The Guthrie family have made public appeals, offered money and kept Nancy in the media spotlight (Image: -)

The former boss of the sheriff leading the Nancy Guthrie investigation has raised fresh alarm about the sophistication of the suspect caught on doorbell camera footage — saying the individual appeared to know exactly where the lens was positioned and deliberately obscured it.

Rick Kastigar, who once oversaw Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, joined NewsNation journalist Brian Entin on his podcast Brian Entin Investigates to share his assessment of the case as it entered its 51st day on Monday, March 23.

Analyzing the doorbell footage, Kastigar said the suspect’s movements pointed to careful preparation rather than opportunism.

“If you watch that video carefully, you’ll see him approach slowly and with his right shoulder toward the camera and his turning to his left with his head,” he said. It comes after a mystery man who claimed he “saw Nancy 5 days ago” offered chilling new proof.

nancy’s home has become a focal point for efforts to find her and keep her memory alive (Image: Getty)

“That tells me he knew where the camera was. That tells me that perhaps this and that’s when I underscore the word sophistication that this individual had that information in his mind when he walked up to that front porch.

“He slumps forward, kind of buries his head into his left shoulder, walks towards the camera, slowly puts a glove up, turns around, picks up some brush apparently uh in the porch in front, and then puts it in front of the camera again, covering it with his glove. in this brush. That’s preparatory work.”

Nancy, 84, mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since February 1. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI have yet to announce a significant breakthrough despite an extensive investigation.

Nancy Guthrie: Doorbell camera captures vehicles on night of abduction

Following complications with DNA analysis, investigators are believed to be shifting focus towards digital forensics, while interviews with Nancy’s neighbours are continuing. Sheriff Nanos has been resolute throughout, insisting on March 20 that he was “not even close” to classifying the disappearance as a cold case. “We have some DNA that we think is still workable,” he said.

He added: “The case will get us there. We let the evidence show us the way, and that’s what we base everything on. Right now, everything is speculative. We don’t have anything in front of us that says ‘this is who did this, and this is why’.”

On March 13, the sheriff’s department issued a formal statement saying it was continuing to analyse evidence including laboratory material and footage from cameras, but would not comment on the details or status of that analysis.