Who Kidnapped Nancy Guthrie? FBI Releases New Footage of Armed Suspect at Her Home
 |
| Nancy Guthrie kidnapping suspect appears |
The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, 84, has entered a sharper new phase after federal authorities released newly recovered security images and video showing a masked, gloved individual with a backpack appearing to tamper with the front-door camera at Guthrie’s Tucson-area home in the early hours of the day she vanished.
The FBI says it is now urgently seeking the public’s help to identify the unknown individual, who is described as “armed” in official materials. Importantly, investigators have not publicly labeled the person a confirmed suspect, but the footage is the clearest public look yet at a figure tied to the timeline of Guthrie’s disappearance.
What the new video appears to show
According to the FBI’s wanted bulletin, the footage shows an armed individual at the front of Nancy Guthrie’s home appearing to tamper with the camera the morning she disappeared. The bureau released two short clips and multiple still images and is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to her recovery and/or an arrest and conviction.
Reporting from major outlets describes the same sequence: the person approaches the camera, raises a gloved hand toward their face as if avoiding capture, and later appears to place part of a decorative plant over the lens, reducing visibility.
CBS News, citing law-enforcement sources, reports the figure may have a firearm positioned at the front of the belt and appears to behave like someone who already knew the camera was there.
 |
| The FBI released video of the suspect on Tuesday |
Why this footage is surfacing now
Investigators say the images were previously inaccessible and were recovered from “residual data located in backend systems,” with help from private-sector partners.
CBS reports that the FBI worked with Google to retrieve Nest-related data, a key detail because authorities had earlier indicated that full video wasn’t available through normal means.
That recovery matters because it strengthens the case’s working theory: Guthrie likely vanished during a narrow overnight window, and the person seen disabling or obstructing the camera may be tied to that moment.
The timeline investigators are working from
Officials have said Nancy Guthrie was last known to be at home the evening of Jan. 31, 2026, and was reported missing the next day when she missed church.
A crucial technical marker in the case is the home security system’s activity around the time she disappeared. CBS reports that a doorbell camera disconnected at about 1:47 a.m. and that a separate camera detected what it classified as a person later that night, though investigators initially lacked usable footage.
Other key findings investigators have publicly confirmed
Beyond the newly released video, authorities have pointed to several developments that continue to shape the investigation:
-
Blood evidence: A trail that appeared to be blood was observed at the home, and authorities later confirmed it belonged to Nancy Guthrie.
-
Digital and physical forensics: CBS reports investigators removed an additional camera from the roof area and towed Guthrie’s car from the garage for examination, including potential fingerprints and other trace evidence.
-
Vehicles under review: Law-enforcement sources told CBS that multiple vehicles were captured on nearby surveillance and were being tracked down.
Ransom messages — and what investigators say now
Reports of ransom communications have hovered over the case from early on, but officials have been careful about what they confirm. PEOPLE reports alleged kidnappers demanded $6 million in bitcoin and set at least two deadlines, while the FBI later said it was not aware of continued communication between the family and “suspected kidnappers.”
That combination — ransom demands, followed by silence — has fueled both fear and uncertainty, even as law enforcement continues treating the matter as a high-priority missing-person and possible abduction investigation.
What authorities want from the public now
With the release of the images, investigators are concentrating on identification: Who is the masked individual, where were they before and after the camera encounter, and what vehicles or associates might connect to them?
The FBI’s bulletin urges anyone with information to contact the bureau via 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online.
What happens next
The newly released footage will likely trigger a wave of tips, but it also gives investigators a clearer target: verifying whether the figure is linked to the disappearance, and if so, determining whether the case involves kidnapping for ransom, a staged diversion, or another motive entirely.
