Authorities have released surveillance images showing an individual tampering with a camera outside the Arizona home of an 84-year-old woman who has been missing for over a week. The woman is the mother of a prominent national news anchor.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation stated it has no information indicating the woman’s family has been in further contact with those suspected of her abduction. This statement came after a reported deadline for a ransom payment passed on Monday evening. Initial reports indicated a demand for a multi-million dollar sum in cryptocurrency.
The newly released photographs, described as having been recovered from residual digital data, depict a person wearing gloves, a mask, and a backpack at the front door of the missing woman’s residence in the Tucson area. A senior law enforcement official stated the images show an armed individual interfering with the camera system on the morning the woman vanished.
According to the investigation timeline, the doorbell camera at the home disconnected in the early hours of a Sunday morning, shortly before the software detected movement. The woman’s medical monitoring device lost connection with her phone approximately half an hour later. Police believe an abduction occurred during this window.
Family members reported the woman missing after she failed to arrive at a social gathering. A relative who lives nearby is believed to have been the last to see her, after dropping her off at home following dinner the previous evening. When authorities conducted a welfare check, they discovered blood outside the upscale property and noted the doorbell camera was damaged.
In addition to the photographic evidence, investigators are examining a vehicle seen at a convenience store near the woman’s community. The local sheriff’s department has confirmed it is pursuing new leads as the search continues.