Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos sounded off on new media claims regarding the doorbell footage in the Nancy Guthrie case, slamming them as purely “speculative.”
“We are aware the doorbell images released earlier in the investigation depict a suspect in different stages of attire, including with and without a backpack,” Sheriff Nanos noted in a statement released Monday. “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.”
He continued: “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.”
The sheriff’s department issued the statement after multiple media outlets reported Monday that sources familiar with the investigation believed the masked man seen in the aforementioned security footage — and suspected of abducting “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother — visited the front door of her Tucson, Arizona home prior to Feb. 1.
Nancy was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31, when family dropped her off at her home after a dinner and a game night. However, by late-midday Sunday, Nancy was reported missing after not attending church.
Over a week ago, the FBI shared that they could confirm the suspect’s height and the backpack he was carrying in previously released Nest camera footage. They also upped the reward to $100,000.
“The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’9” – 5’10” tall, with an average build,” FBI Phoenix wrote on X. “In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack. We hope this updated description will help concentrate the public tips we are receiving. Since February 1, 2026, the FBI has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to this case.”
The footage sparked quite a bit of commentary, given the potential suspect was seen wearing a backpack in one image, while bag free in another. While public interest in the case has grown steadily in the weeks since Nancy disappeared, Nanos has repeatedly called on the media to act with decorum, especially out of respect for the Guthrie family.
Last week, Nanos shared that the Guthrie family, including the siblings and spouses, had been “cleared as possible suspects in this case.”
He added: “The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case. To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple … I’m begging you the media to honor your profession and report with some sense of compassion and professionalism.”
Despite his frustrations with the press, Nanos has given several interviews amid the investigation. In fact, on Wednesday, Nanos told “Today” that he believed Nancy’s abductor had a specific target in mind when the 84-year-old was taken from her home in the early hours of Feb. 1.
“I think this was an individual who had a target for whatever reason, and he has made it tough,” Nanos said. “But I’ve got some pretty tough investigators, too.”
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