Investigators searching for answers in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie are now asking neighbors whether they experienced internet disruptions on the night she vanished. Both the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI canvassed Guthrie’s neighborhood in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday, NBC News reported.
Agents went door to door speaking with residents and asking whether they noticed problems with their internet connections around the time Guthrie disappeared.
Several homeowners told NBC News that investigators specifically asked about any disruptions or glitches with their internet service that night.
According to those residents, agents said multiple people in the area had reported connectivity problems around the same timeframe.
The questions raised speculation that investigators may be examining whether the suspect used technology to interfere with security cameras or home networks during the abduction. Authorities have not confirmed that possibility.
Two homeowners said investigators also asked whether they had video footage from Jan. 11. Officials have not confirmed they are focusing on that date or explained why investigators are asking about it.
Three homeowners who spoke with NBC News said they were either asleep or not home during the time investigators believe Guthrie was abducted. They said they could not say whether their internet service experienced disruptions that night.
But one couple who lives adjacent to Guthrie’s home said they noticed an unusual problem with one of their security cameras. The couple said they have four Ring cameras positioned around their property. When they attempted to review footage from the overnight hours on the night of the disappearance, the camera closest to Guthrie’s home displayed a message reading “not available.”
Their other cameras, which are positioned farther away from the neighbor’s property, worked normally. The couple said they had never seen the message before and found the timing unusual.
“That’s really weird, isn’t it?” they said.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed that internet disruptions or electronic interference are part of the investigation.
When asked earlier this week whether investigators believed the suspect could have used a Wi-Fi jammer, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said detectives are examining every possible lead.
“I’ve not looked at that closely, but yeah, I know that my team has looked at it with the FBI, every angle,” Nanos said.
The case has now entered its second month with no suspect publicly identified. Nancy Guthrie, 84, is the mother of “TODAY” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. She was last seen around 9:45 p.m. Jan. 31 after having dinner with her daughter Annie Guthrie in Tucson.
Authorities said she was reported missing the following day.
According to investigators, Guthrie failed to show up at a friend’s home where she regularly watched a livestreamed church service on Sundays.
The unexplained absence prompted concern and led to the missing person report. Authorities later said the case appears to involve a kidnapping or abduction.
Investigators have released few details publicly about what may have happened inside or outside the home.
Last month, the FBI released doorbell camera videos and images showing a masked man outside Guthrie’s residence in the early morning hours of the day she disappeared. The man appeared armed and was wearing gloves in the footage. Investigators have described him as a suspect but have not identified him.
Officials say the individual appears to be about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build.
In the images released by investigators, the man was carrying a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
Authorities have asked the public to come forward with any information that could help identify the person seen in the footage.
Savannah Guthrie has been on leave from her role at NBC’s “TODAY” show while she remains in Arizona with her family. She briefly returned to the program’s studio in New York City this week.