MASKED SUSPECT MAY HAVE VISITED NANCY GUTHRIE’S HOME BEFORE HER DISAPPEARANCE, SOURCES SAY
MASKED SUSPECT MAY HAVE VISITED NANCY GUTHRIE’S HOME BEFORE HER DISAPPEARANCE, SOURCES SAY
TUCSON, ARIZONA — A new detail in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is raising fresh questions about whether the person suspected of abducting her had been watching her home before the night she vanished.
Sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the masked man believed to be connected to Guthrie’s disappearance appears to have been at her front door before Feb. 1, the morning authorities believe she was taken.
The development could be significant because it raises the possibility that the suspect may have approached Guthrie’s home earlier, potentially giving investigators another piece of the puzzle as they reconstruct what happened.
A SECOND APPEARANCE AT THE FRONT DOOR
The FBI previously released images showing a masked individual outside Guthrie’s home on the morning of her disappearance.
But sources now say another image — showing a person without the backpack seen in the later footage — was captured by Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera on a day before Feb. 1.
That distinction is important.
If the two appearances were made by the same person, investigators could potentially have evidence that the individual approached the property before returning during the suspected abduction.
However, authorities have not publicly confirmed the identity of the person in the earlier image.
DID THE SUSPECT COME BACK AFTER BEING SCARED AWAY?
One theory cited by sources familiar with the investigation is that the person may have approached the home, noticed the doorbell camera and left.
The suspect was later captured on camera during the morning Guthrie disappeared, when the individual appeared to tamper with the device and place branches in front of the camera lens.
That possibility could help explain why investigators have been interested in surveillance footage from the surrounding neighborhood dating back to Jan. 1, weeks before Guthrie disappeared.
Authorities have asked residents to review home-security footage for suspicious people, vehicles or activity that could help establish whether someone had been watching the area.
NANCY GUTHRIE HAS BEEN MISSING FOR MONTHS
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her Tucson-area home on Feb. 1.
Investigators have treated the case as an abduction and have released images and video of a masked individual they want the public to help identify.
Despite an extensive investigation, Guthrie has not been located.
More recently, human remains were discovered in a desert area roughly 15 miles from her home. Authorities have said there is no indication at this time that those remains are connected to Guthrie’s disappearance, and the remains appear to have been at the location for an extended period.
THE NEW IMAGE COULD MATTER
Investigators now face another question:
Was the masked individual simply passing by — or was the person studying Guthrie’s home before returning on the morning she disappeared?
The answer could be critical.
A prior appearance at the property, if investigators ultimately confirm it involved the same person, could provide clues about preparation, surveillance and the timeline leading up to Guthrie’s disappearance.
For now, however, that connection remains a source-based allegation, not an officially confirmed conclusion.
The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have declined to comment on the reported earlier appearance.
Nancy Guthrie remains missing. And as investigators examine every frame of surveillance footage, one image captured before the disappearance could become another important piece in a case that still has far more questions than answers.
