The FBI released chilling surveillance photos of an armed person wearing a ski mask tampering with the security camera at Nancy Guthrie's home on the morning she disappeared. The grainy black-and-white photos were "recovered from residual data located in backend systems," FBI Director Kash Patel said, noting that four of the photos show the suspected person.
"Working with our partners – as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance," he added. This came as the search for Savannah Guthrie's mother stretched into its tenth day.
Image of the Kidnapper
Investigators said Nancy did not have a Nest subscription, which meant it took extra time to recover the photos from her security camera. A spokesperson said: "As of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door on the morning of her disappearance."
The images were released after investigators asked members of Nancy's household staff to provide DNA samples, which authorities plan to compare with evidence collected inside her home.
Tuesday's release marked the first time authorities shared any material tied to a possible suspect since the 84-year-old disappeared 10 days ago. It was also the first real sign that investigators may finally be honing in on someone, following days of an exhausting search that had yielded few answers.
Nancy was last seen on the evening of January 31, when she returned to her Tucson, Arizona, home after dinner with her daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni. She entered the house through the garage at around 9:45 p.m., and that was the last confirmed sighting of her, according to authorities.
The next morning, concern grew when Nancy failed to log on for a virtual church service with friends. She was officially reported missing later that day, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. Annie and Cioni realized something was wrong around 11:10 a.m. and contacted police shortly after, at 12:15 p.m.
When investigators arrived at the Catalina Foothills home, they found Nancy's phone, wallet, car, and essential daily medications still inside. Drops of blood were discovered on the front porch and later confirmed to belong to her.
Authorities also confirmed that her doorbell camera had been disconnected around 1:45 a.m., and less than half an hour later, a security camera detected movement on the property.
Soon after, Nancy's pacemaker stopped transmitting data to her Apple Watch and phone, suggesting she had been taken out of range of her devices. Investigators noted that she requires medication every 24 hours, raising concerns about her health and whether whoever took her has ensured she has access to it.
Suspect Still Not Identified
Since her disappearance, law enforcement has continued to carefully search the property, which sits on a large, dark lot on an unlit street. Meanwhile, her children — Savannah, Annie, and Camron — have publicly pleaded for help in finding their mother.
The Pima County Sheriff's Office has said there are currently no suspects and that little new information has emerged since last week.
A ransom note sent to several news outlets last week set an initial deadline for Thursday night, followed by a final deadline on Monday evening.
The messages reportedly mentioned specific damage to Nancy's home and the placement of one of her belongings—details that have not been made public. It remains unclear whether that information was accurate.
Guthrie said she and her family are taking the threats seriously, but authorities have not confirmed whether the contents of the notes have been verified or if the people who sent them are actually holding Nancy.
Any attempts to negotiate also stalled after investigators found that a digital wallet mentioned in the first note—intended for a possible payment—remained empty, according to TMZ, which received a copy of the message.
According to the report, the people behind the ransom note claimed that once payment was made, Nancy would be returned to Tucson within 12 hours.
After the Monday deadline passed, the FBI said it was "not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers." The bureau has since taken over all aspects of the investigation related to Nancy's disappearance, including the alleged ransom notes.
The announcement came as Savannah shared an emotional video on social media, asking the public for help in finding her mother.
The search intensified on Friday when forensic teams returned to Nancy's home for a third time to gather additional evidence. Investigators removed several items, including a vehicle from the garage and a camera from the roof.
Earlier that day, Nanos told NBC News that he believes Nancy is "still alive."
