The FBI has released a description of the man believed to have kidnapped Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of US news anchor Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her Tucson, Arizona, home two weeks ago. Authorities suspect she was taken against her will.
Based on footage from a doorbell camera, the FBI has identified the suspect as a male standing between 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) and 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build. This marks the first official identification of the man in the video as a suspect in the case, which has garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally.
The FBI announced it could establish identifying details after conducting a forensic analysis of the evidence. Among the analyzed items was the suspect’s backpack, identified as a 25-litre Ozark Trail Hiker Pack, along with a pair of black gloves found in connection with the search for Guthrie.
Guthrie was last seen during the evening of January 31 when family members dropped her off at her home. Concern arose when members of her church noticed her absence during a service the following day, alerting her family. Authorities are worried about her health due to her lack of medication, with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stating that while she is not considered to have cognitive issues, her physical health is declining.
Since the release of the doorbell camera footage, the FBI has received over 13,000 tips related to the case, with 4,000 tips received in just the 24 hours following the footage's publication. The agency has increased the reward for information leading to Guthrie's whereabouts to $100,000.
Earlier this week, a man was detained in connection with Guthrie's disappearance after a search of his home in Rio Rico, south of Tucson, but he was later released. Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have made emotional pleas on social media addressed to potential abductors, expressing their belief that their mother is still alive and their willingness to pay for her safe return.
