Body Language Expert Analyzes New FBI Video in Nancy Guthrie's Missing Person Case: Key Takeaways

A masked man. A missing 84-year-old. And video evidence that authorities were never supposed to recover.

Now, a body language expert says the suspect in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance may have revealed more than he realized, even with his face covered.

On Tuesday, February 10, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department released newly recovered images showing an armed individual outside the 84-year-old's Tucson home. The footage was pulled from residual backend data after recording devices were removed.

Almost immediately, expert Susan Constantine began analyzing every frame.

The Clues Hidden in Plain Sight

Constantine told the New York Post that even a mask cannot erase a person's physical blueprint.

"Everybody is designed differently. We have our own body language, DNA, how we walk, and whether you're pigeon-toed or whether you're bow-legged or what, one foot, that kind of goes out further than the other one," she said.

She pointed to the suspect's dark-colored eyes, jawline, height, physique, and gait as features that remain identifiable. The man also appeared to have a beard beneath the mask, something she noted could easily be shaved off.

"But you can't change his height, his body structure... his shoe size," Constantine said, estimating the suspect stands about 5'10" or 5'11" and appears in "physically good shape."

In a separate interview with Fox News, she described him as athletically built, likely with brown eyes, tightly trimmed facial hair, and an olive-toned complexion.

She also noted the head shape and lack of visible hair suggest he could be bald.

The Detail That Stands Out

Then there is the backpack.

Constantine said it appeared full when the suspect approached the home, a detail she believes is critical.

"It's unusual to see a burglar coming in with a full backpack through the main front door by themselves. So I don't think that this was a burglary," she explained.

She added that burglars typically work in teams with assigned roles and arrive with minimal equipment before leaving with stolen items.

The fact that the bag looked packed before entry, she said, suggests planning.

The Calmness That Raises Questions

What stood out most to Constantine was not what the suspect carried, but how he carried himself throughout the footage. "He's this person is very calm. Um there's no signs of anxiety," she stated, noting the absence of rapid movements or visible tension.

She also observed no rapid eye blinking and no visible panic. "When they're in execution, there's almost this dead man person, right? They're mission-oriented. So all of their high anxiety is brought down because they're focused on the mission," she explained.

According to Constantine, the suspect appeared familiar with the setting.

"This person feels very comfortable walking. They knew where everything was. So there's no sense of... anxiety or shifting movements to where they don't know where anything is. This person knows exactly where everything is," she said.

Measuring a Man Without Seeing His Face

Constantine also detailed how height can be estimated using surroundings visible in the footage. She referenced brick layers and an archway near the entrance.

"You can see literally three layers of brick. So if you could measure down three layers of brick and then from that point down to the ground will give you the overall height," she explained.

She added that investigators often use trees, bushes, pylons, or garbage cans as fixed reference points when profiling an unknown subject.

A Strong Tucson Theory

Meanwhile, another development is adding to the intrigue.

According to TMZ, law enforcement sources believe the suspected kidnapper is from the Tucson area.

Multiple sources told the outlet that the operating theory is the ransom notes were written by the abductor, and that the letters contain clues about where the person lives.

The first letter was sent to two Tucson TV stations and TMZ. The second was sent to only one Tucson station.

Sources believe the writer's familiarity with those local outlets suggests Tucson could be home base.

The kidnapper also promised to return Nancy to Tucson within 12 hours of receiving the six-million-dollar ransom, placing them within a 700-mile radius.

Two ransom deadlines have already passed, even after "TODAY" host Savannah Guthrie attempted to reach out and offered to pay.

The department confirmed the video was recovered from residual backend data.

TMZ's sources said the FBI was not holding the images before their release — investigators obtained them and made them public immediately.

The Investigation Expands Beyond the Footage

As we had previously reported, Nancy vanished from her Tucson home on February 1, 2026. For more than a week, authorities released few details publicly. Then day nine changed everything.

A Traffic Stop on Day Nine

On Tuesday, February 10, deputies detained a subject during a traffic stop south of Tucson.

In a statement posted on the Pima County Sheriff's Department X account, Sheriff Chris Nanos said, "Earlier today, Pima County Sheriff's Department deputies detained a subject during a traffic stop south of Tucson. The subject is currently being questioned in connection to [sic] the Nancy Guthrie investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available."

The stop took place in Rio Rico, about 60 miles south of Tucson near the US border with Mexico. Authorities also executed a search warrant at a home in Rio Rico, a spokesperson told CNN. But by Tuesday night, the narrative would shift again.

Police Act on a Tip in Rio Rico

The Rio Rico home that authorities searched belongs to a woman identified only as Josefina. She told news outlets that officers searched her home after receiving a tip related to Guthrie’s disappearance.

"They had somebody give a tip that the lady was in my house," she said. "I told them you can go in and search my house; there is nobody there. I have nothing to hide."

Josefina said authorities were investigating her son-in-law in connection with the case. She added, "He had nothing to do with [the case]."

She had returned home from Tucson to find her door broken down and officers inside.

"I'm sorry what's happened to (the Guthries)," she said. "I don't know her, I don't know anything about their lives or what's going on, but I'm so sorry - whoever took her, I hope she [gets] back safe."

At that point, authorities had not publicly identified the detained subject.

Detained Man Says He's Innocent - So Why Was He at the House?

By Tuesday night, the detained man, who identified himself only as Carlos, was released. "They arrested me as soon as I got out of the car," he said.

He also addressed why investigators may have connected him to Guthrie’s home. "I told them, I work in Tucson for GLS, I might have delivered a package to her house, but I never kidnapped anybody."

He continued, "They [held] me from 4:00 p.m. till now." In another video shared on X, Carlos said he hopes authorities catch the real suspect so his name can be cleared.

The Footage That Wasn't Supposed to Survive

While the detention and release drew attention, investigators revealed a potentially more consequential development.

Earlier on Tuesday, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department released images and video from a Google Nest camera mounted outside Guthrie's front door. The footage was first detailed by Page Six.

The video shows a masked, armed individual carrying a backpack and approaching the home. The person appears to tamper with the camera before disconnecting and taking it. Yet investigators still obtained the footage.

Nancy did not subscribe to Google's $10-a-month storage plan, according to the New York Post, and the physical camera was also missing.

Former prosecutor John W. Day said, "It gives us some insight to what Google is capable of."

He added, "You can only imagine how difficult that was if it took 10 days to get there." Day called it "a miraculous turn of events because this could be the thing that leads to a break in the case."

Investigators have not detailed what prompted Google to help retrieve the footage. But the release of the images suggests cooperation led to new leads.

Did the Suspect Make a Critical Mistake?

Private investigator Andy Kay told Page Six that the suspect may have made a costly error.

"The cameras will record to the servers as long as they have internet. According to Nest, without a subscription, usually they are quickly overwritten by next images. But if the camera is disconnected, there should be nothing to overwrite on the server," he explained.

In simple terms, disconnecting the device may have preserved the final images instead of erasing them. Kay referred to the suspected kidnapper as a "rookie," noting that the weapon appeared to be holstered incorrectly.

The footage also shows the masked individual grabbing foliage from the ground in an apparent attempt to cover the lens.

Rookie - Or Experienced?

Still, former FBI senior profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole saw something different when analyzing the video.

"He doesn't seem to manifest really strong signs of being nervous... He's not racing around nor does he appear jittery. That's impressive to me," she noted.

O'Toole added, "You can only get that calmness from two things: your personality and your experience being in situations like this before." She also pointed to adaptability.

"Take a look at the gloves the person was wearing. They were so thick it was difficult for him to even move his hands... He was able to come up with something that allowed him to at least probably smudge the front of that lens," she said.

Entering Day 10

In nine days, the case moved from silence to a detention, a release, a house search, and footage recovered despite missing equipment and no subscription plan.

Now, as day ten unfolds, one major question lingers: if the man detained was released and the suspect on camera made a mistake that preserved evidence, what will the next break reveal?

Authorities say additional information will be released as it becomes available.