podium, usually, Radiating confidence, tonight, it disappeared.

His freeze skate filled with uncharacteristic mistakes and falls. The moment his program ended, Malinen held his face in his hands, the crushing disappointment sinking in. That was shocking. He is shocked. It's a lot to handle, and, you know, the pressure of the Olympics is, it's really something different, and I think that not a lot of people will understand that.

There were tremendous expectations on the 21-year-old. As 1998 gold medalist, Tara Lipinski told me earlier today. And I think for Ilya, he has the Olympic team medal, and he has every other medal he could ever want in the sport except that individual gold. But also tonight, American Max Naumov skated his final Olympic program. Naumov's parents were killed in that devastating crash over the Potomac last year. I just hope that they're proud of me. as a skater and as a son. On another rink in Milan, the U.S. women's hockey team

dominating Italy before the hometown crowd. She scores! Hey guys. Lindsay Vaughn said today watching Team USA from the hospital is lifting her spirits. I'm finally feeling more like myself, but have a long, long way to go. And today, I caught up with snowboarder Chloe Kim,

who just won her third. third Olympic medal, a silver in half pipe. And what were you thinking as you hit the half pipe? Oh man, I just wanted to land. That's all I wanted to do. I think being the last person to drop is always nerve-wracking because they're such a long way. And seeing all my friends slam definitely wasn't the most reassuring thing to see.

So I'm just happy I was able to put one down. Always great to speak with Chloe Kim. Tonight we're also following the controversy rattling the figure skating world and growing questions as to whether a French judge's scores tip the gold medal to the French ice dancing team over Team USA's Madison Chalk and Evan Bates. Stephanie Gossack has the latest. Tonight, in the wake of Madison Chalk and Evan Bates, silver medal win in ice dancing, Sensational! Questions are swirling. Should they have won the gold medal instead of the French team, Laurent's Fournier Boudre, and Guillaume Cisoran? Chalk and Bates fans are not holding back.

I am livid, livid about the result. The French team narrowly edged out the Americans, winning by less than a point and a half. But chalk and baits skated cleanly. Fifteen years of practice and preparation for one night of perfection. While the French, who went last, made some minor mistakes. Watch here, a touchdown. And then there is the breakdown of the scoring for the final program. out of nine judges, five scored chalk and bates higher.

Three gave the French the win, but narrowly. And then there is the French judge, who scored the French pair nearly eight points higher than the Americans, a real outlier. That same judge gave outlier scores in the European championships earlier this year as well, giving the French pair a greater advantage than other judges in the competition. The day after the Olympic event, Chalk and Bates, who are married, were asked if they would appeal. I suppose we would consider it. I think skating is such a subjective sport, but I do think that for fairness, it is good when the judges are reviewed. In a statement tonight, the international governing body for figure skating telling NBC News, it is normal for there to be a range of scores given by different judges, adding it has full confidence in the scores given. Even if the fans...

What do you mean silver? Say this performance was golden. And Stephanie Scoss joins us now live. Stephanie, how would an appeal play out? Well, the governing body allows a narrow element of scoring to be appealed. If it's considered subjective, it cannot be appealed. And Tom, so much of this scoring is subjective. All right, we're going to have to wait and see. Stephanie, we thank you.

Good to see you. Now to that major headline from the White House, President Trump saying the fall of the Iranian regime would be the best thing that could happen. As he orders another aircraft carrier to the region, Gabe Gutierrez, has the late details. Tonight, President Trump is sending another aircraft carrier to the Middle East as he ramps up pressure on Iran. If we don't have a deal, we'll need it. If we have a deal, we could cut it.

Asked about whether he wants regime change. It seems like that would be the best thing that could happen. Who would you want to take them? I don't want to talk about that. There are people. Still, the president looking to keep negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program. I think they'll be successful. If they're not, it's going to be a big.

head day for Iran. Very big. All coming weeks after the Iranian regime launched a brutal crackdown on protesters. The president has said Iran is trying to rebuild its nuclear capabilities, months after American B-2 bombers destroyed Iranian nuclear sites.

Two U.S. officials familiar with the decision to send the USS Gerald Ford to the Middle East, tell NBC News, the aircraft carrier will now leave the Caribbean, where it been sent in October, ahead of that stunning raid to capture Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro. The president today heading to Fort Bragg with the first lady,

privately meeting with the special forces who arrested Maduro. That night the entire world saw what the full military might. The U.S. military is capable. And that was a unbelievable operation. Gabe joins us live from the White House and Gabe in another headline tonight. The president is touting some positive news on the cost of living. Yes, Tom. Inflation just dropped to 2.4% year over year, down from 2.7% last month. That's close to a five-year low, beating expectations. Among the biggest price drops, the cost of gas and used cars. Tom. All right, Gabe, we thank you for that. In a major reversal, ICE tonight says two of its officers appear to have lied about a shooting in Minneapolis, where one man was shot in the leg.

That new statement coming after a review of video evidence, Maggie Vespa has the latest. The shooting by an ice officer in Minneapolis last month sparked immediate protests. At the time, DHS said the officer fired in self-defense, hitting one suspect in the leg, after they said he was attacked by multiple men. What we saw was three individuals weaponized shovels and brooms and attack an ice officer that had to defend himself. But tonight, a stinging rebuke of two ice officers from the acting director of the agency who says they appear to have lied about the shooting of that Venezuela. and man. Todd Lyon, saying a joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice of video evidence has

revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements, adding the unnamed officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation and may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution. Julio Cesar Sosa Salis, who was shot in the leg, and Alfredo Alejandro Alhorna had been charged with assaulting federal officers. Tonight, those charges have been dropped. Tonight, an attorney for Sosa Siles says he is cooperating with an investigation into the shooting and, quote, determined to seek justice against the officer.

Tom. All right, Maggie, thank you. And the showdown over ICE now set to lead to a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. After Democrats say they won't fund that department unless ICE makes changes. Ryan Nobles joins us now live. And Ryan, the DHS shutdown starts tonight at midnight. That's right, Tom. That's when the Department of Homeland Security runs out of money. And Democrats say they will not fund DHS without changes, including things like face masks. And so far, there's been very little progress on any talks.

DHS, of course, is a sprawling department with more than 200,000 employees. And it impacts millions of Americans through agencies like FEMA, the Coast Guard, and TSA. Many of those employees will now be forced to work without pay or be furloughed during the shutdown. Meanwhile, ICE has already been fully funded through last summer's so-called big, beautiful bill. Congress is now on recess for at least a week, which means this shutdown will last a week or perhaps longer. Tom? Ryan Nobles on Capitol Hill for us, and we're back in just 60 seconds with the deadly shooting of a beloved figure skating coach at a Starbucks drive-thru. That's next.

There is heartbreak back home tonight after a figure skating coach was gunned down at a Starbucks drive-thru. Emily Aketa has that story. Tonight, the figure skating community is mourning the sudden and shocking loss of Sam Linahan. A synchronized skater who competed on the national stage turned coach in Missouri. It's just hard to see somebody so kind and passionate and, loved by so many people to be taken away. The 28-year-old was on the way to meet friends to watch the Olympics, according to Linnehan's partner, and stopped at a Starbucks drive-through.

That's when investigators say Linneham was gunned down in the car around 10 a.m. Tuesday by this man, seen on surveillance in a neon safety vest and hard hat. 58-year-old Keith Brown, now behind bars and held on no bond, demanded she raise her hands before he shot and killed her. He stole bank cards and her driver's license according to court documents. Authorities say the brazen shooting earlier this week followed two other daytime robberies that Brown's accused of on February 8th and the 6th. St. Louis Metro Police saying, We did not know that there was a pattern with this person until after the shooting occurred at the Starbucks.

Brown, a convicted felon who absconded while on parole, pleading not guilty today to charges including first-degree murder. as the victim's family and friends are faced with the unfathomable. It's left a big hole in our family here. Emily Ikeda, NBC News. And we return tonight. A dramatic rescue caught on camera. A car explodes in flames after a carjacking pursuit involving a one-year-old inside. That's next.

We're back now with a dramatic rescue caught on police body cam. Look at this, an officer in Jacksonville, Florida, sprinting to that car engulfed in flames. Police pulling out a woman who was trapped inside. Police say it happened because a teenager violently carjacked another car that had a one-year-old in the backseat colliding with the car that the woman was in. Thankfully, the child is also safe tonight. Also tonight, the O'Pair convicted for taking part in a double murder plot, 25-year-old Juliana Perez-Bagalewez, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today after she pleaded guilty

to manslaughter related to a plot with Brendan Banfield to murder his wife and a stranger. The judge today calling the case the most serious manslaughter scenario the court had ever seen. And look at this remarkable video, a thief using a forklift to break into a jewelry store in Turkey. You see him there cranking up the barricade before going inside, flips over the jewelry case, and steals gold that was inside. Well, then he makes his getaway on a donkey. You heard me correct? He's on a donkey. Police say they identified a suspect after looking at the security video. The donkey was not involved.

When we come back from here in Milan, what it's like to hear the Star-Spangled banner play after winning gold, athletes open up about the powerful moments on the podium. That's next. That's a look at the Olympic flame burning bright here in Italy, where America has won four gold medals at these games. those athletes joining a very special club of people who know what it feels like to stand atop the podium and hear the national anthem play. Hearing the first notes of the national anthem play, watching the American flag slowly begin to rise,

and feeling the weight of a gold medal heavy around your neck. It's what so many young American athletes dream of. What is it like to kind of stand on that podium to hear the national anthem. I think it's the entire ball of yarn of emotions. They start to unravel. Speed skater Apollo Ona won two gold medals for Team USA. I remember when they began raising the flag up slowly.

I remember feeling and remembering this moment of when my career began. He says he could imagine what was going through speed skater, Jordan stole's mind when he won gold this week. Jordan maybe thought about his first times when he was a young kid on the pond in Wisconsin, that his father went out there and made this ice surface for him. For me, it was about the relationship I have with my father. He didn't have the money and the time to take me to the after-school practices. He would drive our beat-up old car through those misty Seattle morning rain, and we would go to

these empty school and church parking lots. And I would skate around. That was the intentionality of, we don't have much, but you're going to figure out a way. On the podium, you can't see those early mornings. selfless sacrifices or those long days of training. But you can see the deep pride and gratitude of a dream come true. Such an incredible feeling. And our thanks to Apollo Ono for sharing such great memories with us.

Primetime coverage of the Winter Games kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock. That's nightly news for this Friday. I'm Tom Yamas reporting again from Milan. We thank you so much for watching. Tonight. And always, we're here for you. Good night.