NPR host compares masked Guthrie suspect to 'federal immigration agent'

NPR "Morning Edition" co-host Steve Inskeep said during an episode of the podcast on Wednesday that the suspect on video at Nancy Guthrie's house was wearing clothing similar to that of a federal immigration agent.

The FBI released previously inaccessible doorbell camera images and videos on Tuesday. The footage shows a masked individual wearing gloves and a backpack tampering with the front door camera at Guthrie's Tucson, Arizona, home around the time she vanished on Feb. 1.

"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 while speaking to Mary O'Toole, a former FBI agent and profiler, about the footage. "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."

A man was detained in connection with Guthrie's disappearance early Wednesday but was released later without charges. 

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Carlos Palazuelos told Fox News that he was the person detained for questioning during a traffic stop but said he had nothing to do with the case. He said he makes deliveries in the Tucson area and that investigators asked him about his recent whereabouts. He said authorities showed his in-laws a picture of someone wearing a mask and "they supposedly looked like my eyes."

Inskeep asked O'Toole for her perspective on the video released by the FBI as well.

"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."

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O'Toole said that made her question why he chose to dress like that and speculated it could indicate he had done something similar before.

"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.

O'Toole said the man in the video had heavy-duty gloves on, and the gloves went into the jacket. She also said the man's face was covered and he appeared "illuminated" in some way

"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."

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The FBI announced Wednesday that numerous agents are conducting an "extensive search along multiple roadways in the Catalina Foothills area" of Tucson related to the Nancy Guthrie 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.

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"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.

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