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$66,000. CHRIS JACOBS WLWT NEWS FIVE. ALL RIGHT, CHRIS, THANK YOU. MEANWHILE, THE UNEXPECTED RELEASE OF PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF THE PERSON WHO MAY HAVE TAKEN NANCY GUTHRIE IS KEEPING DOORBELL CAMERAS IN THE SPOTLIGHT TONIGHT. AND WLWT NEWS FIVE’S TODD TODD — SPOKE WITH TWO RETIRED FEDERAL AGENTS TODAY ABOUT THIS INVESTIGATION IN ARIZONA AND WHAT IT’S LIKE TO TURN OVER EVERY INVESTIGATIVE STONE. TODD. YEAH, MIKE. AND THAT CLEARLY IS WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW. AT LEAST THAT’S THE EFFORT. WHAT’S FELT LIKE A CASE OF ONE STEP FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK, AND THEN ONE STEP SIDEWAYS IS BEING FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY EXPERTS WHO MADE A CAREER OF SEARCHING FOR NEEDLES IN HAYSTACKS. THE SEARCH FOR NANCY GUTHRIE IS SENDING INVESTIGATORS IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS, NEARLY 2000 MILES FROM CINCINNATI. IT’S CLEAR THAT A PART OF TIM REAGAN IS RIGHT THERE WITH THEM MOVING QUICKLY BUT MOVING QUICKLY SMARTLY IS KEY. REAGAN RECENTLY RETIRED FROM THE DEA AFTER LEADING THE AGENCY’S OFFICE IN CINCINNATI. HE NOW WORKS FOR CHAINALYSIS, A COMPANY THAT HELPS THE GOVERNMENT BATTLE CRYPTO CRIMINALS. WHILE MANY PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED BY THE CLARITY OF THESE IMAGES CAPTURED BY THE 84 YEAR OLD GUTHRIE’S DOORBELL CAMERA, REAGAN WAS NOT. COMPANIES GENERALLY WANT TO HELP, RIGHT? THEY WANT TO BE COVERED AND PROTECTED, BUT THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND LOSS OF LIFE, RISK OF LIFE. AND IN KIDNAPINGS, THEY’RE WILLING TO HELP. IT’S A REALLY REMARKABLE ENGINEERING FEAT IN THE CYBER WORLD. RETIRED FBI AGENT JASON PACK, WHO ONCE WORKED IN KENTUCKY, EXPLAINED HOW A SENSE OF URGENCY HELPED RECOVER THESE IMAGES FROM THE KIND OF CAMERA FOUND ON FRONT PORCHES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT’S TEMPORARY. IT’S USED AND RERECORDED OVER. THEY WERE ABLE TO RACE AGAINST THEIR OWN INTERNAL CLOCK AND RECOVER THAT BEFORE IT WAS WRITTEN OVER, AND MAYBE HAVE THE EVIDENCE LOST FOREVER. I ASKED PACK ABOUT THE GROWING ACCEPTANCE OF DOORBELL CAMERAS AND WHETHER HE THINKS PEOPLE KNOW HOW LONG THE VIDEOS THEY CAPTURE ACTUALLY LAST. YOU CAN GET, YOU KNOW, JUST CAMERAS, OR YOU CAN GET MONITORED SYSTEMS. VERY FEW OF US READ THE FINE PRINT, AND IT’S IMPORTANT IN CASES LIKE THIS. BUT YOU GOT TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS FOR YOURSELF. A LOT OF PEOPLE SUBSTITUTE CONVENIENCE FOR PRIVACY. THOSE TYPES OF THINGS REALLY, IT’S AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION. NOW, FOR PEOPLE WHO USE AN OUTDOOR CAMERA AT HOME, IT CAN BE USEFUL TO KNOW IF THE VIDEO IT RECORDS IS STORED ON THE DEVICE OR UP IN THE CLOUD, WHICH WOULD LIKELY REQUIRE A SUBSCRIPTION. THE RETIRED DEA EXPERT I TALKED TO SAID CLOUD STORAGE HAS BEEN A REAL GAME CHANGER F
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The investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has highlighted the role of doorbell cameras, as images and videos captured by her device at her home in Tucson, Arizona, have become central to the case. Tim Reagan, director of investigations for Chainalysis Government Solutions, emphasized the importance of moving quickly and smartly in such investigations. Reagan, who retired in 2023 from the DEA after leading the agency’s Cincinnati office, noted that companies are generally willing to help in cases involving loss of life and kidnappings. “Companies generally want to help, right. They want to be covered and protected, but they also understand loss of life, risk of life and kidnappings,” Reagan said. “They’re willing to help.”Retired FBI agent Jason Pack, now with Media Rep Global Strategies, described the recovery of the images as a remarkable engineering feat in the cyber world. Pack explained that the urgency in recovering the images was crucial because doorbell camera footage can be overwritten. “It’s temporary. It’s used and re-recorded over. They were able to race against their own internal clock and recover that before it was written over and maybe have the evidence lost forever,” Pack said.Pack also discussed the growing acceptance of doorbell cameras and the importance of understanding how long the videos they capture last. “You can get, you know, just cameras or you can get monitor systems,” Pack said. He added, “Very few of us read the fine print. And it’s important in cases like this. But you got to make those decisions for yourself. A lot of people substitute convenience for privacy, those types of things. Really, it’s an individual decision.”For those using outdoor cameras at home, it is useful to know whether the video is stored on the device or in the cloud, which may require a subscription. Reagan noted that cloud storage has been a game-changer for law enforcement officers.
The investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has highlighted the role of doorbell cameras, as images and videos captured by her device at her home in Tucson, Arizona, have become central to the case.
Tim Reagan, director of investigations for Chainalysis Government Solutions, emphasized the importance of moving quickly and smartly in such investigations. Reagan, who retired in 2023 from the DEA after leading the agency’s Cincinnati office, noted that companies are generally willing to help in cases involving loss of life and kidnappings.
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“Companies generally want to help, right. They want to be covered and protected, but they also understand loss of life, risk of life and kidnappings,” Reagan said. “They’re willing to help.”
Retired FBI agent Jason Pack, now with Media Rep Global Strategies, described the recovery of the images as a remarkable engineering feat in the cyber world. Pack explained that the urgency in recovering the images was crucial because doorbell camera footage can be overwritten. “It’s temporary. It’s used and re-recorded over. They were able to race against their own internal clock and recover that before it was written over and maybe have the evidence lost forever,” Pack said.
Pack also discussed the growing acceptance of doorbell cameras and the importance of understanding how long the videos they capture last. “You can get, you know, just cameras or you can get monitor systems,” Pack said. He added, “Very few of us read the fine print. And it’s important in cases like this. But you got to make those decisions for yourself. A lot of people substitute convenience for privacy, those types of things. Really, it’s an individual decision.”
For those using outdoor cameras at home, it is useful to know whether the video is stored on the device or in the cloud, which may require a subscription. Reagan noted that cloud storage has been a game-changer for law enforcement officers.
