TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Following the FBI’s release of new surveillance images on Tuesday, former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb suggested the evidence points toward a botched robbery rather than a professional kidnapping in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Lamb, who has monitored the case closely, said the newly surfaced images from a front porch camera provide a crucial window into the suspect's motives and identity.
He noted that the visual evidence suggests a lack of professional planning.
"It does seem very amateurish to me. That's why I start to go back to well, was this a crime, a robbery that got botched and went the wrong way, and then now it's a cover-up more than it is a kidnapping," Lamb said.
While the suspect in the images wore a face covering, Lamb told KGUN9 that the high-resolution nature of the recovered footage offers investigators several identifying markers.
"While he has a mask on, there are some features that you can see through there. Probably going to have brown eyes. Probably going to have, looks like he's got a mustache, maybe even the beginnings of a goatee down below. So, there are some things that you can start to look at," Lamb said.
The recovery of the footage itself marks a significant victory for the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Investigators were originally told the images likely no longer existed, but digital forensics teams were able to retrieve the files.
Lamb credited the investigators' persistence and noted that the focus will likely shift to the surrounding infrastructure.
"Maybe he still has the mask on in the car when he drives off. There's a lot of things now they can start to look for," Lamb said, referring to the analysis of nearby traffic cameras.
Despite the technical progress in the case, the former sheriff expressed growing concern regarding Guthrie’s safety.
He indicated that the "amateurish" nature of the suspect's behavior, as seen in the porch images, often leads to unpredictable and dangerous outcomes for victims.
"It doesn't make me feel as confident that this was a kidnapping, intentional kidnapping from the get-go. I'm not as confident about her well-being, but I am feeling a lot better about the direction of the investigation," Lamb said.
