The disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie from her Arizona home has shaken her family, neighbors, and the wider public, particularly after federal authorities released chilling doorbell camera footage showing a masked intruder tampering with her security system in the early hours of the morning. As investigators detain a person of interest and intensify their search near Tucson, Nancy’s children say they do not recognize the individual captured on camera and continue to plead for help in bringing their mother home.
The case has drawn national attention in part because Nancy is the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, who has used her platform to appeal to the public. “We believe she is still alive,” Savannah wrote in a haunting Instagram post. “Bring her home.”
A Quiet Life Disrupted and Video
Nancy Guthrie lived alone in the Catalina Foothills area of Arizona, a quiet neighborhood characterized by large properties, dark streets, and rugged desert terrain. Friends and family described her as independent, deeply religious, and closely connected to her children. Despite her age, she remained active and routinely attended virtual church services, making her sudden disappearance all the more alarming.
Nancy Guthrie Son in Law Suspect Full Video
On the evening of January 31, Nancy visited her daughter Annie Guthrie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni for dinner. According to investigators, Tommaso dropped her back at her home around 9:48 p.m. Surveillance data shows her garage door closing at approximately 9:50 p.m., confirming that she made it inside safely. That moment marks the last confirmed sighting of Nancy Guthrie.
A Sinister Nighttime Encounter
In the early hours of the following morning, an unknown individual approached Nancy’s front door. Newly released Nest doorbell footage shows a figure dressed entirely in black, wearing a ski mask, black latex gloves, and carrying a backpack. The person appears hunched over, deliberately avoiding the camera’s full view as they approach the home.
The footage captures a series of deeply unsettling actions. The suspect first attempts to block the lens with a clenched fist, then searches around the door frame. Moments later, they rip the doorbell camera from its holder, disabling it completely. In another clip, the individual is seen tearing a bunch of flowers from the entranceway and waving them directly at the camera in what investigators describe as bizarre and possibly intentional behavior.
By the time sheriff’s deputies arrived later that morning, the doorbell camera was missing.
For days, investigators had no usable video evidence. Nancy did not have a Nest subscription, meaning her footage was not automatically uploaded to cloud storage. It wasn’t until FBI agents and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted an intensive technical review of Nest’s backend systems that the video was recovered.
The delayed release of the footage added to public frustration and fear, but authorities say its recovery marked a major breakthrough. The images, though disturbing, provided investigators with their first clear look at a possible suspect.
Evidence of Violence
As investigators combed Nancy’s property, they discovered drops of blood on her front porch. Forensic testing later confirmed the blood belonged to Nancy. Records also show that her doorbell camera was disconnected around 1:45 a.m., and less than 30 minutes later, another security camera detected movement near the home.
Even more concerning were the digital clues that followed. Nancy’s pacemaker stopped transmitting data to her Apple Watch and phone shortly after the suspected intrusion, suggesting she had been moved out of range of her devices.
A Medical Emergency Waiting to Happen
Nancy requires medication every 24 hours to manage her health conditions. Her phone, wallet, car, and vital medications were all found at her home. Investigators have said it remains unclear whether whoever abducted her has ensured she has access to the medication she needs to survive.
This detail has heightened the urgency of the investigation and intensified fears for her well-being as time passes.
Family in Anguish, Public Appeal Intensifies
Nancy was officially reported missing after she failed to log on to a virtual church service, something friends said was entirely out of character. Annie and Tommaso realized something was wrong around 11:10 a.m. the following Sunday and contacted authorities shortly after.
Savannah Guthrie, along with her siblings Annie and Camron, has repeatedly emphasized that they do not recognize the masked individual seen in the footage. The family has urged anyone with information no matter how small to come forward.
Their public appeals have resonated deeply, transforming what might have been a local missing persons case into a national story.
Search Efforts Across the Desert
Law enforcement agencies launched an extensive search across the neighborhood surrounding Annie and Tommaso’s home and Nancy’s residence. Officers went door-to-door, requested surveillance footage from nearby businesses, and searched bushes, junkyards, and multiple properties along the street.
Investigators even asked permission to search a dry riverbed near a neighbor’s home. John Grove, who lives nearby, said police were tight-lipped about the purpose of the search.
“They’re playing their cards close to their chest,” Grove said, noting the unforgiving nature of the terrain. “It’s very harsh out here. Someone unfamiliar with it wouldn’t last long.”
Ransom Notes Add a New Layer of Fear
The case took an even more troubling turn when multiple news outlets received ransom notes claiming Nancy had been kidnapped. The letters included specific references to damage inside Nancy’s home and the placement of a personal possession details not publicly released by law enforcement.
The notes set a series of deadlines and demanded payment through a digital wallet. According to reports, the Guthrie family took the threats seriously, but efforts to negotiate stalled when the referenced wallet remained empty. After the final deadline passed, communication ceased.
The FBI later confirmed it was not aware of any continued contact between the family and the alleged kidnappers.
Federal Authorities Take Control
With unanswered questions mounting, the FBI assumed full control of the investigation, including analysis of the ransom notes and the detention of a person of interest near Tucson. Officials have not confirmed whether the individual is connected to the masked figure seen on camera.
Authorities continue to withhold key details, citing the integrity of the investigation.
A Case Filled With Unanswered Questions
Who was the masked individual? Why target Nancy Guthrie? Was this a planned kidnapping or a crime of opportunity? And most importantly, where is Nancy now?
For her family, hope remains despite the fear. “We believe she is still alive,” Savannah Guthrie has said a statement that captures both desperation and determination.
As investigators press on and the public watches closely, one thing is clear: the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie is far from resolved, and every passing hour makes the search for answers and for Nancy herself more urgent than ever.
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