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Savannah Guthrie ‘s family is “at an hour of desperation” in the search for her missing mother, the Today show co-host said in a video released Monday ahead of a looming ransom deadline apparently set by Nancy Guthrie’s abductors.
Savannah Guthrie didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family still believes their 84-year-old mom is out there and hearing everyone’s prayers.
“She was taken and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Guthrie said in the video posted on Instagram that urged people nationwide to be on the lookout. “No matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything,” she said.
“We are at an hour of desperation,” she said.
The mysterious disappearance and search has riveted the U.S. — from President Donald Trump who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week to the online sleuths who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumours.
Multiple news outlets have received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second was set for Monday evening.
Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.
Five days into the search for Nancy Guthrie — the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie — police who believe she was kidnapped from her Tucson home are faced with more questions than answers. Andrew Chang breaks down what we know about the timeline of Guthrie’s disappearance, potential ransom deadlines, and why time may be running out.
Images provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters, Getty Images and Adobe Stock
Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.
Investigators returned to Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona neighbourhood several times over the weekend, ahead of a Monday evening deadline set by her purported abductors who sent ransom notes demanding money for her return.
Savannah Guthrie said over the weekend that the family was prepared to pay for her mother’s return.
“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said in a video posted Saturday. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
NBC broadcaster Savannah Guthrie told the potential kidnappers of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on Saturday that the family is prepared to pay for her safe return.
No suspects, no persons of interest
Authorities say they believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there on Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church services. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her and her doorbell camera was disconnected in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.
Outside the home on Monday, neighbours strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff’s deputy remained stationed out front.
Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work at multiple locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday. “Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.
Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about six kilometres from Nancy Guthrie’s house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.
