FBI Releases Critical Surveillance Footage in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Investigation
In a significant development in the search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, federal authorities have released the first surveillance images showing a masked individual on her porch the night she disappeared more than a week ago. The footage represents the first major breakthrough in a case that has baffled investigators and captured national attention.
Masked Individual Captured on Camera
The FBI released video Tuesday showing a person wearing a backpack and a ski mask with holes for eyes and mouth walking up to the door at the home of Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie. The footage shows the individual attempting to cover a doorbell camera near the front door with a gloved hand and part of a plant they ripped from her yard.
"The images show an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance," FBI Director Kash Patel stated on social media platform X. In the videos, the person appeared to be wearing what looked like a handgun holster attached to their front waist area.
Technical Challenges Overcome to Retrieve Footage
Another video shows the person purposefully tilting their head down while nearing the front archway. Patel revealed that investigators spent days recovering this critical evidence, explaining that the videos were pulled from "residual data located in backend systems" after extensive efforts to find lost, corrupted or inaccessible images.
This technical achievement came despite significant obstacles. Investigators had initially been unable to pull images from the camera system because Nancy Guthrie didn't have an active subscription, meaning footage was automatically deleted. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos had previously explained that while software recorded movement at the home minutes after the doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday, none of the footage could be recovered through normal channels.
Potential Breakthrough in Investigation
Former FBI agent Katherine Schweit emphasized the importance of the released footage: "This will get the phone ringing for lots of potential leads. Even when you have a person who appears to be completely covered, they're really not. You can see their girth, the shape of their face, potentially their eyes or mouth. You can see a gait that people around that person may recognize immediately."
Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe went viral after analyzing the images and suggesting the suspect could be male, noting what appears to be a dark area above the lip that might indicate facial hair. "If you look just under his nose ... you can see what appears to be a mustache underneath that mask," McCabe told CNN. "It's those kinds of details that, individually, don't mean anything, but when you put them all together, if you know this person, that might jog your ability to identify him." Authorities have not officially identified the gender of the person in the photos.
Desperate Family Appeals and Medical Concerns
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will. She was last seen at home on January 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church. DNA tests confirmed blood on her front porch matched her own, and authorities have expressed particular concern because she needs daily medication and has serious health conditions including:
- High blood pressure
- Mobility issues
- Heart conditions requiring a pacemaker
Savannah Guthrie posted the new surveillance images on social media Tuesday with the caption: "We believe she is still alive. Bring her home," along with phone numbers for the FBI and county sheriff. The post quickly garnered thousands of comments.
Family's Emotional Public Appeals
The Guthrie family's desperation has grown more palpable as the investigation continues. In a video just ahead of a purported ransom deadline Monday, Savannah Guthrie appeared alone and spoke directly to the public: "We are at an hour of desperation. We need your help."
The family's public appeals began three days after the search started, when Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings sent their first message to the kidnappers, telling them "we want to hear from you and we are ready to listen." In the recorded video, Guthrie said her family was aware of media reports about a ransom letter but first wanted proof their mother was alive.
The next day, Savannah Guthrie's brother Camron Guthrie again appealed to the kidnappers: "Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven't heard anything directly." Then over the past weekend, the family posted another more cryptic video that generated even more speculation about Nancy Guthrie's fate.
National Attention and Law Enforcement Response
The case has attracted attention at the highest levels of government. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump watched the new surveillance footage and was in "pure disgust," encouraging anyone with information to call the FBI.
The FBI this week began posting digital billboards about the case in major cities from Texas to California. Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI, said Monday that the agency wasn't aware of ongoing communication between Guthrie's family and the suspected kidnappers and that authorities had not identified any suspects.
Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department have been working closely with private sector partners to continue recovering any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie's home that may have been lost. As the investigation enters its second week, authorities continue to urge anyone with information to come forward.
