FBI Releases Surveillance Footage of Armed Suspect in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping

Breakthrough in High-Profile Kidnapping Case

Federal investigators have released the first surveillance images showing an armed individual tampering with security cameras at the home of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie. The FBI released six surveillance photos and two videos of a potential suspect in the Tucson, Arizona, kidnapping, showing a person in a jacket, ski mask and gloves, wearing a backpack and with a firearm in the waist, appearing to tamper with Nancy Guthrie's Nest surveillance cameras.

The footage was recovered after several days of effort and required significant technical expertise from Google, which owns Nest. The FBI and the sheriff's department said the images were recovered from "residual data located in backend systems," with two law enforcement sources confirming the FBI worked with Google to get the Nest camera video. The breakthrough came despite Nancy Guthrie not having a paid subscription that would have automatically saved the footage.

A 27-second video shows the person approaching the front door and raising a gloved hand to a home security camera before walking away, while a 14-second video shows the person facing the camera holding a flashlight in their mouth before covering the camera lens with vegetation. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said a doorbell camera at Guthrie's home was disconnected at approximately 1:47 a.m. on Feb. 1.

Desperate Family Plea and Investigation Status

Savannah Guthrie has asked people across the country for help with the search, saying in a social media video Monday that the family believed Nancy Guthrie was "still out there" and asking viewers to report anything strange to law enforcement, stating "We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help." Savannah Guthrie reacted to the new images on social media, writing: "Someone out there recognizes this person. We believe she is still out there."

A person has been detained for questioning related to the abduction, according to NBC News. However, the FBI said on Monday that it had not identified a suspect or a person of interest, and investigators have said the subject in the photo is not being described as a potential suspect. The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Nancy Guthrie's recovery or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.

Nancy Guthrie has a pacemaker and requires daily medication for a heart condition, and authorities believe she was taken from her home against her will. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie's front porch was a match to her, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

Ransom Notes and Bitcoin Activity

Two ransom deadlines have now passed, but there has been no confirmed communication between the Guthrie family and the suspected kidnappers, and investigators have not verified whether the notes are actually connected to Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. The latest deadline from an apparent ransom note that demanded payment in bitcoin passed Monday, with an FBI spokesperson saying the bureau wasn't aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and the suspected kidnappers.

TMZ reports there has been new activity in the bitcoin account listed in the first ransom note — sent to the outlet and two Tucson TV stations — saying the account showed movement within the past 25 minutes. Three news outlets received alleged ransom letters with at least one making monetary demands with deadlines, though it was unclear if the notes were authentic.

Massive Law Enforcement Response

The FBI's elite hostage rescue team is in Tucson, with a spokesperson for the Oro Valley Police Department confirming that members of the regional SWAT team and bomb squads have been activated for a mission with the Pima County Sheriff's Department as the point of contact. The FBI operates a 24-hour command post that includes crisis management experts, analytic support and investigative teams, with additional personnel from FBI field offices across the nation continuing to deploy to Tucson.

The case has drawn national attention, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters she and the President have reviewed the new footage, saying "The prayers of this entire White House are with Savannah and her family at this time. We hope this person is found soon and that her mother is brought home safely." As investigators continue analyzing the recovered footage, the focus remains on identifying the masked individual and bringing Nancy Guthrie home safely.