The first surveillance footage of the disappearance of Today anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was released by US authorities on Tuesday, with the images showing a masked individual on the front porch of the octogenarian’s Arizona home on the night she disappeared, January 31.
A recording released by the FBI and also shared by director Kash Patel, who said: “Over the past eight days, the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department have worked closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, damaged or unavailable due to various factors – including video being removed from residual data located in back-end systems.”
Read also | A bitcoin ransom account associated with Nancy Guthrie is beginning to show activity
What does the footage show?
Images from the footage show the individual wearing what appears to be a ski mask, carrying a backpack and what appears to be a gun holster.
Meanwhile, videos show the individual approaching Guthrie’s front door before trying to cover the doorbell camera with his hand and a piece of yard vegetation.
While authorities have yet to release details about the person in question or a potential suspect, social media is abuzz with theories about the identity of the person seen in the footage.
Read also | Why did the FBI release footage of Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping suspect after 10 days?
The individual in the footage?
In particular, unsubstantiated online posts claimed that the person seen could be Dominic Aaron Lee Evans, allegedly a friend of Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, both of whom were part of the band Early Black.
One X account, Atom Report, claimed to have analyzed security footage and said the individual’s athletic build and visible facial hair (a dark mustache and goatee) were consistent with Evans’ “known profile”.
Some social media users also circulated alleged court records that claimed Evans had a criminal history, including burglary/robbery/theft/embezzlement charges in Pima County, Arizona.
Despite the message, authorities found no connection between the two, and law enforcement reiterated that no suspect or person of interest had been identified in the case. Mint could not independently verify the claim.
Read also | The deadline for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s $6 million ransom has expired. is she alive
Who is Dominic Evans?
According to Parade, Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law Tommaso Cioni played bass and was part of the band Early Black, formed in 2007 with Dominic Evans on drums. The rock/post punk band also featured Walter I Gonçalves, Jr. on guitar and singing.
The trio, according to the band’s ReverbNation page, met through a series of newspaper ads.
Regarding the band’s music, the site says, “The newly formed band quickly began working on a number of songs that Gonçalves had started composing before they met. The songs were more eccentric compared to the band’s repertoire on their debut Life:Love :: Love:Murder.”
Early Black began playing shows locally in Tucson, Arizona and occasionally in Phoenix and Flagstaff, mostly with local acts. They have also played with national acts The Prids, Liars, A Place to Bury Strangers.
The band also recorded their debut album in Arizona with Tucson music engineer Nathan Sabatino.
Other than that, not much is known about Evans.
Read also | Missing Nancy Guthrie Case: From Blood Finding to ‘Ransom’ Notes – Timeline
What do the experts say?
Experts interviewed by CNN pointed out several things to note about the individual in the footage.
Noting that the placement of the gun holster near the groin indicated a lack of training, former FBI deputy director and CNN’s chief law enforcement analyst Andrew McCabe said, “In my opinion, first of all, this is not someone who has ever been trained to carry a gun.
He added: “No person with law enforcement or military training would ever carry a firearm in a holster like that, right where it’s almost in the middle of his body, hanging from his belt. It’s not very tactical for a number of reasons.”
Another former FBI agent, Steve Moore, told the paper: It’s kind of ridiculous. He has a small, semi-automatic pistol designed for concealment that he could have slipped into his pocket, but instead hides it in a holster made for a large-frame revolver. They don’t even match.”
Experts also said the individual’s gait could offer more clues about the suspect.
Bryanna Fox, a former FBI agent, said the individual “almost walks around like it’s his house,” almost suggesting a “lack of fear of being caught.”
“He still has the kind of courage to get away with it,” she told CNN.