Additional Coverage:
- Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor saw suspicious man walking nearby 2 weeks before suspected abduction (foxnews.com)
Suspicious Sighting Precedes Nancy Guthrie’s Abduction, Neighbors on Edge
TUCSON, Ariz. – A neighbor of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, reported seeing a “suspicious young man” in the affluent Catalina Foothills neighborhood roughly two weeks before Guthrie’s suspected abduction from her home. This revelation comes as residents express growing unease and a desire for answers in the ongoing investigation.
Aldine Meister, a nearly 30-year resident of the Catalina Foothills, described the individual to Fox News Digital as a young man who “didn’t have your typical walking gear on, and he had his hat pulled really far over his eyes.” Meister noted the man was walking near an intersection leading to Guthrie’s home, an area unaccustomed to such unusual activity in its typically low-crime environment. She had not seen him before or since.
“He was kind of younger, and he just didn’t look like he was going out for a walk,” Meister stated, adding that she mentioned it to her husband at the time but did not report it to authorities until after Guthrie’s disappearance. “He just didn’t fit,” she emphasized. Meister did not possess any video footage of the individual to provide to detectives.
Nancy Guthrie’s suspected kidnapping occurred around 2:30 a.m. on February 1, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. In a significant development, the FBI and Google collaborated to recover doorbell camera footage, even though Guthrie’s Nest device was physically missing and she lacked a cloud subscription. FBI Director Kash Patel released still images and video from this recovery on February 10.
The released video depicts a masked man wearing gloves, prowling on Guthrie’s front porch. A source with knowledge of the investigation revealed that one of the doorbell images, taken on a different date, shows a man who may be the same masked intruder at Guthrie’s doorstep, notably without the Ozark Trail backpack or holstered pistol seen in other images. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has labeled the timeline surrounding these images as speculation.
However, residents have been urged to review their home security cameras for any video recorded between January 1 and February 2, with a specific request for footage from January 11. Michele Young, another longtime Catalina Foothills resident, confirmed that investigators visited her home five times, and during the final visit, both the FBI and sheriff’s department specifically mentioned the January 11 date.
The significance of January 11 has repeatedly surfaced in the investigation, including a post on the Ring Neighbors app requesting video from 9 p.m. to midnight on that particular day. The sheriff’s department has downplayed the exclusive focus on this date, telling Fox News Digital that they are seeking a full month’s worth of video to ensure no suspicious activity is missed. Sheriff Nanos previously stated he did not want to narrow the focus to a specific timeframe.
Meister confirmed that investigators also inquired with her about the January 11 date, though she was unsure if the suspicious man she observed was seen on that specific day. She recalled it was after January 8, when she had visitors, and at least two weeks prior to Guthrie’s abduction.
In response to the unsettling events, Meister plans to enhance her home’s security, stating her existing system did not record anything. She intends to add more surveillance cameras around her property.
Guthrie’s adult children have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to their mother’s recovery. While at least two men were previously detained and released without charges, authorities have not publicly identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to the case.
Anyone with information regarding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is encouraged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.