Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on January 31 at around 9:45 p.m. Authorities said her disappearance appeared to be a kidnapping or abduction.
She lives near Catalina Foothills TucsonArizona. On Thursday, law enforcement went door-to-door in the area asking neighbors if they noticed any disruptions in internet service the night she disappeared, NBC News reported.
Several homeowners told NBC News that agents asked specifically about internet or camera malfunctions that night.
The couple who live next door Nancy Guthrie When they tried to view nighttime footage, one of their ring cameras, the one closest to her home, displayed an “unavailable” message, the report said. Their other cameras, further away from her home, were working fine.
They said they had never seen the warning before and found it “incredible” that it happened within the time frame of Guthrie’s disappearance.
“That’s really weird, isn’t it?” they said
Using a Wi-Fi jammer?
The incident sparked speculation about the possible use of Wi-Fi jamming equipment, which is illegal to sell or import in the United States.
Earlier this week, when asked if he thought the suspect might be carrying a Wi-Fi jammer, possibly in his pocket, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos “I haven’t looked at it in detail, but, yes, I know my team has looked at it from every angle with the FBI,” told NBC News.
In recent months, South American burglary gangs have reportedly used such devices to disable wireless cameras and alarm systems in wealthy U.S. neighborhoods, investigative journalist Michael Ruiz reports. Hardwired security systems are immune to these jammers.
