The search for Nancy Guthrie has taken another unsettling turn after a neuroscientist spotted a clue that he believes police need to investigate.
The 84-year-old mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie has now been missing for 16 days, after she failed to arrive at a friend’s home on February 1 to watch a church service.
Investigators have been pursuing multiple leads in the days since her disappearance. Authorities have combed areas surrounding her Arizona home, uncovered several pieces of evidence, and released chilling footage that appears to show a masked individual, allegedly armed, near her property.
YouTube analysis raises questions about suspect’s flashlight use
In a YouTube video examining the released footage, Derek Van Schaik highlighted unusual details about the suspect’s behavior.
He pointed out that the individual appears to hold a small flashlight in his mouth, switching it on and off with his teeth. According to Van Schaik, this method suggests a level of familiarity that is uncommon for most people.
He explained that people who routinely need hands-free lighting typically rely on head-mounted or body-mounted lights.
Clenching a flashlight in one’s teeth for an extended period, he argued, indicates someone accustomed to that specific tool. Van Schaik suggested the habit is more often associated with mechanics or technicians who need both hands free while working in dark spaces.
The video also notes a potential tactical advantage.
By gripping the flashlight in his teeth, the suspect could quickly toggle the light without using his hands, potentially minimizing visibility in what Van Schaik described as a covert scenario.
He further urged investigators to examine sales records for that particular type of flashlight, arguing that it is not a common consumer item, even within mechanical trades.
Additionally, Van Schaik observed that there is no visible blood on Nancy’s front porch in the footage at that moment. He theorized that this could indicate she was harmed shortly afterward and forcibly removed from her home, possibly by more than one individual.
Latest note demands bitcoin and claims sender not taken seriously
According to TMZ, another ransom note was received on February 12.
The message is believed to be from the same person who previously claimed to know the identity of the kidnapper. In this latest correspondence, the sender expressed fear that they are “not being taken seriously” and included what was described as ‘ominous’ statements.
The note reportedly demands one bitcoin in exchange for revealing the alleged kidnapper’s identity. It also references concerns about being “incriminated like that Carlos guy,” pointing to a man who was arrested earlier in the investigation and later released without charge.
The message has been handed over to investigators for further analysis.
Meanwhile, a white tent was spotted outside Guthrie’s Arizona residence earlier in the day, though officials have not clarified its purpose.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has maintained that no press conferences will be held unless there is significant new information to share, and none has been scheduled so far.
The FBI has also offered a substantial reward for information leading to Guthrie’s safe return or the arrest of those responsible.
Addressing newly released surveillance footage, FBI director Kash Patel said: “Working with our partners - as of this 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.”
Authorities are urging anyone with surveillance footage from January 1 through February 2 that they “deem out of then ordinary” to come forward.