EXCLUSIVE: TUCSON, Ariz. — A resident of Tucson has come forward with a crucial observation she made two weeks prior to the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie. The neighbor reported seeing an unfamiliar young man behaving suspiciously in the area.
Aldine Meister, a long-time resident of the Catalina Foothills, shared with Fox News Digital that she noticed the man during a walk through the neighborhood, which is known for its affluence and low crime rate. “He wasn’t dressed for a typical walk, and his hat was pulled down so low it obscured his eyes,” Meister recalled.
Meister observed this individual near an intersection close to Guthrie’s residence. She noted that she had not seen him in the neighborhood before or since. This adds a layer of mystery to the ongoing investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance.
The incident has drawn significant attention, and NBC has released an undated photograph of Nancy and Savannah Guthrie as part of their effort to raise awareness about the case. The community remains on high alert as authorities continue their search for answers.
An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of the Today Show host. (Courtesy of NBC)
“He was kind of younger, and he just didn’t look like he was going out for a walk,” she added.
She mentioned it to her husband but did not report it at the time, she said.
After the abduction, she said, she told authorities about the suspicious man.
“He just didn’t fit,” she said.
A pile of flowers grows outside Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Guthrie has been missing for 24 days as of Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Olivia Palombo / Fox News Digital)
She didn’t have any video to give detectives, however.
Guthrie’s suspected kidnapping took place around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 1, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
The FBI and Google teamed up to recover doorbell camera footage even though her Nest device is physically unaccounted for, and she did not have a cloud subscription.
FBI Director Kash Patel released still images and video on Feb. 10.
FBI investigators search Catalina Foothills in Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday, February 11, 2026. The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie continues. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
The video shows a masked man with gloves on, prowling on her front porch.
According to a source with knowledge of the investigation, one of the doorbell images was taken on a different date than the others. It shows a man who may be the same masked intruder at Guthrie’s doorstep, without his Ozark Trail backpack or holstered pistol.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has called the timeline surrounding the images speculation.
However, neighbors have been asked to check their home security cameras for any video taken between Jan. 1 and Feb. 2 — as well as on Jan. 11, specifically.
Michele Young, another longtime resident of the Catalina Foothills area said investigators came to her house a total of five times.
Australian-born presenter, Savannah Guthrie poses alongside her mother Nancy Guthrie during a production break whilst hosting NBC’s “Today Show” live from Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
“On that last visit, when I was talking to the FBI and the sheriff together, they did mention the 11th,” Young said. “I had mentioned that the sheriff’s department came back for additional footage, and they mentioned something about a different date.”
Neighbors mentioned a sense of unease in the community, awaiting answers from law enforcement officials.
“I think everyone’s anxious,” Young said. “We all watch out for one another here so it would be nice if something happened.”
The Jan. 11 date has come up repeatedly in the investigation, including in a Ring Neighbors app post asking for residents to turn over video taken between 9 p.m. and midnight on that day.
The sheriff’s department has downplayed the significance of the date, telling Fox News Digital that investigators are looking for a full month’s worth of video, in case anything suspicious shows up.
These two images were released by the FBI, recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. It’s unclear whether they show the same person. (FBI)
Nanos said previously that he did not want to focus on a specific time in case something of use to detectives took place outside that window.
And Meister said investigators had asked her about it, too. As for whether she saw the suspicious man on that day, she wasn’t sure.
“It could’ve been the 11th,” Meister said. She told Fox News Digital that she knew it was after Jan. 8, when she had visitors in town, and at least two weeks before Guthrie’s abduction.
A member of the Pima County Sheriff’s Office remains outside of Nancy Guthrie’s home, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 in Tucson, Ariz. (Ty O’Neil/AP Photo)
Next, she said she plans to increase security around her home, because her existing system didn’t record anything. She said she’d add more surveillance cameras around her house.
Guthrie’s adult children are offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to their mother’s recovery.
At least two men were detained and released without charges in the investigation. Police have not publicly named any suspects, persons of interest or vehicles connected to the case.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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