The FBI has obtained new still images from security cameras at the Arizona residence where 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was kidnapped more than six weeks ago — but the discoveries have only deepened the questions about what happened to the grandmother.
People familiar with the probe told ABC News on Friday, March 13, that investigators recovered several thumbnail images from three motion-activated cameras placed around Nancy’s Tucson property. The devices covered her pool, backyard, and side yard in the Catalina Foothills area, where she had lived for many years.
The thumbnails depict multiple individuals in Nancy’s backyard and side yards in the days and weeks before she disappeared, and law enforcement is shown near the pool after the abduction. Troublingly, the cameras recorded nothing on the night Nancy went missing, even though they captured activity both before and after that night.
Investigators could not recover full video from the cameras—only the automatically generated thumbnail images produced when motion was detected. According to sources, the recovered thumbnails did not show anything overtly suspicious, leaving investigators without the hoped-for breakthrough.
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 the evening of Jan. 31 after dinner with her daughter Annie. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department opened 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 previously released photos and video of an unknown armed person at Nancy’s front door on the morning she disappeared. The masked man seemed to be fiddling with a Nest camera at the entrance. Sources say the suspect might have been at the front door before Feb. 1 as well, which could suggest prior surveillance of the house.
The FBI describes the suspect as a male 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 Walmart-exclusive model, though investigators now think it may have been bought secondhand.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was asked if the suspect could strike again in an NBC News interview. “Well, absolutely, absolutely,” he replied. “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 Nancy’s neighborhood the night she disappeared are related to the abduction. Neighbors reported that their security camera footage from that night showed as “missing” or “not available,” a pattern that could indicate careful planning.
Despite the thumbnails and earlier footage, no suspects have been identified. DNA found in the home that does not match Nancy or close contacts is being analyzed, and investigators are using genetic genealogy to try to find the perpetrator.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie and Camron, have posted heartfelt video appeals to whoever took their mother, hoping to bring her back safely. The “Today” co-anchor offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery, bringing the total reward from family and law enforcement 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 monitored the driveway and front door, where the masked suspect had been recorded before. Her doorbell camera is now missing, and other security cameras were seized by the FBI. Investigators hoped the thumbnails from multiple devices would clarify activity around the property, but the key hours of the abduction remain a blackout.
Bloodstains on Nancy’s front porch were confirmed to be hers. Officials have expressed ongoing concern for her well-being, as she depends on daily medication.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities review all evidence. Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is asked 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 case moves into its seventh week, the Guthrie family remains hopeful while bracing for the worst. Forty-four days have passed since Nancy vanished from her home, and both the family and investigators are running out of time.
