Masked Prowler Video Top Clue in Nancy Guthrie Abduction

Sheriff says video of armed, masked man tampering with victim's doorbell is the biggest lead so far in the nearly two-week-old case.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The Arizona sheriff leading the investigation into the abduction of U.S. television journalist Savannah Guthrie's elderly mother says the biggest clue by far in the nearly two weeks since she vanished is the video of a masked prowler tampering with her doorbell camera. Authorities have released the video footage showing an armed man wearing a ski mask, gloves, and a backpack tampering with Nancy Guthrie's Google Nest doorbell camera outside her house shortly before she vanished on January 31.

Why it matters

The video of the masked prowler is the strongest evidence investigators have in the case so far, as they try to identify the individual and determine if he was acting alone or as part of a larger group. The abduction of the 84-year-old woman, who has limited mobility, has sparked a massive law enforcement response and community effort to locate her and bring her captors to justice.

The details

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the video is the 'strongest evidence' they have and that 'that individual is who we're looking for.' Investigators are using facial recognition analysis on the video to try to produce a composite image of the suspect that can be run against national databases. The sheriff's department and FBI have received over 30,000 calls from tipsters since the video was released earlier this week, generating a 'flood' of nearly 5,000 additional calls.

  • Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31 when family dropped her off at her home following an evening dinner.
  • Guthrie was reported missing the following day, February 1.
  • The video of the masked prowler was released to the public earlier this week.

The players

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos

The sheriff leading the investigation into the abduction of Nancy Guthrie.

Savannah Guthrie

The 54-year-old co-anchor of the NBC News morning show 'Today' and daughter of the abducted Nancy Guthrie.

Nancy Guthrie

The 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie who was abducted from her home near Tucson, Arizona on January 31.

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What they’re saying

“That individual is who we're looking for. Somebody out there knows who this is.”

— Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos (Reuters)

“The strongest evidence is that video. That's really what we're focused on. We've got to find that guy. And that's what everybody is trying to do.”

— Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos (Reuters)

“Hope is sometimes all we have, it really is. I have a team of 400 officers from federal government, state government, local government. I have a community of a million people here who are invested in this, who want her back. Sometimes all we have to go on is hope. I'm not going to kill that.”

— Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos (Reuters)

What’s next

The FBI has doubled the reward offered for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie or the arrest and conviction of a suspect in her abduction, to $100,000.

The takeaway

This case highlights the critical role video evidence can play in high-profile criminal investigations, as law enforcement works to identify suspects and generate leads. The community's investment in finding the missing 84-year-old woman also underscores the human tragedy at the heart of this abduction case.