Nancy Guthrie: Body language expert says ‘sociopath’ likely was familiar with property

TUCSON, Ariz. – A body language expert believes newly recovered security footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home could be the key to solving the 84-year-old’s disappearance.

What they’re saying:

Susan Constantine is trained to identify people who may carry out a dangerous attack based largely on body language. She says the security video will be a big part of solving this case.

“Thank you, glory hallelujah. We’ve got something to work on,” Constantine said.

The Man in the Footage:

Most people may see a dark, grainy security video with the mysterious man in a mask, but Constantine sees much more.

“He has a long torso. He’s shorter in the leg area, and then his clothes are very identifiable—the gloves, the jacket, the style, the fit,” Constantine said. 

She says she can tell a lot about this guy— from his basic height and weight, facial structure and eyes, and even the way he moves.

“Your spouse or your partner would know you from behind just because of the way you carry yourself. It’s the same thing,” she said.

What This Could Mean:

Based on the person’s demeanor in the footage, Constantine suggested the subject was likely familiar with the property and may have a criminal history.

“So the fact that he showed like zero emotion even not even a thing of an eyebrow or tensing of the lip, because you would assume that that would create some sort of anxiety or attention, that he’s about ready to enter into this house completely flat line so what does that tell me? This guy is a sociopath,” she said.

To Constantine, a few seconds of security video will likely crack this case.

“It’s body language DNA. It’s evidence. The body of evidence so that doesn’t change and that’s how we catch people.”

What’s next:

The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the footage Tuesday in hopes that a member of the public will recognize the individual’s build or clothing. At the very least, authorities could use it to rule out other suspects. 

Timeline:

Authorities briefly detained and questioned a man in Rio Rico on Feb. 10 in connection with the case but released him without charges on Wednesday. 

Nancy Guthrie remains missing, and the search continues near her home in the Catalina Foothills and in areas south of Tucson.