FBI releases doorbell footage showing masked, armed person at Guthrie home

FBI officials released surveillance photos and video showing a masked, apparently armed person tampering with the front-door camera at Nancy Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills home, prompting a renewed push for public tips as investigators continue to search for the 84-year-old missing mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted the images and clips on X, writing that “the video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems” and that law enforcement had “uncovered these previously inaccessible new images.” The footage, recovered from a Nest doorbell camera and bearing the device’s logo, shows an individual wearing a ski mask, thick gloves, long sleeves, pants and a backpack. In at least one clip a holstered firearm is visible and the person appears to cover the camera with a hand and part of a plant before walking through the home’s front archway.

Pima County Sheriff’s Office records detail why earlier detections produced no video: the doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47 a.m. on Feb. 1, and software registered a person at 2:12 a.m. that morning but no video was retained because the homeowner did not have a subscription for video storage. The FBI said the newly released material was recovered from residual backend systems after cooperating with private-sector partners and law enforcement.

The sheriff’s office is leading the investigation and has urged the public to come forward with information. Officials said their phone lines have been inundated with tips, reporting nearly 18,000 calls since the case was opened on Feb. 1, including more than 4,000 in the most recent 24-hour period. Federal agents and local deputies have been canvassing neighborhoods near family members’ homes and conducting door-to-door outreach to gather leads.

A man was briefly detained Tuesday night during a traffic stop in connection with the disappearance and was released a few hours later without charges. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said the detention was “part of follow-up on incoming leads” and has not publicly identified the person. Authorities have not announced any named suspects.

Savannah Guthrie issued a public appeal through the family, saying, “We believe she is still alive.” Investigators have not confirmed Guthrie’s status, and officials have said it remains unclear whether she is alive.

The FBI’s posting included multiple still photos and short video clips; reporting from different sources recorded conflicting counts of the images released. Agency posts list several black-and-white frames and three video clips, but public reporting has differed on the exact number of photos. Media and law enforcement accounts also differ slightly on Guthrie’s age, with most outlets reporting she is 84 and one reporting 82. Google, owner of the Nest brand, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the recovery of residual data.

Investigators continue to review the material and ask anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Office or the FBI. Officials have not scheduled a public briefing but said they will release additional information as investigative steps permit.