It’s not yet clear how the FBI collected the video. Experts said in some cases it’s possible to collect data from the complex infrastructure that has enabled cloud-based cameras.

Shortly after Nancy Guthrie disappeared, Pima County, Arizona, Sheriff Chris Nanos said that a camera affixed to her door had been disconnected, that she did not have a subscription that would have saved video and that investigators were trying to work with a tech company on the difficult forensic task of recovering any video.

Against those odds, they were successful. More than a week after her reported disappearance, that video was revealed, marking the most significant public development in a case that has captured the nation.

An internet-connected Google Nest camera captured an unidentified person in a mask and gloves and carrying a backpack and a gun approaching Guthrie’s home just before she disappeared. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was able to collect the video from “backend systems.”