The FBI has obtained important new still images from security cameras at the Arizona residence where Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was taken more than six weeks ago—but the discoveries have only deepened the mystery surrounding the beloved grandmother’s disappearance.
Sources familiar with the probe told ABC News on Friday, March 13, that agents recovered several thumbnail images from three motion-activated cameras around Nancy’s Tucson property. The devices monitored her pool, backyard, and side yard in the Catalina Foothills area where she had lived for many years.
The images show multiple people in Nancy’s backyard and side yard in the days and weeks before she vanished, and law enforcement is visible near the pool after the abduction. The cameras recorded nothing on the night Nancy disappeared, despite capturing activity before and after that night.
Investigators were only able to retrieve thumbnail images automatically created when motion was detected—not continuous video footage. According to sources, the recovered thumbnails did not reveal anything overtly suspicious, leaving investigators without the hoped-for lead.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Friday 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 dining with her daughter Annie. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department began an official search on Feb. 1 after she missed a friend’s gathering to watch a live-streamed church service. Her pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices at 2:28 a.m., a chilling timestamp that may indicate when she was taken.
The FBI previously released photos and video of an unidentified armed person at Nancy’s front door the morning she went missing. The masked man appeared to be manipulating a Nest door camera. Sources say the suspect may have been at the front entrance before Feb. 1 as well, implying possible pre-abduction surveillance of the house.
The FBI has described the suspect as a male about 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall with an average build, carrying a black 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack—a Walmart-exclusive model that investigators suspect may have been bought secondhand.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was asked on NBC News whether the suspect might strike again. “Well, absolutely, absolutely,” he replied. “Criminal minds are criminal minds.”
Nanos has repeatedly said he believes Nancy was specifically targeted, though he has not disclosed a motive. Federal agents are also checking whether internet outages in Nancy’s neighborhood the night she disappeared are linked to the abduction. Neighbors reported that their security camera footage from that night showed as “missing” or “not available,” a pattern that suggests careful planning.
Despite the recovered thumbnails and earlier footage, no suspects have been named. DNA found in the home that does not match Nancy or anyone close to her is being analyzed, and investigators are pursuing genetic genealogy to try to identify the person responsible.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie and Camron, have posted emotional video pleas to anyone who might have taken their mother. The “Today” co-anchor offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s return, bringing the total from the 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 were placed over the driveway and at the front door, where the masked suspect was previously captured. Her front doorbell camera is now missing, while other security cameras have been seized by the FBI. The thumbnail images from several cameras were expected to clarify activity at the property, but the key hours of the abduction remain a void.
Blood found on Nancy’s front porch was confirmed to be hers. Officials have expressed concern for her well-being, as she requires daily, critical medication.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities review all available 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 probe enters its seventh week, the Guthrie family remains hopeful while bracing for the worst.
