Major update as FBI shares fresh details about suspect in Nancy Guthrie abduction
Nancy Guthrie, 84 - mother of TODAY host Savannah Guthrie - was last seen on 31 January at her home outside Tuscon, Arizona
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released a physical description of the individual they believe is responsible for the abduction of Nancy Guthrie.
It comes just days after harrowing door cam footage was made public showing a masked, 'armed' man appearing to tamper with the 84-year-old's doorbell camera on the morning she vanished.
Nancy, the mother of TV broadcaster Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing by her three children on Sunday 1 February. The pensioner had last been seen at around 9.45pm the evening prior at her home on the border of Tucson, Arizona.
The trio, including Savannah, had been notified by a friend of their mother that Nancy had failed to join them to watch virtual church services on Sunday morning, which formed part of her usual weekend routine.
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Several news outlets also received a ransom note from alleged kidnappers with a deadline of 9 February, which demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin in exchange for her release. An FBI spokesperson previously claimed they're working on sussing out the letter's authenticity.
Earlier this week, police also released a series of images and one disturbing video, showing a masked - allegedly, armed - individual tampering with Nancy's doorbell camera footage in the early hours of the morning she disappeared.
In the clip, the person they believe to be a potential suspect is seen approaching the front door to the property, noticing a camera pointing towards the porch, before backing away. He then retrieves some vegetation from Nancy's garden before using it to cover the lens of the camera.
Based on this evidence, authorities previously told press they believe she'd been taken against her will.
As we say, however, the Bureau has since shared further details on the suspected assailant, which are reportedly based on its Operational Technology Division's 'forensic analysis' of the footage previously mentioned.
A newly-announced physical description now reads: "The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’9” - 5’10” tall, with an average build.
"In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-litre 'Ozark Trail Hiker Pack' backpack."
The FBI hope these details will 'help concentrate the public tips'.
In the same update, officers announced the reward in exchange for information 'leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance' had risen to $100,000, following an original $50,000 promise.
TODAY presenter Savannah previously shared footage of the masked intruder online, writing: "Someone out there recognises this person. We believe she is still out there. Bring her home."
The plea came days after the star's original online announcement, in which she, sister Annie and brother Cameron emphasised that their mother is currently without vital medication.
"She’s 84 years old. Her health, her heart, is fragile," the Australian-American broadcaster begged. "She lives in constant pain.
"She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive, and she needs it not to suffer."
Savannah previously added of the alleged note: "We, too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk.
"However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen."
In the same initial clip, Annie Guthrie added: "The light is missing from our lives. Nancy is our mother, we are her children, she is our beacon. We are always going to be merely human, just normal human people who need our mom.
"Mama, mama, if you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you."
Rhianna Benson