Apple Watch and Pacemaker Data Provide Critical Forensic Timeline in Nancy Guthrie Abduction
Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy Guthrie [NBC News]
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Pima County investigators are using data from an Apple Watch to narrow down the time of the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. The elderly woman was taken from her Tucson home this past weekend, and authorities now say digital forensics are providing critical clues in the search, reports NBC News.
Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson home sometime between the evening of Saturday, February 1, and the early morning hours of Sunday, February 2. Authorities say the evidence no longer supports a voluntary disappearance and are treating the case as a suspected abduction.
Longtime NBC News journalist and co-anchor of the Today show, Savannah Guthrie has stepped away from her on-air duties as police continue to investigate the incident. Guthrie has asked the public for prayers and for any information they may know about the abduction.
Law-enforcement sources say Guthrie’s Apple Watch and iPhone stopped communicating with her implanted pacemaker at about 2 a.m. on February 2. Both devices were still inside her home when deputies later entered the home around midday Sunday.
Investigators say they believe that Guthrie got home around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 1. She then removed her Apple Watch sometime later that evening. The Apple Watch would have continued recording pacemaker data, even after its removal from Guthrie’s arm.
While authorities haven’t specified why the pacemaker data stopped syncing with the wearable, they do say that the data collected by the device has helps pin down the time that she disappeared, providing a critical forensic timestamp.
Police came to believe Mrs. Guthrie was abducted late Saturday to early Sunday, after investigators discovered blood and signs of forced entry, prompting them to treat it as a crime scene. Police are using surveillance data, forensic analysis, and digital evidence provided by the victim’s Apple Watch and other devices.
While the Apple Watch is commonly used for tracking heart rate and sleep, its ability to act as a hub to collect data from third-party medical devices like pacemakers are proving to be a useful tool for law enforcement, since the interruption of the Bluetooth sync between the device implanted in Guthrie and her Apple Watch and iPhone likely marks a precise moment the victim was separated from her Apple devices.
Investigators say the blood at the scene indicates Guthrie may have been injured during the abduction, although they did not speculate as to what type of injuries she may have received. It is common practice for police to keep certain details under wraps in this type of investigation.
Authorities are investigating messages that were sent to various news outlets, which they say appeared to be ransom demands. Some of the emails have claimed responsibility for Guthrie’s abduction and ask for a ransom to be paid. Many of the messages reportedly include details about the victim’s home and personal life.
Investigators are attempting to verify if the messages are authentic or simply cruel hoaxes, and if there are multiple parties working together.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says investigators are concentrating on figuring out where Guthrie may have been taken and the parties responsible, while also issuing a stern warning against “unverified accusations,” making it clear that no suspect or even person of interest has been identified yet.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Customs Border and Protection have joined homicide investigators and search-and-rescue personnel on the case.
Savannah Guthrie made a public appeal for ‘proof of life’ earlier this morning following the spate of unverified ransom demands. While expressing her gratitude to the public for their support, Ms. Guthrie is urging anyone with information about the case to reach out to the authorities. If you believe you might have information about the abduction, you are encouraged to call the Pima County Sheriff’s Department directly at 520-351-4900, or call to submit tips through 88-CRIME (520-882-7463).
