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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer has suggested that the moon could explain the difference in lighting in the surveillance images that have been released in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie.
On February 10, the FBI released video from a doorbell camera showing a man wearing a ski mask, a jacket, long pants, gloves and a handgun holster on Nancy Guthrie's porch on the night she disappeared. Reports later said the masked man seen in the footage was spotted at Guthrie's house at an earlier date.
Referring to unconfirmed reports on NewsNation that the FBI is seeking security footage from January 11 and January 24 from Guthrie's neighbors, Coffindaffer suggested that one of the images could have been captured on those days.
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"A neighbor says the FBI asked her for video footage on 1/11 and 1/24 and reviewed it there. 1/11 was a waning crescent moon (1% -49% illumination), 1/24 was a waxing crescent (1% to 49%) and 2/1 was a full moon (100% moonlight) Could this explain lighting differences in the background in these 2 photos?" Coffindaffer wrote on X.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department last month said it was aware of differences in the masked person’s clothing depicted in various images that were released, namely with and without a backpack.
But it said that there was no date or time stamp associated with the images and that "any suggestion that the photographs were taken on different days is purely speculative."
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The Context
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for more than six weeks. She was last seen at her home on January 31 in Tucson, Arizona, and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped and said drops of her blood were found on her front porch.
Since the first days of her disappearance, authorities have expressed concern about her health because she needs vital daily medication.
Authorities have not publicly identified the person in the video footage but the FBI described the suspect as a male about 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 with an average build and said he was carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
What To Know
The sheriff’s department said on Friday that it continues to analyze various forms of evidence in the case, including "material from laboratories as well as images and videos captured by cameras."
It was reported last week that the FBI has recovered additional images from motion-activated cameras at Nancy Guthrie's home. According to ABC News, the cameras were trained on the swimming pool, backyard and side yard.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in an interview with NBC News on Thursday that investigators believe Guthrie's kidnapping was targeted, but that the suspect could "absolutely" strike again.
He said investigators believe they know the motive for the crime, but declined to provide details, citing the integrity of the investigation.
Nanos also said he remained hopeful that DNA evidence found in Guthrie's home that did not belong to her or those in close contact with her could lead law enforcement to the suspect.
The sheriff's department previously said investigators would seek to use investigative genetic genealogy in the investigation. But Nanos has said that investigators were facing challenges processing the DNA, which he said was mixed and could contain DNA from several people.
Guthrie’s family is offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to her recovery.
What People Are Saying
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Friday: "The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to analyze various forms of evidence in the Nancy Guthrie case, including material from laboratories as well as images and videos captured by cameras. At this time, we will not comment on the details or status of this analysis."
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News last week: "We believe we know why he did this, and we believe that it was targeted. But we can't—we're not 100 percent sure of that, so it would be silly to tell people: 'Yeah, don't worry about it. You're not his target.'"
He added: "Don't think for a minute that because it happened to the Guthrie family, you're safe. No, keep your wits about you."
Savannah Guthrie said on Instagram on March 2: "We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country.…Please don't stop praying and hoping with us. bring her home."
What Happens Next
Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), 520-351-4900 or 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov.
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