‘Purely speculative’: Sheriff addresses rumors over doorbell images in Nancy Guthrie case

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Pima County Sheriff’s Department debunked a new doorbell photo circulating social media on Monday, that appeared to show a masked man standing outside Nancy Guthrie’s front door on a different day sometime before her alleged abduction on Feb. 1.

What we know:

It was believed that the image captured on the 84-year-old’s Nest camera indicated that the masked suspect showed up at her Catalina Foothills property before she went missing— on a night prior to her disappearance.

What they’re saying:

In a statement Monday evening from PCSD, officials said the images are “purely speculative,” as the case remains an ongoing investigation. 

“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.

There is no date or time stamp associated with these images. Therefore, any suggestion that the photographs were taken on different days is purely speculative.

This remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation. As with any investigation, conclusions will be guided by verifiable evidence and established facts. Speculation, without factual support, does not advance the investigative process.”

Dig deeper:

According to Fox News Digital, authorities are requesting surveillance video from neighbors for the entire month of January, and specifically the night of Jan. 11, in addition to the requested hours surrounding the disappearance between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. “That includes vehicles, vehicle traffic, people/pedestrians, and anything neighbors deem out of the ordinary or important to our investigation,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said on Feb. 12. 

“The revelation also indicated that whatever data the FBI and Google accessed to recover the missing video included more than just the final event in her camera’s memory,” Fox News Digital reported. 

The outlet said her doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47 a.m. on the night she was taken, and at 2:12 a.m., one of the cameras caught motion of a person, but that encounter was not recorded.

The backstory:

Guthrie went missing on the night of Jan. 31 and was reported missing on Feb. 1 when she didn’t show up for church. Since her disappearance, the FBI has released footage of her alleged abductor at her doorstep.

PCSD and the FBI are working on finding Guthrie by searching rural and rigid terrain around the Tucson area, where Guthrie and her daughter, Annie, live. The sheriff’s department is asking for anyone within a 2-mile radius of Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills home to submit any footage they may have from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2 that they “deem out of the ordinary or important.”

The sheriff’s department says investigators have recovered several pieces of evidence at the scene, including a pair of gloves. 

“As part of the investigative process, all viable evidence is submitted for analysis,” the sheriff’s department said.

What you can do:

The FBI continues to urge anyone with information to contact its hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has also set up a tipline where the community can submit information. A new online form is available for tips.

Map of the area where Nancy Guthrie was last seen: