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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A neighbor of Nancy Guthrie has explained how a security gate on her front door provides a clue about how the 84-year-old woman may have been abducted.
The neighbor, who was identified only as Laura, told NewsNation’s Brian Entin on Brian Entin Investigates that the man seen at Nancy Guthrie’s front porch on the night she disappeared would not have been able to get through that door if it was locked.
Laura, who said she has a similar gate at her home, said she believes the suspect may have been waiting for an accomplice or accomplices who were already inside to open the front door.
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“If you have a gate like that, a security gate on the front door, you're not getting into that. You're never going to break into that security gate,” she said.
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The Context
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for more than six weeks. She was last seen at her home on January 31 in Tucson, Arizona, and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped and said drops of her blood were found on the front porch.
Since the first days of her disappearance, authorities have expressed concern about her health because she needs vital daily medication.
On February 10, the FBI released video from a doorbell camera showing a man wearing a ski mask, a jacket, long pants, gloves and a handgun holster on Nancy Guthrie's porch on the night she disappeared. Authorities have not publicly identified the person, whom they called a suspect, but the FBI described the person as a male about 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 with an average build and said he was carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
What To Know
Laura said she believes the moment captured on the surveillance footage shows the suspect trying to see into the residence.
“He was trying to look in to see what was going on,” she said.
“I think he was standing there waiting for someone to come out. And so I've always absolutely assumed there were at least two people, possibly three.”
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has previously said that although investigators were seeking information "related to the person seen on video, investigators are not ruling out the possibility that more than one person may be involved."
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said on Friday that it continues to analyze various forms of evidence in the case, including "material from laboratories as well as images and videos captured by cameras."
That came after ABC News reported that the FBI has recovered additional images from motion-activated cameras at Nancy Guthrie's home. Citing unnamed sources briefed on the investigation, ABC News reported the images were recovered from cameras trained on the swimming pool, backyard and side yard. The report said the cameras did not capture anything from the night of Nancy Guthrie's abduction.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in an interview with NBC News on Thursday that investigators believe Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping was targeted, but he warned that the suspect could "absolutely" strike again.
He said investigators believe they know the motive for the crime, but declined to provide details, citing the integrity of the investigation.
Nanos also said he remained hopeful that DNA evidence found in Nancy Guthrie's home that did not belong to her or those in close contact with her could lead law enforcement to the suspect.
The sheriff's department previously said investigators would seek to use investigative genetic genealogy in the investigation. But Nanos has said that investigators were facing challenges processing the DNA, which he said was mixed and could contain DNA from several people.
Nancy Guthrie’s family is offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to her recovery.
What People Are Saying
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Friday: "The Pima County Sheriff’s Department 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. At this time, we will not comment on the details or status of this analysis."
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News last week: "We believe we know why he did this, and we believe that it was targeted. But we can't—we're not 100 percent sure of that, so it would be silly to tell people: 'Yeah, don't worry about it. You're not his target.'"
He added: "Don't think for a minute that because it happened to the Guthrie family, you're safe. No, keep your wits about you."
Savannah Guthrie said on Instagram on March 2: "We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country.…Please don't stop praying and hoping with us. bring her home."
What Happens Next
Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), 520-351-4900 or 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov.
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