NPR Host Compares Masked Guthrie Suspect to Federal Immigration Agents [WATCH]

NPR “Morning Edition” co-host Steve Inskeep said Wednesday that a masked individual captured on doorbell camera footage outside Nancy Guthrie’s home was dressed “a little like a federal immigration agent” while discussing newly released video tied to the case, as reported by Fox News.

The FBI on Tuesday made public previously inaccessible doorbell camera images and video showing a masked individual at Guthrie’s Tucson, Arizona, home around the time she vanished on Feb. 1.

The footage shows a person wearing gloves and a backpack approaching the front porch and tampering with the home’s security camera.

New video shows the Guthrie suspect armed. This is terrifying. pic.twitter.com/IGLdSnqupa

— Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) February 10, 2026

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During the podcast, Inskeep described what he observed in the footage while speaking with Mary O’Toole, a former FBI agent and profiler.

“So, let me think about this: we have this man. He walks up to the porch, he’s armed, and his face is covered, a little like a federal immigration agent — although it’s more covered even than that,” Inskeep said.

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“He’s wearing gloves, his head’s down, other times head up, something in the mouth, looks like a flashlight in the mouth, walks up to the security camera. That’s what I see.”

O’Toole offered her own analysis of the individual’s behavior in the video.

“I see things a little the same, but also from a different perspective,” she said. “I look at, overall, the behavior that he demonstrates while he’s on the porch. He’s not racing around, he’s not jumping up and down, he’s not looking over his shoulder.”

“He actually seems to be casual,” O’Toole continued. “He appears to be somewhat comfortable on a porch to a home where he does not belong. He seems to be used to almost having been there before. I see someone that’s walking around in very odd attire, at least from the waist up. He’s wrapped up very tight, almost squeezed into his outfit.”

O’Toole said the clothing raised questions for her about the suspect’s preparation.

“I look at that behavior, and then based on working other kidnapping cases, especially ones where the offender kidnapped the person from their home, often times — not always, but often times — the kidnapper had been inside other people’s homes before doing whatever they do, just looking around or taking things, or they’ve actually been inside the victim’s home before or on the victim’s porch before. So that’s why they have a comfort level with being there; it’s not the first time,” she said.

She also pointed to details about the suspect’s gloves and face covering.

“So, why do you dress like that for an event you’ve never experienced before?” she said. “Or the reverse is perhaps more likely: you have gone into an event like this before, so you know how to dress. And very likely, the reason for dressing like that is to minimize leaving behind any forensic evidence.”

Earlier Wednesday, a man was detained in connection with Guthrie’s disappearance but was later released without charges. Carlos Palazuelos told Fox News that he was the individual questioned during a traffic stop and said he had no involvement in the case.

He stated that he works making deliveries in the Tucson area and that investigators asked about his recent whereabouts. According to Palazuelos, authorities showed his in-laws a photograph of a masked individual, and “they supposedly looked like my eyes.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Wednesday that numerous agents are conducting an “extensive search along multiple roadways in the Catalina Foothills area” of Tucson as part of the investigation.

“We are asking the media and motorists to follow all traffic laws and to remain especially cautious when passing law enforcement personnel near the roadways,” the FBI’s Phoenix office said.

“We appreciate the assistance and support we have received from the Tucson community. The FBI continues to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie. You can help by submitting tips to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI,” the bureau added.

Authorities have not announced any arrests in the case as the search continues.

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