The FBIreleasednew details about the masked perpetrator suspected in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, as investigators continue to review the more than 13,000 tips that have come in from the public.
The male suspect, who was pictured in video footage captured from the 84-year-old's home the night of her abduction, has an average build and is approximately 5'9"–5'10" tall, according to an FBI forensic analysis. He was seen with a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
"We hope this updated description will help concentrate the public tips we are receiving," the bureau said in a statement. The FBI also announced it was increasing the reward in the case to $100,000.
Authorities in Arizona have continued to appeal to the public for video footage recorded near Guthrie's home in the month leading up to her disappearance, while her daughter, Today show host Savannah Guthrie, has pledged to "never give up".
In a poston X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday afternoon, the Pima county sheriff's department asked for "any video showing vehicles, traffic, pedestrians, or suspicious activity" taken between 1 January and 2 February from an area roughly 2 sq miles in radius from the Guthrie residence in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson.
The post did not say why the request was made, but followed a flurry of tips – about 4,000 – that came in during the 24 hours since the FBI on Tuesday released door camera video and stillimagesof a masked and gloved suspect outside Guthrie's home early on 1 February.
Despite the surge of information, no new suspects have been identified in the 12-day hunt for the abducted 84-year-old.
Savannah Guthriepostedhome video of her family on social media on Thursday, writing: "Our lovely mom. We will never give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope."
A man detained at a traffic stop on Tuesday in Rio Rico, about an hour south of the Guthrie residence, wasreleased without chargeafter several hours of questioning.
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On Wednesday, authorities conducted an "extensive search" of multiple roadways close to the Guthrie home.KVOA, the local NBC-affiliated TV station, reportedthe recovery of a pair of black gloves, which have been submitted for DNA testing, but said it was too soon to know whether they were connected to Guthrie's disappearance.
The Pima county sheriff's department, which said it was sifting through 4,000 calls received since publication of the images, has not held a media briefing for a week, and said on Wednesday in apost on Xthat none would be held unless there was "a significant development" to report.
KVOA said the lack of progress in the investigation was frustrating and causing anxiety for local residents. "We are very worried. The neighbors are all worried, and we do not know who this kidnapper is, what he's done with Nancy Guthrie. We don't know what's going on, so we're really concerned," Marla Handler, a neighbor of the missing woman, told the outlet.
The station reported that Ring doorbell camera users in Catalina Foothills were asked by investigators for footage from 11 January from 9pm to midnight, and said there was "footage of interest" from the morning of 31 January relating to a suspicious vehicle. Authorities have not confirmed the information.
In a separate development,TMZ reportedthat it received a note early on Wednesday from an anonymous person demanding one bitcoin (about $67,000) from the Guthrie family "if they want the name of the individual involved". The note has not been formally authenticated, and neither the FBI nor Pima county sheriff has commented on it.
Separate purported ransom demands have been received by a number of Tucson-area television stations in recent days, with at least one deadline passing on Monday. Savannah Guthrie, who has presented NBC's Today show since 2012,posted a videoon social media the same day, asking for prayers and information.
"We believe our mom is still out there. We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly, around the clock, trying to bring her home, trying to find her. She was taken and we don't know where. And we need your help," she said.
Detectives have searched the Guthrie home and surrounding area several times. Signs of forced entry and blood were found on the doorstep, Chris Nanos, the Pima county sheriff, has said previously, prompting him to declare it a crime scene.
Investigators were also at the Tucson home of Savannah Guthrie's sister, Annie Guthrie, at the weekend as "part of a follow-up search in the normal course of the case", NBC reported, citing an unnamed law enforcement official.
Nancy Guthrie has limited mobility and requires daily medication for her condition to keep her alive, her family has said.
