Former FBI agent Scott Curtis explained why the new images of a potential subject in the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy Guthrie, could help expedite the case. "I don't think they were holding on to these [images] for any significant length of time because of the value of these," Curtis exclusively tells Us Weekly. "As we've seen in a lot of investigations over the last 10 to 15 years, getting a video or still photograph of a potential subject significantly accelerates the pace of the investigation." Curtis believes the FBI "didn't have" the photographs and video for "that long" before releasing them to the public on Tuesday, February 10. The images in question showed the armed potential subject in Nancy's entry way wearing a ski mask while seemingly trying to obstruct the security camera. At least one of the videos shows the masked person with a holstered gun While the individual in the photos has yet to be identified, Curtis tells Us that the images are "a gold mine for investigators." Savannah Guthrie's Husband Breaks Silence Over FBI Photos of Nancy Abductor "Here we're getting a video - a pretty clear video - of an individual," Curtis says. "Now we can go take that video and pursue other areas where this individual could have been, either before he showed up at the house or after he left the house." Curtis adds that the images could lead to "some tips" getting called into law enforcement, although each tip will be looked into to verify its authenticity. "They're gonna have to do a lot of background investigative work on the tips that they're receiving there to see if it matches what other things, other evidence that they have, which they haven't disclosed to the public at this point," Curtis explains of next steps in the case. "What I would think they would do is another canvas to see if anybody else's video camera systems that they have, either on residences or businesses, may have picked up this individual, either before or afterward." In the video, the possible subject can be seen attempting to cover the camera outside of Nancy's residence with a hand. When the person turned around, a backpack was visible as they walked back to the front entryway. In an additional clip, the person was seen placing the plant over the camera. According to Curtis, someone could potentially recognize the individual based on their stance. "When I knew of somebody I was investigating, if I then saw them subsequently on the surveillance, even if I was a couple 100 yards away, looking through binoculars in the dark, I could tell by just their posture or the way they walked and be able to identify them if I had previously known them," he shares. Nancy, 84, was reported missing by her family on February 1 after she did not attend her church's virtual service. She was last seen by her loved ones on January 31 when she attended a family dinner. (In addition to Savannah, 54, Nancy is also mother to daughter Annie and son Camron, whom she shared with late husband Charles Guthrie.) After news broke of Nancy's disappearance, law enforcement confirmed they did not have a person of interest in the case. When alleged ransom notes for Nancy were sent out to various media outlets days later, the FBI acknowledged that they were authenticating the messages' validity. A man by the name of Derrick Callella was later charged with intent to transmit a ransom demand and utilizing a telecommunications device to anonymously abuse, threaten or harass a person. On Saturday, February 7, Savannah, Camron and Annie appeared to directly address the alleged ransom demands in an emotional video shared via Instagram. Retired FBI Agent Shares His Theories on Nancy Guthrie's Kidnapping "We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her," Savannah said in the clip. "This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay." More than one week after Nancy was initially reported missing, the FBI publicly released images of a potential subject in the investigation. "New images in the search for Nancy Guthrie," FBI director Kash Patel wrote via X on Tuesday. "Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie's home that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors - including the removal of recording devices. The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems." Patel continued, "Working with our partners - as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance." Savannah, who has been absent from the Today Show and traveled to Arizona to be with her family amid the investigation, reshared