FBI release description of Nancy Guthrie kidnapper and increase reward for information
The FBI has released a description after analyzing footage of a person they believe was involved in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie.
The mother of TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie has yet to be found, and the FBI and other law enforcement have been working to bring her home safely.
Authorities have said that Nancy Guthrie, 84, disappeared under ‘concerning circumstances’ and believe she was taken 'against her will' at her home in Tucson, Arizona, between January 31 and February 1.
On Tuesday (February 11), video footage was made public, showing a man appearing to meddle with the camera on her front door.
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After looking at the footage, the FBI now believe she was kidnapped by a male who is between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in (175-177cm) tall with an average build.
They added that he can be seen wearing "a black, 25-litre 'Ozark Trail Hiker Pack' backpack'.
This is the first time the man in the video has been officially identified as a suspect in the case, the BBC says. In addition to this new information, the FBI said it is increasing its reward to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie's location.
In an update on Tuesday (February 10), FBI Director Kash Patel explained the work and progress of the investigation teams, adding that they had been working to 'recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors - including the removal of recording devices'.
“The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems," he continued.
"Working with our partners - as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance."
On Wednesday (February 11), a person was detained by authorities before being released without charge.
Carlos Palazuelos, a delivery driver, later spoke to the media, saying he didn't know who Nancy was and might have once delivered a parcel to her house, but he 'never kidnapped anybody'.
Following Nancy's disappearance, a few 'ransom notes' were also supposedly sent to numerous media outlets, requesting a large sum of Bitcoin for her return, though their authenticity has yet to be confirmed by police.
In a video with her siblings, Samantha addressed reports of a ransom note, pleading with her possible abductor to 'reach out to us'.
The FBI have said since February 1, it has received more than 13,000 tips in relation to the case, including 4,000 in the 24 hours after the doorbell camera footage was released.
The FBI has urged anyone with tips or leads to call 1-800-CALL-FBI in addition to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office number, 520-351-4900.
Gerrard Kaonga