Investigators have no proof that the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie is still alive but are holding out hope she’s “still out there,” a sheriff in Arizona said Thursday.
Five days into the desperate search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
DNA tests showed blood found on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, the sheriff said. Authorities think she was taken against her will from her home in Tucson over the weekend.
“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said at a news conference. The sheriff, however, acknowledged that authorities have no evidence she’s OK.
Investigators gave a more detailed timeline from the hours after she was last seen Saturday night, and said they are taking seriously a ransom note sent to a handful of media outlets.
The note included a demand for money with a deadline set for Thursday evening and a second one for Monday if the first deadline wasn’t met, said Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix. The note also had details about a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch.
“To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,” Janke said.
Authorities say any decision on ransom demands ultimately is up to the family.
A day earlier, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a message to her mother’s kidnapper, saying they are ready to talk but want proof their mom is still alive. However, there’s been no response to their plea so far, Janke said.
New timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
Nancy Guthrie spent Saturday night eating dinner and playing games with family members before one of them dropped her off at her home in a well-to-do Tucson neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain, the sheriff said.
About four hours later, just before 2 a.m. Sunday, the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected, Nanos said. But Guthrie did not have an active subscription so the company was unable to recover any footage.
Software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, the sheriff said, acknowledging that the motion could have come from an animal.
Then at 2:28 a.m. the app on Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from her phone.
Search for Nancy Guthrie enters a fifth day
Guthrie was reported missing shortly before noon Sunday after she didn’t show up at a church.
While she is able to drive and her mind is sharp, the sheriff said she does have difficulty walking even short distances. She also requires daily medicine that’s vital to her health, he has said.
A sheriff’s dispatcher said during the search Sunday that Guthrie has high blood pressure and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.
Investigators searched in and around Nancy Guthrie’s home again for several hours Wednesday.
Authorities are bringing more resources and people into the investigation, and the FBI announced Thursday it was offering up to $50,000 for information. A day earlier, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.
Chilling ransom notes
At least three media organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after a ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.
One note e-mailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN.
“When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,” she said in an interview aired Wednesday.
The sheriff said investigators have believed from the beginning that Guthrie was targeted, but they don’t know whether that was because her daughter is one of television’s most visible anchors.
Savannah Guthrie has hosted “Today” — NBC’s flagship morning show — for more than a decade and had been set to co-anchor the network’s coverage of Friday’s opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics.
Savannah Guthrie’s emotional plea
Guthrie’s three children say they’re “ready to talk” to whoever sent the notes.
“We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us,” Savannah Guthrie said while fighting off tears.
With her voice cracking, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.
Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron.
“Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.
Billeaud reported from Phoenix and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Darlene Superville in Washington; and Julie Walker in New York contributed.
