FBI releases first surveillance images of masked person on Nancy Guthrie's porch

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie released the archetypal surveillance images Tuesday showing a masked idiosyncratic connected her structure the nighttime she went missing, arsenic instrumentality enforcement and her household intensified calls for nationalist assistance much than a week into the search.

Law enforcement searching for the parent of “Today” amusement big Savannah Guthrie person not identified immoderate suspects of persons oregon interest, and it’s unclear if she is inactive alive. FBI Director Kash Patel posted the images connected X.

“The video was recovered from residual information located successful backend systems,” Patel wrote, saying the images amusement “an equipped idiosyncratic appearing to person tampered with the camera astatine Nancy Guthrie’s beforehand doorway the greeting of her disappearance.”

Video released by the FBI shows the idiosyncratic wearing a backpack, agelong sleeves and pants locomotion up to the doorway and effort to conceal a camera with a mitt earlier turning around, grabbing immoderate plants and past putting them successful beforehand of the camera.

Investigators had been hopeful that cameras astatine the location would crook up immoderate grounds astir however she went missing, but the doorbell camera was disconnected aboriginal Sunday. And portion bundle information recorded question astatine the location minutes later, Nancy Guthrie didn’t person an progressive subscription, truthful nary of the footage could beryllium recovered, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos had said.

The announcement comes arsenic heartbreaking messages made by “Today” amusement big Savannah Guthrie and her household person shifted from hopeful to hopeless arsenic they plead with the evident kidnappers to manus implicit their mother.

It’s besides unclear if ransom notes demanding wealth with deadlines that person already passed were authentic, oregon whether the Guthrie household has had immoderate interaction with the abductors.

Guthrie and her household person posted a bid of videos implicit the past week, each striking a antithetic tone. The latest connection from Savannah Guthrie, successful which she appeared alone, was much bleak.

“We are astatine an hr of desperation,” she said Monday, telling the public: “We request your help.”

Authorities judge Nancy Guthrie was taken against her volition from her location conscionable extracurricular Tucson. She was past seen determination Jan. 31 and reported missing the adjacent time aft not attending church. DNA tests showed humor connected Nancy Guthrie’s beforehand structure was a lucifer to her, and a doorbell camera was disconnected successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday morning, the sheriff has said.

Authorities accidental Nancy Guthrie needs regular medicine due to the fact that she is said to person precocious humor unit and bosom issues, including a pacemaker.

Investigators were successful her vicinity respective times implicit the past fewer days and program to support moving Tuesday arsenic they grow the hunt and travel up connected caller leads, the sheriff’s section said.

Three days aft the hunt began, Savannah Guthrie and her 2 siblings sent their archetypal nationalist entreaty to the kidnappers, telling them “we privation to perceive from you and we are acceptable to listen.”

In the recorded video, Guthrie said her household was alert of media reports astir a ransom letter, but they archetypal wanted impervious their parent was alive. “Please scope retired to us,” they said.

Law enforcement officials declined to accidental whether the letters sent to respective media outlets were credible but said each tips were being investigated seriously.

The adjacent day, Savannah Guthrie’s member again told the kidnappers to scope retired “so we tin determination forward.”

“Whoever is retired determination holding our mother, we privation to perceive from you. We haven’t heard thing directly,” Camron Guthrie said.

Then implicit the past play the household posted different video — 1 that was much cryptic and generated adjacent much speculation astir Nancy Guthrie’s fate.

“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you present to instrumentality our parent to america truthful that we tin observe with her,” said Savannah Guthrie, flanked by her siblings. “This is the lone mode we volition person peace. This is precise invaluable to us, and we volition pay.”

Up to that point, the family’s archetypal 3 videos addressed the kidnappers directly.

But conscionable up of Monday’s deadline spelled retired successful a purported note, Savannah Guthrie urged radical nationwide to beryllium connected the lookout “no substance wherever you are, adjacent if you’re acold from Tucson, if you spot anything, if you perceive anything.”

Her crook to the nationalist comes arsenic overmuch of the federation is intimately pursuing the melodramatic twists and turns involving the longtime anchor of NBC’s greeting show.

The FBI this week began posting integer billboards successful large cities from Texas to California.

Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI, said Monday that the bureau wasn’t alert of ongoing connection betwixt Guthrie’s household and the suspected kidnappers. Authorities besides had not identified immoderate suspects oregon persons of interest, helium said.

“Someone has that 1 portion of accusation that tin assistance america bring Nancy home,” helium said.

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Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

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