The FBI has obtained important new stills from security cameras at the Arizona residence where Nancy Guthrie, 84, mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, was abducted more than six weeks ago on Jan. 31, but the discoveries have only deepened questions about her disappearance.
People with knowledge of the probe told ABC News on March 13 that investigators recovered several thumbnail images from three motion-triggered cameras around Nancy’s Tucson, Arizona, property. The devices covered the pool, backyard, and side yard of her longtime Catalina Foothills home.
The stills show multiple people in Nancy’s backyard and side yards in the days and weeks before she went missing. Officers were also captured near the pool after the abduction. Troublingly, the cameras recorded nothing on the night she disappeared, even though they captured activity both before and after that night.
Investigators could not recover the full video from the cameras — only motion-created thumbnail images. The images contained nothing overtly suspicious, leaving authorities without the decisive lead they needed.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Friday that it “continues to analyze various forms of evidence in the Nancy Guthrie case, including material from laboratories as well as images and videos captured by cameras.”
Nancy was last seen at home on the evening of Jan. 31 after dinner with her daughter Annie. The sheriff’s office launched a search on Feb. 1 when she did not arrive at a friend’s house to watch a live-streamed church service. Her pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices at 2:28 a.m., a chilling timestamp that could indicate when she was taken.
The FBI had previously released images and video of an unknown armed individual at Nancy’s front door the morning she vanished. The masked man appeared to be fiddling with a Nest camera at the entry. A ransom demand of $6 million in cryptocurrency was sent to multiple media outlets, with a deadline of 5 p.m. on Feb. 9 that passed without resolution. Sources suggest the suspect may have been at the front door before Feb. 1, raising the possibility of prior surveillance of the property.
The FBI describes the suspect as a man about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build. He carried a black 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack — a style sold at Walmart, though investigators now think it might have been bought secondhand.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos addressed whether the suspect might strike again in an interview with NBC News: “Well, absolutely, absolutely,” he said. “Criminal minds are criminal minds.”
Nanos has repeatedly said he believes Nancy was deliberately targeted but has not disclosed a motive. Federal agents are also looking into whether internet outages in the neighborhood the night she disappeared are connected to the abduction. Neighbors reported their home security footage from that night was labeled “missing” or “not available” — a pattern that could indicate careful planning.
Investigators have also visited neighboring homes asking about footage from two specific dates, Jan. 11 and Jan. 24, suggesting the suspect may have conducted surveillance of the property weeks before the abduction.
Despite the new images and earlier video, no suspects have been identified. DNA found at the home that does not match Nancy or anyone close to her is being analyzed, and investigators are using genetic genealogy to try to identify the perpetrator.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie and Camron, have posted emotional video appeals to whoever took their mother. The “Today” co-anchor offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery, bringing the total combined reward from the family and authorities to $1.2 million.
“We still believe in a miracle,” Savannah said when announcing the reward. “We also know that she may be lost. She may already be gone.”
Additional cameras were placed over the driveway and at the front door, where the masked suspect was filmed previously. Her front doorbell camera is now missing, while other security devices were seized by the FBI. Investigators hoped the thumbnail images from multiple cameras would clarify activity around the house, but the crucial hours of the abduction remain unexplained.
Blood found on Nancy’s front porch was confirmed to be hers. Authorities have stressed concern for her well-being because she needs daily medication.
The investigation is ongoing as officials examine all evidence. Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff’s Office at (520) 351-4900.
As the probe moves into its seventh week, the Guthrie family holds out hope while bracing for the worst. Forty-six days have passed since Nancy vanished from her home, and both the family and investigators are running low on time.