CATALINA FOOTHILLS, AZ (AZFamily) — New activity has been recorded in the cryptocurrency wallet tied to the alleged abductors of Nancy Guthrie.
Arizona’s Family can confirm at least one transaction was made around 5 p.m. Arizona time on Tuesday to the Bitcoin address that was detailed in the ransom note sent to sister station, KOLD 13 News, and other outlets.
Arizona’s Family is not disclosing the amount that was sent at this time.
The activity comes after investigators released disturbing new surveillance video earlier in the day as the search for the mother of network TV news anchor Savannah Guthrie entered its second week in southern Arizona.
On Tuesday, law enforcement released video and still images of an armed man captured on a Nest camera outside the 84-year-old’s Catalina Foothills home. The videos show the masked person at Guthrie’s door wearing a jacket, gloves, pants and carrying a backpack.
The FBI confirmed to Arizona’s Family that they believe the person is a man and have identified him as a suspect in her disappearance.
Video shared on X by FBI Director Kash Patel shows the man cupping the camera before walking to the front yard. He then returns to the front door, holding a small flashlight in his mouth and attempting to cover the doorbell camera with what appears to be a plant or flowers.
Investigators say the man was armed. The videos appear to show a holstered firearm on his waistband.
Karl de la Guerra, an international security consultant, said the first thing he noticed in the video was how the suspect was dressed.
“This individual is more than likely to move and walking at his natural pace. Which means someone is going to recognize that,” de la Guerra said. ”He looks like he’s moving very calmly, almost without a definite purpose. When you look at the history of kidnappings and abductions, those are individuals that generally hit the house with a defined purpose, with a mission.”
The man appears to be an amateur and de la Guerra said he lacks organization.
“I mean, doorbells like this are a norm nowadays. So you would anticipate that this is something you’re going to come up on right away. It almost, he almost, the individual here, male or female, almost acts as if it’s an afterthought of, oh, there’s a doorbell there,” he said.
The gloves also appeared to be thick with heavy linings, making it hard to grab things or a person.
“Well, judging by the demeanor of this individual, I doubt that he went and got a dress ensemble specifically for this event,” de la Guerra said.
What stood out as well was the positioning of the pistol.
“I’ve never seen a pistol worn in that manner by anyone who knew anything about firearms. What does that tell you then? This is very much ad hoc; that this is just an individual that really didn’t have a plan,” de la Guerra said.
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO: Armed, masked suspect on Nancy Guthrie’s porch
“Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, corrupted or inaccessible due to a variety of factors, including the removal of recording devices. The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems,” Pima County Sheriff’s Department posted in a statement.
“Working with our partners – as of this [Tuesday] morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance,” the department added.
The sheriff’s department later stated that they will not be hosting any press conferences at this time, and Sheriff Chris Nanos will not be doing one-on-one interviews.
Authorities scouring scenes
As the investigation continued into its 10th day, authorities went back to the Tucson home of Annie Guthrie, Nancy’s oldest daughter. Crews with Arizona’s Family sister station, KOLD 13 News, witnessed groups of FBI agents and Pima County sheriff’s deputies going door-to-door in the neighborhood.
Last weekend, authorities first searched Annie’s home, which is roughly four miles away from Nancy’s house. Three unmarked vehicles were parked in the driveway, and law enforcement left the home with a bag. Crews with 13 News reported seeing flashes through the windows, possibly from authorities taking pH๏τographs.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it will continue to maintain a presence at Nancy Guthrie’s home for security reasons at the request of the Guthrie family.
Savannah’s plea
Shortly after the pH๏τos and videos were released, Savannah Guthrie shared the pH๏τos on her Instagram, asking anyone with information to call law enforcement.
“We believe she is still alive. Bring her home,” she shared.
Disappearance leads to reported ransom notes
Guthrie was last seen on Jan. 31 after being dropped off at her Catalina Foothills home and was reported missing the next day after missing church.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 1, her doorbell camera disconnected, and her software detected a person on the camera. Her pacemaker app also showed it disconnected from her phone.
Reported ransom notes concerning Guthrie were sent to several Arizona news stations, including Arizona’s Family sister station, KOLD 13 News. The first note reportedly demanded a “large sum of money” with a ᴅᴇᴀᴅline set for last Thursday. The second note allegedly contained a Monday ᴅᴇᴀᴅline at 5 p.m.
A new video plea from Savannah was released hours before the 5 p.m. Monday ᴅᴇᴀᴅline. The video didn’t mention the alleged ransom; instead, Savannah shared her family still believes their mom is out there and is hearing everyone’s prayers.
“We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly, around the clock, trying to bring her home. Trying to find her. She was taken and we don’t know where. And we need your help,” Savannah said in Monday’s message.
The FBI has been asking for the public’s help on digital billboards up in several major cities in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico. A $50,000 reward has been offered for information.
Anyone with information, please contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324), 520-351-4900, 88-CRIME (882-7463) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Keep the lines clear
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department also asks that the public refrain from sharing thoughts, opinions or feelings regarding the Guthrie investigation through 911 and PCSD’s non-emergency line.
“To ensure we can respond to other emergencies, we must keep 9-1-1 lines open for situations requiring immediate ᴀssistance. These lines are not the appropriate place to share opinions or commentary,” the department said in a social media post.
