Nitro News Hype
Authorities investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance say they’re taking ransom note seriously
Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Investigators believe the missing mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie is “still out there,” but they have not identified any suspects, officials in Arizona said Thursday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos also said DNA tests on blood found on Nancy Guthrie’s porch came back as a match to her. Authorities think the 84-year-old was taken from her home in Tucson against her will over the weekend.
“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said at a news conference five days after she was reported missing. The sheriff, however, acknowledged that authorities have no proof she is still alive.
The FBI later said it was offering a $50,000 US reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
On Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released an emotional video message to her mother’s presumed kidnapper, but there has been no public sign of a response.
Today show host Savannah Guthrie posted a video to her Instagram page on Wednesday appealing to anyone who may be holding her 84-year-old mother against her will. Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home over the weekend.
Guthrie said her family is ready to talk but wants proof her mom is still alive. In the video posted on social media Wednesday, she acknowledged hearing media reports about a ransom letter sent to multiple news outlets.
“We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” Guthrie said while reading from a prepared statement.
“We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”
Purported ransom note’s deadline passes
FBI special agent Heith Janke said the purported ransom letter sent to various media outlets this week was being treated seriously, but he said there had been no further communication from anyone claiming to hold Guthrie.
“In a normal kidnapping case, there would be contact by now,” Janke said.
The letter, whose authenticity had yet to be conclusively determined, set a 5 p.m. Thursday deadline for payment of a ransom, with a second deadline for next Monday, Janke added, declining to give further details.
Authorities provided no further updates as the initial deadline lapsed.
They said any decision on ransom demands is ultimately up to the family.
Search continues
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night when she was dropped off at her Tucson home by family after having dinner with them, the sheriff’s department said. She was reported missing about 14 hours later after she didn’t show up at church.
She has limited mobility and officials don’t believe she left on her own. A sheriff’s dispatcher said during the search Sunday that Nancy Guthrie has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.
The neighbourhood’s desert terrain can make looking for people difficult, said Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search-and-rescue team in Maricopa County that isn’t involved in the search. He said it can be hard to see into areas dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and desert brush.
“Some of it is so thick you can’t drive through it,” Mason said. His team was not involved in the search.
Andrew Chang explains why time is running out in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, who police believe was abducted from her home in Tucson, Ariz.
Images provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters and Getty Images
‘Mommy … you are a strong woman’
The family posted their video plea after police searched in and around Nancy Guthrie’s home for several hours Wednesday.
Investigators returned for the followup investigation after being at the home earlier in the week for a couple of days, said Kevin Adger, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. He said the department was not commenting on the family’s video message.
Savannah Guthrie was emotional during the recording, with her voice cracking. Flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.
“Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter,” she said.
Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, spunky and clever.
“Talk to her and you’ll see,” she said.
Annie Guthrie said: “Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you.”