Google Digital Forensics Experts Attempt to Uncover Additional Footage in Nancy Guthrie Abduction Case
Shocking images released last week showing a masked intruder at Nancy Guthrie's residence during her abduction may represent just the beginning of video evidence ultimately recovered from property cameras, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. In an exclusive Sunday interview with the Daily Mail, Nanos revealed that digital forensics examiners specialising in Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud-based video systems at Google are working intensively to extract information from cameras initially believed to be offline or non-recording.
"Scratching Through Layers" of Digital Evidence
"Google said at first we don't have anything, but we're going to do our best to try what they call 'scratch,'" Nanos explained during the comprehensive interview. "It's hard. It's like scratching through layers—think of it like you have eight layers of paint on your house. They want to go to the sixth or seventh layer and they have to be very delicate about it not to destroy what's there."
The sheriff expressed particular hope that investigators might recover camera footage showing a vehicle traveling down Guthrie's driveway. "Because, my goodness, you can't put a mask on a vehicle, right?" Nanos remarked, highlighting the potential evidentiary value of such footage.
Expansive Investigation with Hundreds of Personnel
Speaking almost exactly two weeks after being notified by officers about the kidnapping situation at North Camino Escalante in the Catalina Foothills, Nanos maintains optimism about locating 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, though he acknowledged the search could require "weeks, months or years." The investigation currently involves approximately 400 personnel from the Pima County Sheriff's Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other Arizona law enforcement agencies working around the clock.
Between 40,000 and 50,000 tips have been received so far, with periods where law enforcement processed as many as 5,000 tips per hour that required categorization, prioritization, and analysis. Nanos, a 70-year-old El Paso native with five decades of law enforcement experience who has served as Pima County Sheriff since 2015, is overseeing what he describes as a kidnapping investigation rather than a burglary gone wrong.
Critical Evidence and Family Dynamics
"This is somebody who's disappeared from the face of the earth, and now we have a camera that says here's the person who did this," Nanos stated. "And that's what makes me say this is a kidnapping. The motivation for it is where we get stuck, right? Is it for money? I mean, we had the one demand where they asked for money. But is it really for money, or is it for revenge for something?"
The interview occurred shortly after the FBI announced that a black glove recovered last week is believed to match the one worn by the intruder in the video footage, with initial DNA profiling results already received from a specialised Florida laboratory. Nanos addressed online speculation targeting family members, particularly Tommaso Cioni, who is married to Nancy Guthrie's daughter Annie.
"People out there can get pretty ugly and mean and nasty and not have the facts," Nanos cautioned. "I tell my journalists, you guys need to be a little more responsible… because that's just really nasty stuff." The sheriff emphasized that no individuals have been officially cleared in the case, including household workers, subjects of recent SWAT raids, and family members.
Investigative Challenges and Community Cooperation
Nanos defended his department against criticism regarding crime scene management, stating his officers processed the scene for nearly twenty hours before FBI involvement. He also dismissed reports suggesting he blocked FBI access to crucial evidence as "far-fetched," noting that all ransom notes received by local media were immediately forwarded to federal investigators.
The sheriff revealed that investigators deliberately changed wording regarding who drove Nancy Guthrie home after her January 31st dinner and game night with family to deflect from overwhelming online rumors. While acknowledging authorities know the individual's identity, Nanos stated, "when we saw everybody was attacking everybody and saying it's this we just thought, you know what? We'll say it was family."
Appeal for Public Assistance
Nanos expressed confidence that community members might recognize the individual captured in the doorbell-camera footage. "I believe somebody out there knows who this is," he asserted. "I believe somebody out there can look at that video and go, I know exactly who that is. And that's what our plea is to our community."
When asked about the suspect's apparent amateurish appearance in the footage, Nanos urged caution against underestimation. "You never underestimate anybody," he advised. "It's easy to go… 'he's kind of a goofball,' but he may be a lot smarter than people are giving him credit for."
Addressing both the suspect and Nancy Guthrie directly, Nanos delivered separate messages: "Let her go. No questions asked. We'll worry about prosecuting… another day. Right now, it's about… let's get Nancy back," and to Guthrie herself: "We're not giving up on you. We're gonna find you. Just… stay safe as best you can. We'll find you."
