Where things stand
• A concerning scene: Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said they believe Nancy Guthrie was “removed from the house against her will” and told investigators to call the homicide team when the disturbing scene was described to him.
• “No proof of life:” There has been “no proof of life” and no follow-up communication connected to the ransom letter linked to the disappearance of Guthrie, FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said. The ransom letter mentioned two deadlines, including a first deadline of 5 p.m. today and a second deadline for next Monday.
• Holding out hope: Nanos said he “absolutely” believes Guthrie is alive. There are no suspects linked to Guthrie’s disappearance, the sheriff’s department reiterated today.
• Leads coming in: The sheriff said investigators have gone through more than 100 tips as they follow leads in the case. Blood found on the porch of Guthrie’s home “came back to Nancy,” Nanos said, and a a front-door camera is missing.
What we know about Guthrie's camera detecting motion at around 2 a.m. Sunday
A security camera at Nancy Gutherie’s house detected a person in the middle of the night Sunday, but there was no video to show who — or what — exactly triggered the alert, officials said.
The camera software detected a “person on camera” at 2:12 a.m., Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
“There’s no video available. They had no subscription, and therefore it would rewrite itself, cut up. It just kind of loops, right, and covers up. That’s what our analysis teams have told us,” Nanos said at a news conference today.
With no way to see what happened, the sheriff said it’s also possible the camera was triggered by something else moving, like an animal.
Investigators sent what information they had to an external company, but they weren’t able to pull anything else from it, he later told CNN. But the sheriff said, “We’re not done with our efforts in that.” Officials are looking to see where else they can send the camera.
Officials have not confirmed what brand of camera Gutherie had at her house, but several of the most popular have subscription models.
In the case of Ring cameras, events triggered by motion are only recorded after the owner has an active subscription, according to its website. That recording is stored in the cloud for up to 180 days, the company says.
With a new Google Nest model, users can only view up to three hours of event video without a subscription, the website says. Older Nest cameras won’t get video clips without paying.
Guthrie had more than one camera around the property, officials said. The camera was previously in the “front door area” of the house is the only one that is known to be missing, Nanos said.
5 days into search, officials outline challenges in Nancy Guthrie investigation
Five days into the search for Nancy Guthrie, officials say investigators are confronting a range of challenges in locating the 84-year-old mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie.
The Tucson Sector Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue team joined the search on Thursday, a US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson confirmed to CNN. The agency is now working alongside the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the case jointly with the FBI.
Despite the wide-ranging resources devoted to the search, officials say difficult terrain, sparse evidence, no identified person of interest and uncertainties surrounding the ransom letter are hindering investigators’ progress in uncovering crucial details.
The area where Guthrie went missing is “a very suburban, rural area of the Tucson area, in a very mountainous side of town where vegetation is extremely thick,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CNN on Thursday, adding that the neighborhood is “not very well lit.” He said investigators are still canvassing neighborhoods and reviewing footage from street and intersection cameras, though the terrain has made surveillance challenging.
Other obstacles include limited evidence. Nanos said DNA results from what investigators considered “the best target” for suspect DNA were minimal, and the blood found on Guthrie’s porch “came back to Nancy.” Referring to crime scene and lab work, he added, “These things are done in an hour on ‘Law & Order.’ This is real world, and it just takes some time. We’re waiting for that one big break. I just hope it comes faster.”
Adding to the uncertainty, authorities say while a ransom letter has been sent to media outlets, there has been no proof of life or follow-up communication from the sender, leaving investigators and the family without clear leads. The ransom letter included two deadlines: the first at 5 p.m. Thursday and the second next Monday.
Investigators are trying to verify any potential proof of life given advances in AI that can make videos appear real, FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said during a news conference Thursday. An arrest has also been made in connection with what Janke called an “imposter ransom demand.”
The FBI has deployed crisis negotiators, including personnel brought in from Quantico, Janke said, declining to provide further details about their role.
White House says Trump watched latest news conference on Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump watched the latest news conference Thursday afternoon on Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
“The president and I were watching the press conference about the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother, which is just a heartbreaking situation,” Leavitt told reporters as she apologized for the late start to her briefing.
She reiterated the administration’s support for efforts to find the “TODAY” anchor’s missing mother.
“The president, as you all know, spoke directly with Savannah yesterday and told her that the federal government is here to help,” Leavitt said. “Any requests that are made by state and local officials in the search of Ms. Guthrie will absolutely be accommodated.”
“Keep hope alive” for missing Nancy Guthrie, father of kidnapping survivor says
Ed Smart, a child safety advocate and father of kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, spoke with CNN on Thursday about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
“It’s something that’s so surreal that you can’t imagine that it’s actually happening to you,” Smart said. “I had this feeling inside that Elizabeth was still out there … My message to (Savannah Guthrie and her family) would be to keep the faith and keep hope alive until there’s some other word out there.”
Smart also offered support for Guthrie’s family.
“Our hearts go out to Savannah and her family. It’s such an incredibly difficult time, but staying positive and moving forward in a meaningful way is really the most important thing that can be done,” he said.
Man charged with illegitimate ransom threat to Guthrie family, court documents show
A California man was charged with sending an illegitimate ransom threat to family members of Nancy Guthrie soon after they posted a plea for the return of their mother.
The complaint, which charges Derrick Callella with two counts related to the threat, did not name the Guthries but used initials when describing the interaction.
Shortly after the family posted the video on Instagram, Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law both received text messages asking if they had the bitcoin, as the texter was waiting for the transaction, the complaint said. A 9-second call was also made to an unidentified family member about three minutes after the two text messages were sent, the complaint said.
Authorities found the phone number was associated with a voice over internet protocol application that allows someone to use a different phone number, and were able to trace the number to an email and a IP address that were associated with the residence of Callella in California, the complaint said.
After given Miranda warnings by law enforcement, Callella admitted to sending the two texts after he found the family’s information on a “cyber website,” saying “he was trying to see if the family would respond,” the complaint said.
CNN is working to identify whether he has an attorney.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said during a news conference earlier that an arrest of an imposter making a ransom demand was made this morning, but there was “no evidence to connect this” to Guthrie. “It was someone that was trying to profit from it, a total imposter,” he said.
CNN has reached out to the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona for more information on whether this was the case referenced in today’s news conference.
Sheriff saw Guthrie family video for the first time on social media
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos did not know the Guthrie family was going to post an emotional plea for their mother to be returned on social media last night, he said.
In the video, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings tearfully asked for proof that their mother was alive.
Nanos told CNN his wife showed him the video for the first time after it was posted last night.
The Guthrie family is “devastated,” the sheriff said, adding he has “opened the door for them to contact me anytime.” Nanos said he has not met Savannah Guthrie in person, but they have texted each other.
“Anybody who watches that video, I don’t know how they can sit there and not say, ‘My goodness, we need to get this lady back,’” Nanos said.
Sheriff says he believes Nancy Guthrie is alive, urges patience
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CNN’s Ed Lavandera that he believes Nancy Guthrie is still alive.
“People are always asking, do I believe she’s alive? Absolutely, absolutely. There’s nothing to say she isn’t,” he said.
Nanos also highlighted the breadth of resources supporting the investigation. “We’ve got all kinds of resources out there. I never had to call the chief or the FBI or 10 other chiefs of police. They called me,” he said. “And that’s this community.”
However, he cautioned that the investigation is taking time. Referring to crime scene and lab analysis, he said, “These things are done in an hour on Law & Order. This is real world, and it just takes some time.”
“We’ve gotten some things back, but there’s nothing that you would say, ‘Aha, this is it,’” he added. “We’re waiting for that one big break. I just hope it comes faster.”
Uber driver interviewed by police was very cooperative and helpful, sheriff says
The Uber driver who took Nancy Guthrie from her house to her family’s home on Saturday night has been “very open” with investigators, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
The driver, who was interviewed by investigators, is not under suspicion and shared video from inside the car of Guthrie that night, Nanos said.
Police were able to verify that it was Guthrie in the video based on the clothes she was wearing and other details, Nanos said.
The driver told officials she took Guthrie to a house about 30 minutes away, which is where Guthrie’s daughter lives, according to the sheriff.
“They were there for dinner, and I think they played some card games and things before she came home,” Nanos said.
Others who were interviewed, including housekeeping staff and Guthrie’s family, have all been cooperative, Nanos said.
Front-door camera missing from Nancy Guthrie’s home, sheriff says
A front-door camera is missing from Nancy Guthrie’s home, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CNN.
The camera was previously in the “front door area” of the house, and investigators are not aware of any other cameras missing, Nanos told CNN’s Ed Lavandera.
It is unclear which of the cameras at the home detected a person, but investigators are “not giving up” trying to determine that detail.
Obtaining surveillance video in Nancy Guthrie case has been difficult because of terrain, sheriff says
Getting surveillance video in the Nancy Guthrie case has been difficult because of the nature of the terrain where she lives, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CNN’s Ed Lavandera on Thursday.
Nanos described it as “a very suburban, rural area of the Tucson area, in a very mountainous side of town where vegetation is extremely thick,” adding the area is “not very well lit.”
“We are still canvassing that neighborhood and other neighborhoods and still drawing down from cameras on our streets, at our intersections, with hopes that maybe we’ll find something,” Nanos said.
Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken from home against her will, sheriff says
Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was removed from her home against her will, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in an interview with CNN’s Ed Lavandera.
When asked whether there is reason to believe the disappearance involved violence, Nanos said he could not discuss details of the crime scene. He added that investigators are still awaiting test results of physical and biological evidence that could help clarify what happened.
“We’re waiting on a lot of physical evidence in that regard,” Nanos said, “anything that may help us there.”
More than 100 tips reviewed in Guthrie case, sheriff says
Law enforcement has reviewed “well over” 100 tips in the case of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said today.
In a case that has gained widespread public attention, the sheriff encouraged people to continue providing information.
“There’s no tip too small,” he said.
“Don’t dismiss something that you think is, ‘Eh, I don’t want to bother the police.’ Bother the police. We’re asking you to bother us,” Nanos said.
Sheriff says "something didn't sound right" in initial missing person reports
On Sunday afternoon, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he got a text about a missing elderly woman that put him on edge.
The details in the text message about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance prompted the sheriff to call in the homicide team, as well as search and rescue, he said. “Something didn’t sound right to me,” Nanos said.
The sheriff declined to give details about the exact contents of the text message but said it noted that the missing person was an 84-year-old woman with mobility issues.
“Usually, our homicide team, we never call them out, unless you have a body of some sort, but I thought this one, we needed them, and so we got them out,” the sheriff said.
What we learned from the news conference on Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
Authorities called a news conference this afternoon to update the media on the search for Nancy Guthrie and whoever may have taken her. Guthrie has been missing for five days, but investigators believe she “is still out there.”
If you’re joining us, here’s a roundup of what we learned at the news conference:
- Investigators have not identified any person of interest in the search for Nancy Guthrie, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
- There has been no proof of life and no follow-up communication connected to ransom letters sent to local and national media outlets, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke.
- The ransom letter included two deadlines: the first at 5 p.m. today and the second next Monday, Janke said. He also disclosed that an arrest has been made in connection with what he described as an “imposter ransom demand.”
- DNA results from what was considered “the best target” for suspect DNA were minimal, but the blood found on the porch of the home “came back to Nancy,” Nanos said.
- There is no indication of forced entry, Nanos said, rejecting reports to the contrary.
- Authorities presented a timeline of Guthrie’s disappearance showing that hours after she was dropped off at her home Saturday evening, her doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47 a.m. Sunday, officials said.
- There is no doorbell camera video available, but the camera software detected a “person on camera” at 2:12 a.m., and her pacemaker app lost connection to her phone at 2:28 a.m., Nanos said.
- The sheriff declined to discuss whether there was forced entry into the home.
- The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to her recovery, “and or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.”
CNN’s Rebekah Riess and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report
Uber driver who took Nancy Guthrie to family dinner was questioned during investigation, sheriff says
Investigators have questioned the Uber driver who took Nancy Guthrie to her daughter’s house for a family dinner the night before Guthrie’s disappearance, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday.
“We did speak to a driver, because Nancy, we learned, had been taken (in) the Uber to the family residence (of) the daughter, for dinner, and we located that driver and spoke with them and got that information,” Nanos said.
Nanos later told CNN they don’t suspect the Uber driver at all.
Guthrie was taken home by family members at 9:48 p.m. Saturday and has not been seen since, according to a timeline released by the sheriff’s department Thursday.
Technology will “really help” solve the case of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, sheriff says
As the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie continues, “it’s technology that’s going to really help us solve this case,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said today.
Sheriff does not rule out forced entry in Nancy Guthrie case
Investigators are not discussing whether there was forced entry in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday, pushing back on reports suggesting authorities had made a determination.
“I have no clue where that comes from,” Nanos said. “We have been very consistent — we are not discussing that at all, whether it’s forced entry or not forced entry.”
Ransom note included two deadlines, including one for 5 p.m. today, FBI says
The ransom letter linked to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie included two deadlines, including a first deadline of 5 p.m. today and a second deadline for next Monday, FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said.
No specifics were provided on what time zone the deadline was set for.
“In a normal kidnapping case, there would be contact by now, trying to discuss that,” Janke said.
FBI says no proof of life, no further contact tied to ransom letter
There has been no proof of life and no follow-up communication connected to the ransom letter linked to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said Thursday.
While authorities remain in contact with the family, he said there have been no additional demands beyond the initial letter and no confirmation that Guthrie is being held.
“There has been no proof of life,” Janke said. “They’re still waiting for communication.”
The FBI is not discussing specific details about whether a possible timeline was included in the ransom letter or if the family has received photos or videos of Guthrie, noting that advances in artificial intelligence make it increasingly difficult to rely on videos or similar material as proof of life.
Investigators are “trying to actually get a proof of life that we can verify,” he added. “The family wants to be contacted. They know time is of the essence.”
FBI investigating ransom letter sent to media; arrest made in separate imposter demand
The FBI is investigating a ransom letter sent to both local and national media outlets, FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said during a news conference Thursday.
“As with every lead, we are taking it seriously,” Janke said, adding that investigators are in contact with the family. While law enforcement can advise and make recommendations, he said, “any action taken on any ransom is ultimately decided by the family.”
Janke also disclosed that an arrest has been made in connection with what he described as an “imposter ransom demand.” A criminal complaint is expected to be presented to a judge later Thursday.
Additional details about the imposter ransom demand will be released by the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office in Arizona as they become available.
