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The person suspected of kidnapping Nancy Guthrie may have made a critical misstep while trying to cover their tracks outside the elderly woman's Tucson, Ariz., home, according to a surveillance expert.
Federal and local authorities on Tuesday released newly recovered images and video captured by a Nest camera mounted near Guthrie's front door. The footage shows a masked, armed individual approaching the home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1 and attempting to tamper with the device before disconnecting it entirely.
Investigators believe the suspect assumed that disabling the camera would permanently erase any recorded footage — especially since Guthrie did not have a paid Nest subscription. But that assumption was flawed, longtime private investigator Andy Kay told Page Six.
"These systems continue sending data to company servers as long as there's an internet connection," Kay explained. "Without a subscription, images are usually overwritten quickly. But once the camera is disconnected, there's nothing new coming in to overwrite what was just uploaded."
In effect, the final images transmitted before the camera went dark became frozen in the system, making them recoverable through backend data, Kay said.
Authorities confirmed that the footage was retrieved from residual server data with help from private-sector partners. The images show the suspect wearing gloves, a face covering and a backpack, and appearing to fidget nervously with the camera. At one point, the individual is seen grabbing foliage from the ground and holding it up in an apparent attempt to block the lens.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen the night of Jan. 31 after being dropped off at her home by family members. She was reported missing the next morning when she failed to attend church.
Investigators believe she was abducted from her home and injured during the encounter. Blood matching Guthrie was found near the front door, and her daily medication was left behind.
Multiple ransom notes demanding millions in bitcoin have since been sent to media outlets, but authorities say communication has gone silent as the search continues.
