Retired NYPD Chief of Department John Chell told Newsmax on Friday that authorities will lean on digital data as they investigate the abduction of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother from her home near Tucson, Arizona.
Nancy Guthrie, who has a heart condition and mobility issues, was abducted from her home in the Catalina Foothills in the early hours of Feb. 1 while she slept, authorities say.
On "Bianca Across the Nation," Chell said that digital evidence can help investigators gain a better understanding of events when time is not on their side.
In addition to examining what happened at the time of the abduction, investigators will also scrutinize what took place before it occurred, Chell said.
"You also got to take into consideration the pre-event activity," he said.
"Who's checking 911 calls pre that night? Suspicious people."
He predicted authorities will move fast to identify devices that were using telecommunications networks near Nancy Guthrie's home.
"They're going to dump those cell towers to see what phones were active in that area in the time frame," Chell said.
That type of tower "dump," he added, helps investigators determine where the perpetrators were and when.
"They have a very tight window where the perpetrators were," Chell said.
From there, he said, the investigation broadens outward with video — obtained from doorbells, storefronts, and traffic systems — becoming part of the search.
"So, as you expand your video canvass, is there a red-light camera? Is there a 7-Eleven camera?" he asked, emphasizing that he's naming hypothetical cameras.
Chell stressed that authorities will keep "expanding out, expanding out," and building a wider digital map that merges cameras, witness tips, and technology.
That Guthrie's mother was taken from a remote area cuts both ways, he said.
"There's a disadvantage to being a very desolate area, but there's also an advantage because when you see something, you'll see it and you'll key on it," Chell said.
In other words, he suggested, fewer cars, fewer pedestrians, and fewer routine movements can make the unusual stand out — exactly what investigators need when they're trying to spot "something of value."
Chell warned that the urgency of finding a person who has been kidnapped alive must be balanced with a disciplined investigation.
"Time is of the essence," he said, but investigators must still be "very methodical [so] as to not miss anything."
He likened the approach to other high-profile cases where a broad video canvass helped identify a suspect through public awareness and technology.
"See something, say something, get the picture out," Chell said, describing how canvassing and tech can turn a fleeting sighting into a break in the case.
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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