In a chilling breakthrough that has sent shockwaves through the investigation into the kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, authorities have released new surveillance footage that shows a man who looks eerily like the masked abductor — and this time, he was caught on camera lurking near her Tucson-area home just two weeks before she vanished.

The grainy but unmistakable images, recovered from a neighbor’s security system and enhanced by FBI digital forensics teams, capture a figure matching the physical description of the January 31 intruder: approximately 5’9″ to 5’10” tall, average build, dark clothing, and the same deliberate, measured walk seen in the abduction footage. Unlike the masked suspect who tampered with Nancy’s doorbell camera in the pre-dawn hours of her disappearance, this earlier visitor is unmasked — his face partially visible under a cap, revealing a jawline, hairline, and general facial structure that has detectives working around the clock to make a positive identification.

The footage is dated mid-January 2026 — roughly 14 days before the armed man in black gloves, ski mask, and 25-liter Ozark Trail backpack forced entry into Nancy’s home, abducted her, and left her blood on the porch. In the earlier clip, the man approaches the property slowly, pauses at the edge of the porch as though surveying the layout, lingers for several long seconds staring at the front door, then turns and walks away into the darkness. He makes no attempt to ring the bell or interact with the house — he simply watches… and leaves.

Police and FBI officials now say the sighting strongly suggests premeditation. “This was not a crime of opportunity,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated in a tense press briefing. “The individual seen two weeks prior displays behavior consistent with reconnaissance — casing the residence, timing routines, assessing vulnerabilities. When combined with the abduction footage, we believe the motive is becoming clearer, and it points toward a planned, targeted act rather than a random burglary gone wrong.”

The motive, investigators hinted without revealing specifics, appears tied to personal or financial gain rather than a stranger abduction. Experts briefed on the case speculate that the earlier visit allowed the suspect to confirm Nancy’s living patterns, note the absence of frequent visitors, and identify the exact location of the doorbell camera he would later cover. The fact that he returned armed and masked on January 31 — and successfully removed her from the home without immediate witnesses — points to preparation, not panic.

The new footage has dramatically shifted the investigation’s focus. Previously, many theories centered on opportunistic home invasion or a botched burglary that escalated when Nancy confronted the intruder. Now, detectives are re-interviewing neighbors, delivery drivers, rideshare records, and local business owners within a several-mile radius, asking specifically about any man matching the description seen in mid-January. Ring camera alerts were pushed to homes in the area, requesting footage from January 11 between 9 p.m. and midnight — a date that aligns with the timeline of the recovered sighting.

The Guthrie family, already enduring nearly two weeks of agony, now faces the gut-wrenching reality that someone may have been stalking Nancy’s home for days or weeks before striking. Savannah Guthrie, the beloved Today co-anchor and Nancy’s daughter, has remained publicly composed but privately shattered, sources say. The family’s latest social media post — a montage of old home videos set to gentle music — carried a single caption: “Our lovely mom. We will never give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope.”

The FBI has increased the reward to $100,000 for information leading to an arrest or Nancy’s safe return. Over 13,000 tips have flooded tip lines since the disappearance, and the agency continues to urge the public to submit any surveillance footage from the weeks leading up to January 31. Black gloves recovered during searches have been sent for DNA analysis, and agents are combing through purchase records of the distinctive Ozark Trail backpack worn by the suspect.

The Tucson community remains on edge. Vigils outside St. Sabina Church draw hundreds nightly, candles flickering against the desert sky as prayers rise for Nancy’s safe return. Mayor Regina Romero has called the case “a wound on our entire community,” while Sheriff Nanos warned that “more people will be questioned” as the investigation widens.

The image of that unmasked man standing on the porch — staring at the very door where Nancy would later be taken — has become the defining visual of this case. It is no longer just a missing-person story. It is a chilling tale of surveillance, premeditation, and a predator who may have watched his target for weeks before striking.

Every passing hour raises the stakes. Nancy Guthrie, a beloved mother, grandmother, and longtime resident known for her warmth and quiet strength, remains missing. The face from the shadows — now seen twice — looms larger than ever. If you recognize him, if you saw him, if you know anything at all, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Office are begging you to come forward.

Time is running out. And the motive — whatever dark reason drove this crime — is finally starting to come into focus.