"The World's Most Successful Forensic Artist" has now joined the push to bring Nancy Guthrie home. , Popular forensic artist Lois Gibson, from Houston, has made the first sketch of what investigators believe Guthrie's kidnapper may look like. Gibson worked from the limited but unsettling video footage that shows a masked figure lurking around the grandmother's home.
Drawing on those clues, Gibson — whose work has helped cops identify and capture over 750 criminals — said the suspected abductor appears to have a wide head, thick eyebrows, medium-length dark hair, and a goatee. "I GUESSED at the parts of face covered with ski mask on this Nancy Guthrie kidnapping suspect," Gibson said.
Face of the Kidnapper
"I used the surveillance photos shown," Gibson warned after revealing her sketch to social media. "I spent 43 years at job trying to help detectives with similar photos. Only thing somewhat sure are eyes and part of lips/mustache. I'll take the hit if I'm drastically wrong."
The newly released sketch is the first visual that could help identify the suspect. Police have not put out their own composite image, but last week they did share doorbell camera footage showing a heavily masked man, hoping someone might recognize the few visible features that weren't concealed.
Authorities have said the suspect is a man standing roughly 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build.
That release quickly generated leads and led to at least one detention. In Tucson, a delivery driver was questioned after a family member contacted police, saying the man's eyes resembled those seen in the footage. After speaking with investigators, however, the driver was released.
Lois Gibson faced some backlash for unveiling the sketch before it was officially authorized by law enforcement. Critics questioned the timing and decision to release it publicly.
In response, the renowned artist pointed to her long track record, noting that her decades of work — which have helped identify and capture hundreds of criminals — earned her the world record title as "The World's Most Successful Forensic Artist."
Lois Gibson didn't hold back when addressing the criticism. Speaking Friday, she dismissed her detractors, saying, "Pompous critics call me unethical and that they, these critics, have higher professionalism blah blah blah."
Facing Criticism
She then pointed to a powerful example from her past work, recalling a case in which she created a sketch of an abuse victim using only the girl's skull — a drawing that the child's mother immediately recognized as her missing daughter.
"I do it to help victims of crime. My sketches have retrieved 8 kidnap victims, including 4 infants. These critics have possibly never helped return a baby to their hysterical mom. I have been with loved ones in agony over their kidnapped loved one and it is the worst emotional torture imaginable. I did this in an effort to help."
The former Houston Police Department sketch artist's work has not yet produced any clear leads in the case. As of Saturday, authorities said no arrests have been made.
Four people were detained during overnight operations Friday — including a mother and her son — but all were released after being questioned. Investigators are continuing to rely heavily on tips coming in through a hotline, sources told The Post.
Earlier Friday, detectives recovered DNA evidence from Guthrie's property that does not belong to anyone known to have been "in close" contact with her. That unidentified DNA has been sent to a lab for testing.
Guthrie was last seen alive on January 31 and was reported missing the following day when she failed to arrive at a friend's home to watch a church service being streamed. Investigators believe she was forcibly taken from her house, where a trail of blood was later discovered.
Since her disappearance, multiple ransom notes have surfaced, allegedly sent by people claiming responsibility for her kidnapping. Authorities have released limited details publicly, but they did share surveillance footage captured by Guthrie's Nest doorbell camera showing an armed, masked man lingering at her front door.
Federal investigators have described the suspect as a man roughly 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build. The FBI has also doubled its reward to $100,000 for information that leads to Guthrie or the person responsible for her abduction.
