As a attainable deadline was set for Monday for Nancy Guthrie’s household — together with her daughter, “Right now” host Savannah Guthrie — to pay a ransom to get her again, specialists stated regulation enforcement seems to nonetheless be attempting to find out if the true kidnappers are behind the calls for.
In two unverified notes despatched to media retailers, the one that claims to have kidnapped the 84-year-old Guthrie from her Arizona dwelling set a 5 p.m. PT deadline for the household to pay a ransom in bitcoin.
U.S. journalist and tv host Savannah Guthrie, accompanied by her siblings Annie and Camron, speaks in a video message, addressing that they’re prepared to pay for the discharge of their aged mom, Nancy Guthrie, who went lacking from her Arizona dwelling a number of days in the past, on this display screen seize obtained from social media video taken at an unspecified location and launched February 7, 2026. Savannah Guthrie by way of Instagram/by way of REUTERS
Savannah Guthrie Through Instagram/by way of Reuters
Regulation enforcement officers have stated they’re taking the notes significantly, however haven’t confirmed their authenticity.
“There hasn’t been lots of proof. You will have an abductor speaking, however we’re not even certain of that but as a result of there was no proof of life on both emails or textual content, no matter they acquired,” stated retired FBI particular agent Wealthy Frankel, a former hostage negotiator for the bureau.
Over the weekend, Savannah Guthrie and her brother and sister launched their third video to the attainable abductor since their mom disappeared from her Tucson space dwelling someday between the evening of Jan. 31 and the early morning hours of Feb. 1.
“We obtained your message and we perceive,” Savannah Guthrie stated in a video on Instagram on Saturday. “We beg you now to return our mom to us so we are able to have fun along with her. That is the one approach we could have peace. That is very helpful to us, and we can pay.”
On this picture supplied by NBCUniversal, Savannah Guthrie, proper, her mother Nancy communicate, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in New York.
Nathan Congleton/AP
On Monday, Savannah Guthrie made a direct enchantment for the general public’s help in fixing the case, saying in an Instagram post, “We’re at an hour of desperation, and we want your assist.”
“We imagine our mother remains to be on the market,” she stated. “We’d like your assist. Regulation enforcement is working tirelessly, across the clock, attempting to carry her dwelling.”
Nonetheless extra questions than solutions
Pima County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Investigators had been seen again at Nancy Guthrie’s dwelling over the weekend, apparently checking a rooftop digital camera and a septic tank on the property.
Investigators had been additionally noticed taking gadgets from the house of Guthrie’s daughter, Annie, the place Nancy Guthrie had dinner within the hours earlier than she vanished.
Among the many proof, investigators have confirmed are blood drops on the entrance porch matching Nancy Guthrie’s DNA, a propped-open door and a doorbell digital camera that had been disconnected.
“It does appear to be to us, she was taken from that home towards her will in the midst of the evening,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos instructed ABC Information final week.
Investigators stated Nancy Guthrie’s cellphone and her Apple Watch, which was disconnected from her pacemaker, had been left behind at her dwelling alongside along with her coronary heart medicine, Nanos stated she must survive.
Lit candles subsequent to an indication from neighbors supporting the Guthrie household outdoors of Nancy Guthrie’s home, Feb. 8, 2026 in Tucson, Ariz.
Ty Oneil/AP
“They’re nonetheless figuring out stuff on the home. I imply, the home ought to have been fully gone via by an proof response workforce,” Frankel stated. “You’d suppose that stuff would have been carried out throughout the authentic search.”
Frankel stated some potential proof might have been misplaced on account of digital communications and safety cameras getting overwritten after a sure period of time.
Frankel stated hostage negotiators are possible advising the Guthries to not pay the ransom with out proof that Nancy Guthrie remains to be alive or current proof that the one that despatched the ransom word is actual.
The house of Nancy Guthrie is seen, Feb. 5, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz.
Caitlin O’Hara/AP
“At this level, it might be one thing the place you’d say we want an image, we want a video, we have to hear her voice proper now,” Frankel stated. “However the different downside with that now, due to AI and every thing, that might be auto-generated, however a minimum of the FBI and different businesses may examine to see if that’s actual or not.”
Frankel stated Monday stays a “huge day” within the investigation.
“You are hoping that in the present day there may be some motion in that the hostage taker responds again and says, ‘You did not do that, so we will do one thing’ or, ‘You did not do that, so we will offer you one other hour,'” Frankel stated. “Then, hopefully, the Guthrie household can then go on air and say, ‘OK, we all know that you just reached out to us once more, however we nonetheless want one thing extra.'”
He stated investigators will possible do no matter they will to stretch out the ransom deadline.
“What they may do is they may hold attempting to speak or examine till that point and thru that point, as a result of you don’t need that to be the deadline,” Frankel stated.
Frankel added, “It is actually to not prolong the deadline, it is to make use of the deadline as your dialog device so you’ll be able to hold speaking to them and know that, ‘Hey, pay attention, yeah, there is a deadline, however do not do what you stated. We’re nonetheless engaged on it. We’d like you to speak with us in order that we are able to get to a profitable decision the place nobody is injured.'”
There’s been no give and take with the attainable abductor
Retired FBI agent Brad Garrett stated historically, hostage takers give calls for after which reply to the folks the communication is made to.
“There is a give and take. This isn’t even designed or set as much as give and absorb both course, both from the unhealthy guys or the Guthrie household,” Garrett stated on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
“In consequence, that is form of a one-way avenue in a approach, of the unhealthy guys principally saying, ‘It’s essential do X, and it is advisable do Y,'” Garrett stated.
This picture supplied by the FBI Feb. 5, 2026, exhibits a lacking individual Nancy Guthrie.
FBI
Garrett stated on Monday that he suspects that investigators resumed their search of Nancy Guthrie’s dwelling over the weekend in an try and corroborate what was within the messages from the attainable kidnapper.
“Did they point out particular gadgets that had been moved, and their location? The place the blood is, issues that might corroborate that a minimum of you’re feeling snug that the unhealthy guys had been truly on this home,” Garrett stated. “In order that’s one side. The opposite might be a forensic one, that they’ve provide you with as an instance DNA of a attainable individual and going again and trying to find that.”
Investigators confirmed that additionally they obtained surveillance video of what they described as a suspicious automobile parked at a fuel station close to Nancy Guthrie’s dwelling throughout a 45-minute window by which investigators suspect she was taken.
Garrett stated the possibilities are slim that such a clue may result in a break within the case.
“I might say primarily based on expertise that the overwhelming majority of these sorts of leads do not go anyplace,” Garrett stated. “However having stated that, all you want is one.”
