US authorities searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, have turned to an unusual piece of technology in hopes of locating her – a ‘signal sniffer.’
Guthrie has been missing for nearly three weeks after disappearing from her home in Tucson, Arizona on February 1. Law enforcement officials, including the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, are treating the case as a potential kidnapping and have pursued multiple leads without any confirmed arrests, Reuters reported.
What is a signal sniffer?
The signal sniffer, mounted on a sheriff’s department helicopter, is being used to try to pick up electromagnetic signals emitted by Guthrie’s pacemaker, a medical device implanted in her chest to regulate her heartbeat. Investigators began using the technology after her pacemaker stopped syncing with her mobile devices at about the same time her home security camera was disconnected.
This type of device is relatively rare in routine missing-person investigations. It works by detecting electromagnetic signals within certain frequency ranges, which can be used to locate electronic devices that emit them. In this case, covertly tracking the pacemaker’s transmissions could help pinpoint Guthrie’s location if she is alive. The helicopter must fly low and slowly over the search area to give the signal sniffer the best chance of picking up any faint signals.
Former FBI special agent Maureen O’Connell said that while a pacemaker’s signal has only a short effective range and lacks GPS capability, the technique, if successful, could offer critical new information for investigators. She also emphasised that law enforcement is likely using several technologies in parallel to try to find Guthrie, NewsNation reported.
What’s the latest in the Nancy Guthrie disappearance case?
The search has already yielded a massive public response, with authorities receiving tens of thousands of tips and widely sharing doorbell camera footage showing a masked individual tampering with Guthrie’s security device just before her disappearance. DNA evidence found at the scene includes blood confirmed to belong to Guthrie as well as other unidentified samples, according to Reuters.
Despite intense efforts, including the recent federal search of a home in the Catalina Foothills that resulted in several detentions and later releases, authorities have not yet confirmed a suspect.