The search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. Television journalist Savannah Guthrie, has entered its seventh day, with the family making a direct appeal to potential kidnappers, offering to pay for her safe return. The plea, delivered in a video released Saturday , underscores the growing desperation as authorities continue to investigate her disappearance from her home near Tucson, Arizona.
“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 Guthrie said in the video, appearing alongside her siblings Annie and Camron. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
The message referenced in the video prompted the family’s public offer, and is the same one currently under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, according to a source familiar with the investigation. The FBI’s Phoenix office confirmed receiving the message on Friday , but has not released details of its contents.
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has been investigating multiple ransom notes, with initial deadlines passing on Thursday and again on Monday. Law enforcement officials have declined to confirm the credibility of the notes but have stated that all leads are being taken seriously.
During a press conference on Thursday, officials revealed that one ransom note referenced specific details about Nancy Guthrie’s property, including her Apple watch. The sheriff’s department has been working to verify the authenticity of the notes and identify potential suspects.
The search has been hampered by technical difficulties. Investigators discovered that the doorbell camera at Nancy Guthrie’s home had been disconnected early Sunday, the day after she was last seen by family. While the camera recorded movement shortly after being disabled, the family did not have an active subscription to the camera’s video storage service, meaning no images were captured.
“This proves concerning, it’s actually almost disappointing, because you’ve got your hopes up,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told the Associated Press. “OK, they got an image. ‘Well, we do, but we don’t.’”
Evidence collected at the scene has indicated potential foul play. DNA testing confirmed that blood found on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch matched her own, raising concerns about her well-being. Authorities have not yet determined the source of the blood or the circumstances surrounding its presence.
Adding to the urgency, authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health. She requires daily medication for a pacemaker and has a history of high blood pressure and heart issues, according to dispatch audio obtained from broadcastify.com. “Her conditions, I would imagine, are worsening day by day,” Sheriff Nanos said. “She requires medication. And I have no way of knowing whether they’re getting that medication to her.”
The case has garnered national attention, including a statement from President Donald Trump, who said on Friday while en route to Florida that the investigation was “going very well” and that federal authorities were assisting. “We have some clues that I think are very strong,” he said. “We have some things that may be coming out reasonably soon.”
Law enforcement has resumed searches in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood, restricting access to roads near Nancy Guthrie’s home to facilitate the investigation. The Catalina Foothills Association has informed residents of the renewed search efforts and requested their cooperation with authorities.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has stated it will not be holding further press briefings unless there is a significant development in the case. The FBI is leading the investigation into the ransom notes, while the sheriff’s department continues to focus on the search for Nancy Guthrie and the collection of evidence.
