Authorities in Arizona confirmed that investigators are reviewing a statement provided by a longtime gardener employed at the Guthrie property. According to law enforcement sources, the witness came forward voluntarily after recognizing certain details in surveillance stills released internally during the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
In a recorded interview, the gardener reportedly claimed he had seen an unfamiliar man inside the mansion weeks before Nancy vanished. The individual, he said, was partially concealed in a dim hallway near a service corridor and appeared startled when noticed. The witness described the man as thin, wearing dark clothing, and moving quickly toward an interior access panel. Investigators have not publicly confirmed the accuracy of this account but acknowledge that the statement is being taken seriously.
Detectives are now examining architectural plans of the residence to determine whether concealed crawl spaces, ventilation shafts, or maintenance cavities could physically allow someone to remain hidden for an extended period. Large estates built decades ago sometimes contain service passages or unfinished voids between structural walls. Forensic teams have begun thermal imaging scans and structural inspections to rule out the possibility of unauthorized habitation.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that no confirmed evidence has yet established that anyone lived inside the walls. However, they acknowledged discovering minor anomalies during prior searches, including displaced insulation and small amounts of food packaging in an upper crawl space. These findings are currently under forensic review to determine age and origin.
Investigators are also analyzing whether any unexplained noises, electrical fluctuations, or missing household items were previously reported by staff or family members. Detectives are reconstructing maintenance logs and security system alerts from the past three months to identify irregularities.
Authorities caution against drawing definitive conclusions from a single witness account. They stress that statements must be corroborated by physical evidence, surveillance data, and forensic results before being formally integrated into the investigative narrative.
At this stage, officials describe the gardener’s testimony as a developing lead rather than a confirmed fact. The investigation remains active as structural experts and forensic teams continue examining the property to determine whether unauthorized access or concealment within the mansion could have occurred.
