New details in the Nancy Guthrie case suggest the masked suspect didn’t just show up out of nowhere — shocking, I know, criminals planning ahead. A source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed that one of the Nest doorbell images released by the FBI was captured on a different date than the others, indicating the suspect likely scouted the 84-year-old’s home before her suspected abduction on Feb. 1.
The source would not say exactly when that earlier image was taken, citing the ongoing investigation. Authorities have asked neighbors to check their security cameras for a wide range of dates, including the entire month of January, the night of Jan. 11, and the hours surrounding Guthrie’s disappearance between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. In other words, they’re casting a wide net — because that’s what real investigations look like, not Twitter theories.
ABC News first reported that the suspect may have cased the home beforehand. Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital this shows the crime was not impulsive.
“That’s sophistication,” Pack said, explaining that planning and premeditation significantly increase the seriousness of the crime. He added that while the suspect may have thought he was being careful, appearing on camera twice while trying to avoid identification is the opposite of careful — it’s exposure. Investigators, he said, are working to close that gap.
The new information also suggests the data recovered from the doorbell system included more than just the final recorded event, meaning investigators may have more to work with than originally believed.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Guthrie’s doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47 a.m. the night she disappeared. At 2:12 a.m., one of her cameras detected a person but did not record video. After the report was published, the sheriff’s department clarified that the released images do not have timestamps and that any claim they were taken on different days is “purely speculative.”
“We are aware that doorbell images released earlier in the investigation depict a suspect in different stages of attire, including with and without a backpack,” the department said, emphasizing that no official dates or times were attached to those photos.
The FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Experts have questioned whether the images show the same person, noting differences in clothing and the absence of a backpack and holstered gun in some shots.
What’s clear is this: investigators are digging, patterns are emerging, and the suspect’s attempt at being sneaky may end up being his biggest mistake. With law enforcement steadily tightening the net, there’s reason to believe answers — and accountability — are getting closer.
