Savannah Guthrie pleads for mom’s return in new video: ‘We need to know without a doubt that she’s alive’
(CNN) — In a wrenching video posted to Instagram on Wednesday evening, “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie pleaded for her missing mother to come home days after her apparent abduction from her Tuscon-area home.
“We need to know without a doubt that she’s alive and that you have her,” Guthrie said in response to reports of a potential ransom note. “We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”
She said her mother is in “constant pain” and needs her medication to survive.
Flanked by her siblings, Annie Guthrie and Camron Guthrie, the family spoke directly to their mother in a tearful plea.
“Momma, if you’re listening, we need you to come home, we miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.
Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “spunky” and “clever” woman of faith who is loved by her entire family: “Our mom is our heart and our home.”
“She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses,” Savannah Guthrie said. “She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her, and you’ll see.”
She indicated she and her family are “ready to talk.”
“However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” she said, adding the family needs proof their mother is alive.
The plea by her three children is likely meant to establish direct contact with possible abductors, according to former FBI deputy director and CNN law enforcement analyst Andrew McCabe.
“That’s not something that you would do if you were already in negotiations with someone that you actually thought had the victim,” McCabe told CNN.
On Wednesday afternoon before Savannah Guthrie’s video went up on Instagram, an increased law enforcement presence could be seen outside Nancy Guthrie’s home as detectives conducted a “follow-up” at the property and in the neighborhood, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office said.
Crime scene tape went up across the entire length of the property and about a dozen law enforcement officers were at the scene for about two hours. Law enforcement could be seen carrying evidence bags into the house and appeared to bring some of them back outside into a vehicle, CNN’s Ed Lavandera reported.
The law enforcement presence, including agents with the Phoenix FBI, was eventually cleared. Sniffing dogs were also on the scene, CNN affiliate KXNV reported.
President Donald Trump said in a social media post Wednesday that he is directing “ALL Federal Law Enforcement” to help the Guthrie family and local law enforcement in Arizona in finding Nancy Guthrie.
Media outlets receive alleged ransom notes
The TV anchor’s video came on the fourth day of the desperate search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
Some of the most recent evidence in the investigation is also among the case’s most disturbing: purported ransom notes sent to media outlets.
At least three different media outlets – TMZ and CNN Tucson affiliates KOLD and KGUN – report they received ransom notes earlier this week demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return.
Those outlets say the notes also described specific evidence in Guthrie’s home, where authorities say she was last seen Saturday night. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has declined to confirm whether those claims match the crime scene, but told CBS News investigators did share the note with Savannah Guthrie.
Investigators have not yet confirmed whether the three similar notes are legitimate, but Nanos said Tuesday he was “absolutely not” dismissing them.
“When the note comes to us, it’s like any piece of evidence,” Nanos told CBS News. “You give it to us. You give us a lead. We’re going to look at every aspect of that lead and work it as a lead.”
Meanwhile, investigators are examining evidence that could speak to the timeline of the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Her pacemaker last sent a signal to her iPhone around 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to a source briefed on the investigation. Her iPhone was left in the house.
Even as more information about the investigation is coming out, local law enforcement pushed back on claims that detectives have identified a suspect in the case.
The sheriff’s department asked the public Wednesday not to spread rumors about who may be responsible for the disappearance, saying they are speaking with “anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie.”
“While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation,” the department posted on X.
In response to a request for comment, the sheriff’s department referred CNN to a statement posted on X Tuesday.
“We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie,” the agency said. “We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.”
Investigators are working to determine if the notes are authentic, the chief of detectives for the Pima County Attorney’s Office told Fox News.
“It may or may not be of value,” Fabian Pacheco said, “but it is still considered evidence. It is still considered a lead.”
Nanos has made it clear they do not believe Guthrie wandered from her home, saying she is “sharp as a tack” but has limited mobility and could not walk a long distance without assistance.
Video sends a strong signal
The Guthrie family has not said whether they have received a ransom note from possible kidnappers, but the video likely indicates they have not, McCade noted.
“We don’t know this for sure, but I feel like this is a fairly strong signal that (the Guthrie family) do not believe they’ve had a legitimate ransom demand yet,” McCabe told CNN.
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for four days. In most cases, a direct ransom demand from the kidnappers to the family would have been made at this point, McCabe added.
The gut-wrenching video posted to Instagram Wednesday evening is one way the Guthrie family can humanize their mother in the eyes of kidnappers, according to CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, John Miller.
“This is a family who has been reached out to by kidnappers using the media,” Miller said, noting “(they) are now communicating back through the same media with a desperate plea.”
By establishing a two-way conversation, the Guthries are asking to be in direct contact with anyone who might know where Nancy Guthrie is, and to get proof that she is alive, Miller said.
Investigators process evidence taken from Guthrie’s home
While the sheriff’s department has given few details about the investigation, more information is coming out about what was found at Nancy Guthrie’s one-story home, located in a secluded neighborhood framed by the famous saguaro cactus native to the Sonoran Desert that blankets Tucson.
Authorities found blood inside Guthrie’s home, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, citing law enforcement sources not authorized to discuss the case publicly. The report did not detail whose blood was found or where in the house it was found.
There were signs of forced entry at the home, according to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke to The Associated Press.
Learning that Guthrie’s pacemaker stopped communicating with the phone early on Sunday morning, and that the phone was left in the home, could provide another clue on when she was taken.
Some modern pacemakers – devices that keep the heart in a regular rhythm – can transmit data to a phone app via Bluetooth so it can be shared directly with a patient’s doctor for easier monitoring. The connection generally would be possible only when the phone is near the pacemaker. Details about the model of Guthrie’s pacemaker weren’t immediately available.
Nancy Guthrie had dinner Saturday with family members who took her back to her home, where she lives alone, around 9:30 p.m., Nanos said.
Guthrie was uncharacteristically absent from church Sunday morning, prompting a friend to call relatives, who discovered she was not at home, authorities said.
The sheriff’s department collected DNA samples from the residence, Nanos said, but tests on those samples have not yet led them to any suspects.
Authorities are reviewing a report of a possible trespassing that occurred near Nancy Guthrie’s home on January 4, as well as “all other cases within a close radius” to the residence, sheriff’s officials said in an update Wednesday.
Savannah Guthrie “has a security team” that has been staying in touch with the sheriff’s department, Nanos said. Nancy Guthrie’s home has been turned back over to Guthrie’s family.
Time is of the essence in the search for Guthrie because she takes medication daily that is critical for her health, and being without it “could be fatal,” Nanos said Monday.
Savannah Guthrie’s news colleagues ask for public’s help
The disappearance of her mother has understandably thrown Savannah Guthrie’s life into chaos. She rushed to Tucson to be with her family at a time she was originally supposed to be preparing to host NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony Friday from Milan, Italy.
The network confirmed Tuesday that Guthrie will no longer host the program and is focused on being with her family. NBC announced a new slate of Olympics hosts Wednesday and revealed Guthrie’s Today Show co-host, Craig Melvin, will also remain stateside.
NBC News programs throughout the week have repeatedly encouraged anyone who might have information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance to call the Pima County Sheriff’s Department tip line, 520-351-4900.
“Savannah has shared that it was her mother who taught her the power of prayer, the types of prayers that make you get on your knees and pray for God’s protection,” Tom Llamas said on “NBC Nightly News” Tuesday. “Savannah and her family need your prayers tonight. They also need your help.”
President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday, according to a White House official.
Guthrie thanked the president for taking the time to call and told him her family is devastated and needs prayers, NBC later reported.
At an Oval Office event Tuesday, Trump expressed sympathy for Guthrie.
“I always got along very good with Savannah,” Trump said. “Very unusual situation, but we’re going to find out.”
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CNN’s Chelsea Bailey, Ed Lavandera, Sarah Boxer, Brian Stelter and Jamie Gumbrecht contributed to this report.