Investigators are nearing a breakthrough in the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, a former FBI agent has claimed.
Maureen O'Connell, an ex-FBI agent, stated on The Megyn Kelly Show that authorities are focusing on the individual captured on surveillance footage tampering with Guthrie's doorbell camera on the night of her disappearance. O'Connell believes this suspect, referred to as the 'porch guy,' is key to solving the case and estimates investigators are about 75 percent of the way to making an arrest.
"I think they're close right now to pulling this case together, and that's what my sources are telling me. Things are happening," O'Connell said. The FBI was able to recover footage from Guthrie's doorbell camera by accessing residual data from backend servers, after initial reports indicated no footage was available.
The surveillance video, captured in the early hours of February 1, shows a masked figure wearing gloves tampering with the camera shortly before it was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. Guthrie was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home the same night. No suspects have been publicly named, and no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation.
Savannah Guthrie, in a March interview, described the footage as "absolutely terrifying" and spoke of imagining her mother's terror. She has made public pleas for information, noting that the family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for details leading to Nancy Guthrie's recovery.
Earlier in the investigation, two ransom notes were reportedly sent to the family and local news outlets. The first demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin for her release, while a subsequent note claimed she had died, though the senders reportedly apologized and stated her death was unintentional. This was according to sources cited by CBS.
Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in early February. The residence is valued at $1 million. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has been leading the investigation.