Here's the latest
• Family’s plea: “Today” host Savannah Guthrie posted a video Monday, saying the family believes 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie is “still out there.” “We are at an hour of desperation,” she continued, “and we need your help.”
• Continuing investigation: The FBI says it has not identified a suspect or person of interest in the case, which is now in its second week. Additional FBI personnel from across the nation are deploying to Tucson, it said.
• Purported deadline: Guthrie’s possible abductors demanded $6 million by 5 p.m. today, CNN affiliate KGUN previously reported, citing a purported ransom note sent to the station. The note included a threat to Guthrie’s life if the deadline wasn’t met, according to KGUN.
Nancy Guthrie crime scene is “contaminated,” ex-NYPD detective says
The crime scene at Nancy Guthrie’s house is “contaminated,” because of how many people have visited the site, former New York police detective Michael Alcazar said Monday.
“News outlets have been at the crime scene, which has now contaminated the crime scene, which just makes it a little bit harder to process, because now you have more DNA and more fingerprints, more footprints in the crime scene,” Alcazar told CNN’s Erin Burnett.
Initial ransom note had a “direct, stark statement” on consequences of no payment, TMZ founder says
The initial ransom note sent to TMZ and two Tucson stations about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has “a direct, stark statement about consequences” if the potential kidnapper or kidnappers don’t get the money, TMZ founder and executive producer Harvey Levin told CNN’s Erin Burnett.
“That’s all I will say,” Levin said. “But it is chilling when you read that sentence. It is short and to the point.”
He also revealed a direct quote from the ransom note, which he says includes the line “it’s in everyone’s interest to have this completed as soon as possible.” The writer or writers of the note also bragged that they wouldn’t be able to figure out any potential sender, police wouldn’t be able to help and no further information would be shared, he added.
The letter also said Guthrie would be returned to the Tucson area within 12 hours of the ransom being paid, according to Levin.
FBI calls on public to help investigators find Nancy Guthrie
The FBI is asking the public to share any information that may help investigators find 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
“Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home,” the FBI Phoenix field office said in a statement Monday night.
Meanwhile, federal officials say personnel from FBI field offices nationwide will continue to travel to Tucson, Arizona, to assist in the search for Guthrie.
Nancy Guthrie case is “unusual” because it’s playing out in front of the media, ex-hostage negotiator says
The Nancy Guthrie case is “unusual” because the negotiations are being played out in the “full glare of the media,” former hostage negotiator Scott Walker said Monday.
Usually the alleged kidnappers would have gotten in contact with the authorities or family by now and “some kind of meaningful negotiation would be taking place,” Walker told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Those negotiations would also be happening “quite covertly,” he said.
“However, in this case, there is something slightly unusual about it, and I think in these circumstances, actually getting the media and the public support to try and help find Nancy is actually the right step to take it, and obviously it’s (a) really, really traumatic period for the whole Guthrie family,” Walker said.
“The most dangerous time in a negotiation is just when you think you’re winning, and really it’s only when, in this case, Nancy is back safely with her family will people be able to (breathe) a sigh of relief.”
No press briefings scheduled as investigation “remains active and ongoing,” sheriff’s department says
There are no press briefings scheduled or new information to share in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, but the case “remains active and ongoing,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
Today marks 9 days since Guthrie went missing.
“We understand the significant public interest in this case; however, investigators need time and space to do their work. If and when relevant information becomes available, it will be shared,” the release said, adding in a post on X officials have “not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected” to the case.
The sheriff’s department acknowledged law enforcement was present at the Guthrie homes over the weekend, and said this would continue tonight and tomorrow as officials expanded “the search and follow-up on new leads.”
“This is all part of the investigative process, as the search for Nancy expands and new leads come in,” the release said. “To preserve the integrity of this criminal investigation, details of that process are not being released at this time.”
It's 5 p.m. in Tucson. Here's where things stand
- The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie goes on, nine days after her disappearance from her home in Tucson, Arizona, where law enforcement is continuing its investigation. No suspects have been named.
- “Today” host Savannah Guthrie released a new video, saying, “We believe our mom is still out there.” She thanked the public for their prayers and asked for their help, saying, “We are at an hour of desperation.”
- Guthrie’s potential abductor or abductors demanded $6 million by 5 p.m. Monday, in purported ransom notes sent to CNN affiliate KGUN and other media outlets. The note included a threat to Guthrie’s life, KGUN reported.
- Law enforcement officials visited the homes of Nancy Guthrie and her daughter Annie over the weekend. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it is continuing the investigation in multiple locations.
Why would investigators search a septic tank near Nancy Guthrie's home?
The recent examination of a septic tank near Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home indicates investigators are leaving no stone unturned in the search for the 84-year-old, according to CNN’s chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller.
At least two investigators were seen examining the septic tank near Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home yesterday, according to video from CNN affiliate KNXV.
When asked about the probe, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department echoed earlier statements, saying, “Detectives and agents continue to conduct follow-up at multiple locations,” and details would not be released yet.
“While they are investigating this kidnap angle, where else could she be?” Miller said to CNN’s Jake Tapper, noting investigators are likely working their way through an exhaustive list.
“How is the sewage handled? Is there a septic tank? How is the garbage handled? Where does it go? Who picks it up? You start to go through all of those possibilities, and say, ‘Well, have we looked there yet? And if the answer is no, then you go and look there,” Miller said.
Investigators may not have a lot of substantial leads, according to Benjamin Jimenez, a former homicide investigator with the Tucson Police Department, who told CNN, “They are trying to tie up any loose ends, any areas that they haven’t checked.”
"Oftentimes it is the public that makes the lead," says former FBI agent
Bryanna Fox, a former FBI agent and professor of criminology at the University of South Florida, lauded Savannah Guthrie’s decision to ask for help from the public after the shocking disappearance of her mother over a week ago.
“Oftentimes it is the public that makes the lead that leads to the end of the case,” she told CNN’s Jake Tapper Monday.
She pointed to the Brown University shooting, in which a tipster who spotted the suspect and his vehicle helped crack the case open for investigators.
The arrest of suspects in the shootings of conservative media personality Charlie Kirk and UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson also relied on the broad dissemination of information to the public and tips, Fox said.
“I really think that this is what’s going to break this case open,” she said.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have posted 4 different videos. Here’s a breakdown
Over the past week, “Today” host Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have posted four videos on her Instagram begging for their mother Nancy Guthrie to be returned after she disappeared.
But each video has had subtle differences in tone and audience as they try to find her.
Here is a timeline of each video and their messages:
- February 4: Savannah, Camron and Annie Guthrie post a video with the trio sitting on a bench as Savannah reads a statement. This video focuses on humanizing their mother, describing her as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” — while also discussing her health issues and the importance of her getting proper medical treatment. The statement also addresses the rumors of a ransom note and its potential writer or writers, saying “we want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen.” Even though they address the potential ransom, the focus of this video is mostly sharing who their mother is, and trying to send her a message that they are looking for her and to stay strong.
- February 5: The next video appears on Thursday, featuring Camron Guthrie alone. This video directly addresses the potential kidnapper or kidnappers, saying the family hasn’t heard from them but needs evidence that they have Nancy Guthrie. “We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward,” he says.
- February 7: This video, featuring all three siblings holding hands, also appears to be a direct plea to the potential kidnapper or kidnappers. Savannah says in the short video that they’ve received “your message,” an apparent reference to a message sent to CNN affiliate KOLD Friday. In response, Savannah says “we beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her” as it is the only way they will know peace. For the first time, Savannah also says they will pay.
- February 9: Today, Savannah uploads a video only featuring herself that begs anyone that may know anything to help. It is the first video from the family that asks the public for help. “We believe our mom is still out there. We need your help,” she says, adding the family is “at an hour of desperation.”
What experts believe the latest video means for the apparent ransom demands
The fourth video posted to social media by the Guthrie family is a direct appeal to the public and could indicate a shift in the investigation as a second purported ransom deadline approaches, experts tell CNN.
“Today” host Savannah Guthrie posted a video Monday, saying the family believes Nancy Guthrie is “still out there.”
Guthrie’s possible abductors are demanding $6 million by 5 p.m. today, CNN affiliate KGUN previously reported, citing a purported ransom note sent to the station. The note included a threat to Guthrie’s life if the deadline is not met, according to KGUN.
Rallying the eyes and ears of people across the country is one objective of the video, according to CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, John Miller, regardless if the ransom demands are real or not.
“What she’s really saying is, ‘We need everybody in the game here,” Miller told CNN. “We don’t want everybody to stop looking.”
Meanwhile, the Guthrie family has likely not received a response to previous videos directly addressing possible captors amid purported ransom demands, according to CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Andrew McCabe.
“This message does not sound like the message that you would expect to hear from a family that is currently negotiating the return of their loved one,” McCabe told CNN.
Also a possibility: Investigators may now believe the ransom demands are not legitimate, according to Frank Figliuzzi, former assistant director of the FBI Counterintelligence Division.
"We are at an hour of desperation:" Savannah Guthrie says in new video
As the search for her mother stretches into a second week, “Today” host Savannah Guthrie has released a new video pleading for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s return.
She thanked the public for their “prayers and love” for her mother in a video released on Instagram Monday afternoon. “We believe that somehow, someway, she is feeling these prayers and that God is lifting her, even in this moment, in this darkest place.”
While Guthrie had addressed her mother and her possible captors in previous videos, in the newest video she addressed the public directly.
“We believe our mom is still out there,” Guthrie went on. “We need your help.”
She asked people to report anything “strange” to law enforcement, “no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson.”
The search for Nancy Guthrie enters its 9th day. Here's what we know so far
The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, has entered its ninth day. The Guthrie family posted a third video plea on Saturday, asking for their mother’s safe return and saying, “we will pay.”
If you’re just joining us, here’s a round-up this morning of some key developments:
The investigation: Law enforcement officials remain at Nancy Guthrie’s home as of Monday morning, after visiting both this property and her daughter Annie’s homes over the weekend. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it is continuing the investigation in multiple locations and will continue to guard the 84-year-old’s home at the request of her family.
The family’s plea: Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a third video message on Saturday, pleading for their mother’s return. “We beg you now to return our mother to us — so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace,” Guthrie said, adding: “We will pay.”
Ransom deadline: Guthrie’s possible abductor, or abductors, are believed to have sent purported ransom notes, threatening her life if a demand for $6 million is not met by 5 p.m. Monday, CNN affiliate KGUN reported.
Guthrie’s colleagues react: Former “Today” show co-host Hoda Kotb stepped in for Savannah Guthrie this morning. Kotb said Guthrie and her family were “our top priority.” This came after Guthrie released a statement about her mother’s disappearance on the show last week.
FBI director briefed: FBI director Kash Patel is expected to travel to Tucson, Arizona, in a trip unrelated to Guthrie’s disappearance. Patel is receiving updates from his team on the case, the FBI Phoenix office said.
CNN’s Amber Sumpter, Catherine Nicholls, Chris Boyette, Toni Odejimi and Amanda Musa contributed to this reporting.
A septic tank near Nancy Guthrie's home was examined yesterday, video shows
As we previously reported, at least two investigators were seen examining the septic tank near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona yesterday, according to video from CNN affiliate KNXV.
The video shows the investigators moving around a long stick in the tank, at times repeatedly jabbing it and using a flashlight to peer inside. One investigator wore a sheriff’s vest and held a notebook.
When asked about the probe, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department echoed earlier statements, saying, “Detectives and agents continue to conduct follow-up at multiple locations,” and details would not be released yet.
The investigators replaced the tank’s two green lids as they finished.
Supporters leave flowers outside Nancy Guthrie’s home
Supporters left flowers outside Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tuscon, as the search for the 84-year-old enters its ninth day.
The flowers were placed near other tokens of support, including candles and religious symbols, surrounding a sign reading, “Dear Guthrie Family, Your neighbors stand with you.”
The evidence linked to Guthrie's disappearance
In the nine days since Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, authorities have released information about some of the potential evidence being looked at in their investigation.
Take a look at what we know about this evidence below:
- A surveillance camera at the 84-year-old’s house detected a “person on camera” at 2:12 a.m. on Sunday, February 1, but there was no video to show who — or what — exactly triggered the alert, officials said. Because of this, it is possible that the camera was not triggered by a person, but instead something else, like an animal, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday.
- Blood found on the front porch of Guthrie’s home belonged to her, Nanos also said last Thursday. Video taken by channels KTVK and KPHO showed what appeared to be blood on the property’s front door, as well as on the porch tiles.
- A front-door camera is missing from Guthrie’s home, 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 said.
- Guthrie had a pacemaker that was connected to her iPhone, according to a source briefed on the investigation. Nanos said Guthrie’s pacemaker app data shows it disconnected from her phone at 2:28 a.m. on Sunday, February 1.
- Two purported ransom notes have been sent to media outlets since Guthrie’s disappearance. The first demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin for Guthrie’s return, with two deadlines - the first being last Thursday and a second deadline of today, FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said.
CNN’s Elise Hammond, Rebekah Riess, Cindy Von Quednow, Andy Rose, Elizabeth Wolfe and Chris Boyette contributed to this reporting.
What Nancy Guthrie's children have said publicly about their mother's disappearance
As we’ve reported, the children of Nancy Guthrie released a video on Saturday pleading for the return of their mother, with Savannah Guthrie, host of the “Today” show, saying to the possible captor or captors: “We will pay.”
The video, which came days after the siblings posted a first video with an emotional plea, shows Savannah Guthrie again sandwiched between her older sister Annie Guthrie and older brother Camron Guthrie.
In the first video, which was posted Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie said they “need to know without a doubt that she’s alive and that you have her.” She also emphasized that her mother is in “constant pain” and needs her medication to survive.
A day later, Camron Guthrie issued another plea in a video posted on his sister’s Instagram account. That was posted at 5 p.m. local time Thursday, which was the first deadline given in a purported ransom note sent to media outlets.
“But first we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact,” he said.
"Today" hosts open up about covering Guthrie case: “We are asking for your grace"
More now from the hosts of the “Today” show, who this morning acknowledged the difficulties in covering the disappearance of the mother of show anchor Savannah Guthrie while balancing other top stories.
“So, folks, right now we are asking for your grace as we continue to do this,” co-host Craig Melvin said.
It’s been challenging covering the disappearance of the 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, those on the show agreed. But covering the story well is what Savannah Guthrie would want, co-host Al Roker said.
Guthrie has stepped away from the show to be with her family in Arizona’s Tucson area, where her mother lives, as the investigation into her mother’s disappearance stretches into a second week.
The show’s co-hosts have rallied behind Guthrie’s family, urging viewers to pray and to send any information to the tip line.
“I mean, paramount through all of this, Savannah and her family are our top priority. In addition to that, there is also a job to do,” former “Today” co-host Hoda Kotb said while filling in for Guthrie this morning.
"We are a family": Hoda Kotb returns to co-host NBC's "Today" show
Former “Today” show co-host Hoda Kotb has once again stepped in for Savannah Guthrie this morning, anchoring alongside Craig Melvin as authorities continue the search for Guthrie’s mother Nancy.
Kotb was one of the co-anchors of the show with Guthrie for seven years, according to the “Today” show. She returned to Studio 1A on Friday.
Some context: Guthrie’s co-host Craig Melvin and other stars of “Today” are friends with her outside of work, and Guthrie has been texting with them throughout the week.
The morning show helped alert the public to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance last Monday, when Savannah released a statement via the show urging anyone with information to contact the authorities in Tucson, Arizona.
"Every word... was carefully honed" with FBI help: former deputy director on Guthries' plea
Former FBI Deputy Director and CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Andrew McCabe said there is “no question” in his mind that the agency helped the children of Nancy Guthrie craft their latest statement calling for their mother’s return.
Those experts likely include hostage negotiators and other “very experienced agents” who “have dealt with many, many kidnapping and ransom situations,” he continued.
In the video, Savannah Guthrie said that her family “will pay” for her mother’s release.
CNN affiliate KGUN reported that the purported kidnapper, or kidnappers, have demanded $6 million and threatened Guthrie’s life if a 5 p.m deadline today isn’t met. Purported ransom notes had demanded millions in bitcoin for her return, according to previous CNN reports.
The FBI “will provide their best advice and consultation” regarding how to respond to those notes, McCabe said
At the same time, the bureau will acknowledge “that the ultimate decision of what to do — whether or not to pay the ransom — that is exclusively the family’s prerogative and they’ll support them any way they can,” he said.
Sheriff's deputy present at Nancy Guthrie's home
It’s nearing 4 a.m. in Arizona’s Catalina Foothills where Nancy Guthrie’s home is, and a CNN producer has witnessed a sheriff’s deputy at the property.
A law enforcement vehicle with “sheriff” written on the side is parked near the property with static red and blue lights on, video taken from the scene shows.
We reported earlier that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department will continue to guard the 84-year-old’s home at the request of her family.
