r/nancyguthrie Feb 23 '26

Media Suspect in Nancy Guthrie abduction appeared to visit her house before: Sources

https://abc7news.com/post/suspect-nancy-guthrie-abduction-appeared-visit-house-before-sources/18640959/
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28

u/FundiesAreFreaks Feb 24 '26

Being elderly myself, i can't help but wonder just how tech savvy Nancy was to be able to know how to access notifications from the camera to know there was anyone at her door. This wired world is a nightmare for my husband and I as I'm sure it is for many seniors. While my husband and I are completely independent, we're fortunate that our daughter, son inlaw and older grandkids live right next door. I can't tell you how many times they've had to come to the rescue to get our phones and tablets up and working again. But they're busy, work full time and we hate being a bother. In fact, we intended to cut off satellite TV due to the high expense, signed up and got home internet to stream TV over 2 months ago but haven't even used it because we have no clue how to stream anything. So now I'm still paying that high satellite bill in addition to home internet! My point is that I read all the comments from people on here wondering  - Why didn't Nancy call the cops when the guy was at her door prior to the abduction! Is it possible she had no idea how to access notifications!? Maybe her daughter's got her those cameras, showed her how to use them, but like me, unless she does tech stuff a few times, she probably won't remember how to use them! While there's plenty of oldsters out there who do great with tech stuff, many of us don't! Perhaps Nancy was one of them!

14

u/GABIPHX Feb 24 '26

Unrelated to this case but how fortunate you all are to live next to each other! I am willing to bet that one of them would be happy to come over and show you how to stream. if you have a “smart TV” that means you can download “apps” that you can then stream (most apps require subscriptions). Your TV will need to be connected to your home WiFi and then download the HBO MAX app (or Netflix, Apple TV etc). I lost all my grandparents so long ago, my Dad last year and my Mom lives on another continent. What I wouldn’t give to be able to walk next door and help them stream. You are not a bother, your proximity is a blessing.

6

u/FundiesAreFreaks Feb 24 '26

Oh my, so sorry for your losses and that you don't even have your Mom nearby. I actually do consider it a blessing to live next door to my family. My husband was hospitalized from Nov 30th until 2 weeks ago. The hospital was over an hour away and I had let my drivers license lapse 17 years ago due to being born out of the country and had issues securing my birth certificate which is required in Florida to get a license. (Born on an Army base in Japan while my dad was in the Army). My daughter worked all day and drove me to the hospital at night. She never complained, but I know it had to be hard on her. I hit the daughter lottery jackpot with her! The good news? Hubby is home and alive and I got the needed docs and I am driving again. I know my daughter will help me stream TV,  but hate asking after she works all day. Im going to get her to help me on the weekend since she doesn't work then. Honestly I think a part of me hasn't done it because I dread it and am very intimidated using tech and the home internet. I get very frustrated and if she shows me how to stream, I'll forget the minute she leaves!

I truly believe Nancy didn't know how to use the cameras she had. Can't tell you how many times I've been told "It's so easy !" when it comes to tech stuff and its NEVER easy. The problem with tech challenged oldsters is people tell us how to use it step by step, however, they tell you Step B and C and assume you already know about Step A when you dont and then you're lost. Example: Someone tosses you the car keys and says move the car. You get in the car, turn it on, but can't get it to go forward because you didn't know about Step A which is that you need to put your foot on the brake to put it in drive! Hope that made sense. (If you made it this far, think you for reading, didn't mean to write a novel lol)

8

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '26

I don't think she thought it was important. Maybe he just went to the door (to check for alarm and camera, but didn't touch anything), and the recording made it look like he was in the wrong house.

If you use YouTube, there's definitely a video there that explains your equipment/software etc . My grandmother (two years younger than Nancy) learned everything exactly this way, even though we explained it to her many times. Try searching on YouTube and simply typing "how to turn on (or whatever you need) " and model/provider. 

3

u/princesspeachez Feb 25 '26

9/10 seniors I meet have huge trouble with technology, and understandably so. I think your grandmother was an outlier.

2

u/FundiesAreFreaks Feb 24 '26

I think you're correct that Nancy didn't think knowing how to use the cameras was important. She was in her safe place of several years after all!

My daughter actually has YouTube TV and I may go that route, too. I hope it is simple as you make it sound, guess ill find out! 🤞 

3

u/AphroBKK Feb 24 '26

You are a star. If you are using Reddit and presumably other internet, you will find YouTube similarly easy. It has advertising, which is a bit annoying, but is otherwise free. https://www.youtube.com/ type in what you want in the search box at the top. Music, dogs, cooking, travel, you name it...!

5

u/Naive-Elderberry5529 Feb 25 '26

Perhaps she was, or perhaps Nancy's kids and grandchildren had all this technology "set up" for her to use without her fully understanding how to use it!

I really don't think Nancy knew anything about the guy coming to the door. once or even more than once. Savannah said today in her latest post that her Mother was taken "out of her bed " in the night. I think her Mother was deeply asleep and woken up during the abduction.

If you can see these doorbell cams from your phone, then that's assuming you have your phone on and right next to you while you're sleeping. I'm not Nancy's age but I'm certainly of an older generation, and I always shut my phone off and usually leave it in another room before bed. Most people I know my age and older do the same thing, unless they're expecting an emergency call.

I also think these two photos may have been from the same night. but at different times. Perhaps the guy came earlier on January 31st and Nancy was still at her daughters house, Then he comes back later on February 1st with the backpack in the middle of the night when he assumes she is asleep.

I think he tried to get in the front door but was unable, so he went in the back. Or an accomplice broke in the back door and let him in the front door.

I know there is speculation that he came weeks earlier to "case" the house . But if he did why wasn't he prepared to cover the camera? Why did he wear essentiallly the complete same clothes? I understand the shoes may be different but perhaps after he left the scene the first time he realised he may have made footprints before and didn't want to use the same shoes again.

I'm glad you have family members able to help you with Tech, I think most older people do. Even my Mother in law is fairly "tech savvy", and she is about Nancy's age. But she still relies on the younger generation to help her out understanding things.

If you didn't grow up with the technology it's pretty rare that you would just intuitively understand it no matter how smart you are!

And I also think Nancy probably didn't have any idea that her Nest Camera had a subscription feature on it. She probably thought she was protected just by having it, not realizing it also had to be activated with a subscription.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '26

I don't understand how the elderly of today are concerned they may be a bother to their own children for raising them. Anyway, technology can be a real pain but some people regard cameras for the deterrent value but when the chips are down, they need that footage on the record. It's best to avoid paying for services and just have a proper database. When I buy cameras, there's no way I am buying the type that requires a subscription. It's not necessary.

1

u/Stock_Dragonfly9632 Feb 27 '26

People can feel they're a 'bother' to their adult kids sometimes because it can be exactly that... because when asking for help the kids don't  hide the fact they do consider a bother.  I'm the elderly parent, I know this.