A week has passed since ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared from her Arizona home. Investigators have yet to name a suspect, but are holding out hope that the 84-year-old is still alive.
Police reportedly said that Nancy was taken against her will from her home in Tucson, Arizona, where they found blood on the porch that matched hers.
Soon after her disappearance, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated that authorities believe Nancy was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. Nancy had mobility issues, so officials believed that she could not have left on her own.
Meanwhile, Nanos also said that Nancy Guthrie was of sound mind. “This is not dementia-related. She’s sharp as a tack. The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off,” he said during a press conference.
Multiple news outlets reported receiving ransom notes demanding $6 million for Nancy Guthrie’s return. Investigators said they are taking all of these ransom notes seriously.
Amid growing tensions and a nearing ransom deadline in the purported kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, here is what we know about the case so far.
How Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance unfolded
Saturday, January 31:
Nancy Guthrie took an Uber to her family’s home for dinner at 5:32 pm local time, and was later dropped back at her Tucson home by a family member at 9:48 pm. The garage door opens, and two minutes later it is shut.
Sunday, February 1:
The doorbell camera is disconnected at 1:41 am. The camera’s software detected movement at 2:12 am, but no video was recorded because there was no active subscription to save the footage. Minutes later, at 2:28 am, Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker monitoring app also lost its connection with her phone, The Associated Press reported.
A family member received a call from someone at church saying that Guthrie was not there. Upon learning that she had skipped church, Guthrie’s family checked on her at 11:56 am. Within ten minutes, the family called 911 to report her missing.
At 12:15 pm, investigators arrived at Guthrie’s Tucson home and launched a search operation, including drones and search dogs. Later that day, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office shared a post on social media announcing Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters he hoped this was a search and rescue mission.
Monday, February 2:
Authorities announced in the morning that they believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will.
On Monday night, KOLD-TV said that it received an email that seemed to be a ransom note. The note reportedly demanded $6 million and mentioned two deadlines, one at 5 pm on Thursday and another on Monday, according to CNN.
Savannah Guthrie posted a message on Instagram asking people to pray for her mother’s safe return.
Tuesday, February 3:
TMZ also reported receiving an alleged ransom note demanding payment for Guthrie’s release. The media outlet said that a “specific substantial amount of Bitcoin” was demanded, adding that the amount was in the millions. The note reportedly demanded that the cryptocurrency be delivered to a specific Bitcoin address.
According to TMZ, there was also an “or else” element in the ransom note.
The media outlet also reported that the letter was “very well written” and had “structure”. “It appears to have been done by someone who is educated and spent time crafting it,” the report stated.
Law enforcement sources cited by the LA Times reportedly said the ransom note was being considered legitimate, as it included at least two details about Guthrie’s home that had not been released to the public.
It remained unclear whether all the notes received by various media outlets were similar. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said the details included a demand with two deadlines, Thursday evening and Monday. The first one was not met.
Janke said that at least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple Watch.
Meanwhile, a person familiar with the probe told The Associated Press that investigators found signs of forced entry at Nancy’s home.
President Donald Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office and said that Guthrie’s kidnapping situation was “terrible”.
The White House also issued a statement urging anyone with information to contact 911. It said, “The search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, is ongoing, and authorities are requesting assistance from the public. Anyone with information is urged to contact 911. Our prayers are with the Guthrie family as we hope for Nancy’s safe return home.”
Wednesday, February 4:
Guthrie’s property was handed back to her family earlier in the week, and authorities returned to the home for a follow-up probe.
President Trump called Savannah Guthrie to offer words of comfort. In a post on Truth Social, he said that he would direct all federal law enforcement to be at the Guthrie family’s disposal.
At night, Savannah posted a video on social media telling her mother’s kidnapper that her family is ready to talk but wants proof of life.
“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,” she said with a lump in her throat.
Her sister Annie and brother Cameron were sitting right beside her. “Mama, if you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.
Thursday, February 5:
While investigators said they have no proof of whether Nancy Guthrie is still alive, they held out hope that she is still out there.
Officials revealed that the blood found on the front porch of Guthrie’s home matched the 84-year-old’s DNA.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $50,000 reward for information about Guthrie’s whereabouts.
Savannah Guthrie’s brother renewed the family’s request for their mother’s kidnapper to reach out. “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” Cameron Guthrie said in a video posted on social media. He further asked the purported kidnappers to reach out and put in place a way to communicate going forward.
Friday, February 6:
KOLD-TV, a local Tucson television station, received a new email regarding the Guthrie case. The station refused to disclose the contents of the message, and the FBI said that it is aware of the matter and is reviewing its authenticity.
Meanwhile, investigators once again returned to Nancy Guthrie’s neighbourhood to gather more evidence.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told AP in an interview that it was frustrating that a camera at Guthrie’s home was unable to capture images of anyone on the day she went missing.
“It is concerning. It’s actually almost disappointing because you get your hopes up. OK, they got an image. Well, we do, but we don’t,” Nanos said.
President Trump, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, said the probe into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance was going “very well”. He said, “We have some clues that I think are very strong. We have some things that may be coming out reasonably soon.”
Saturday, February 7:
Savannah Guthrie posted a new video message on Saturday, stating that her family is willing to pay to secure the safe return of her mother.
Savannah, flanked by her sister and brother, pleaded, “We received your message, and we understand. 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.”
“This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” she added.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office shared an update that a second note was sent in connection with Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping. “The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Office are aware of a new message regarding Nancy Guthrie. Investigators are actively reviewing the information provided in the message for authenticity,” it said.
The department noted that while the note is a new piece of information, law enforcement agencies are still seeking tips or information about Guthrie.
February 8, Sunday:
The investigation into the kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie continued on Sunday, with detectives and agents following up at multiple locations as part of the probe.
“Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest or vehicles connected to this case,” an email from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office said, as cited by AP.
Two marked sheriff’s cars and another vehicle were seen arriving at Nancy Guthrie’s house around midday on Sunday, with at least two people going to the back of the home for over 20 minutes before leaving without comment.
CNN later reported that at least two investigators were spotted examining the septic tank near Guthrie’s Tucson home. A video shared by the outlet showed officials moving a long stick around in the tank, at times jabbing it and using a flashlight to look inside.
Meanwhile, former SWAT team captain Josh Schirard said on Sunday that investigators are likely ramping up their search for Guthrie.
“If this is real, they’re on the clock, and that clock is ticking down, so anything that they can do has to be done and has to be done now,” Schirard was quoted as saying by CNN.
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Office said that authorities will continue to guard Nancy Guthrie’s home at the request of her family. “No trespassing is allowed on Nancy Guthrie’s property. Violations will be subject to enforcement,” the statement said.
Health concerns around Nancy Guthrie
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has also left her family worried about her poor health, and investigators said she did not have her daily medication with her.
Investigators, including Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, expressed concern that if Nancy went without her medication for over 24 hours, it could be life-threatening.
Where is Nancy Guthrie?
TMZ, one of the publications that received an alleged ransom letter, reported earlier that Nancy Guthrie is possibly located near Tucson currently. The outlet said the details suggest that she has not been taken ‘too far’ from her Arizona home.
“If the letter is legit, and the FBI and Savannah Guthrie have already talked about it publicly, it offers some clues into where Nancy may be,” the report stated.
It also published a map, outlining the key areas. A circle covered parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and slivers of Kansas and Oklahoma.
The report also stated that it is unlikely that Guthrie was taken away in a plane, as it would require a real ID.
Theories about Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law Tommaso Cioni
In a bombshell claim amid the search for Nancy Guthrie, American-Canadian journalist Ashleigh Banfield said that a law enforcement source told her that Savannah Guthrie’s brother-in-law was being looked at by investigators, although authorities have not named any suspect in the kidnapping case.
In an episode of her Drop Dead Serious on YouTube, Banfield claimed that Tommaso Cioni, the husband of Savannah’s sister Annie Guthrie, “may be” the suspect in the case.
She also alleged that Annie Guthrie’s car was seized by authorities because they believed it had some connection with Cioni.
However, the Sheriff’s Office rejected the allegations and clarified that investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest in the case.
The New York Post reported that Cioni was the last person to see Nancy Guthrie before her disappearance. Cioni reportedly dropped Nancy off at her Tucson home on Saturday evening after she had dinner with him and Annie Guthrie.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told The New York Times that Cioni ensured that Nancy entered the house safely before departing.
The case took a further turn on Sunday when police searched Annie Guthrie’s residence. The development drew attention because of the lingering doubts raised about her husband, Tommaso Cioni, and his possible role in Nancy’s kidnapping. According to TMZ, the search at Annie and Tommaso’s home lasted for several hours.
Mysterious man, inside job, white van: The other theories
Just days after Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping, TMZ reported that a mysterious man was seen lurking in someone’s yard near the 84-year-old’s Tucson home weeks before she went missing.
Police reportedly were probing the case to determine whether the man was linked to Nancy’s disappearance in any way.
An elderly man spotted the suspicious individual loitering in his yard after a motion sensor went off and a floodlight switched on at his Tucson home, TMZ reported. The trespasser, alarmed by the light, fled on foot. However, there was no break-in attempt, and nothing was stolen from the elderly man’s yard.
Amid growing concerns and increasing speculation surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, the National Enquirer reported, citing a source, that signs point to the kidnapping being an “inside job”.
The report cited several pieces of evidence from the case, including smashed cameras, a blood trail from the front door and a removed Ring camera.
The source told the publication that only “a very few people” had access to the cameras inside Guthrie’s residence. “Whoever this possible abductor is, they went inside the house and knew where those cameras were pointing. They were able to smash the cameras before their motion was visible in the recordings or streams. To do this takes a chilling level of intel,” the source said.
Neighbours of Nancy Guthrie, meanwhile, reported seeing a suspicious vehicle parked near her Tucson home in the days before she went missing.
Brett McIntire, who lived across the street from Guthrie, told the New York Post that he observed a full-sized white van with no markings parked on the street in the days before Nancy’s disappearance.
He found it unusual, noting that “Normally people who are coming to work on your home will have a company vehicle or, if they’re independent, something written on it.”
Nancy Guthrie disappearance: What are the ‘Mexico’ theories?
Unverified profiles have put forward theories that drug cartels might be behind Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping. To be clear, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI have not made any such cartel-related insinuations.
“How many think Nancy Guthrie was taken by a Mexican drug cartel?” a person asked on Facebook. Another person theorised about Guthrie’s kidnapping, linked the case to Charlie Kirk’s shooter and also asked, “Could it be a Mexican drug cartel? She is probably already dead. She doesn’t have her medications, and they also found her blood.”
“Sorry to say but it’s highly likely Nancy Guthrie was taken by a drug cartel,” another person stated.
HT could not independently verify the veracity of the claims made online.
Another claim related to Mexico was made by a missing persons private investigator, who said that about two hours after Guthrie’s pacemaker lost connection with the phone app, a private jet departed Tucson for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
The investigator, Steve Fischer, also attached a screenshot of a flight-tracking platform.
“I am sure the FBI has already looked into this, but it is worth noting that Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker lost its Bluetooth connection at 2:28 a.m. on February 1. About two hours later, at 4:45 a.m., a small private jet departed Tucson for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. That’s a very early departure on a Sunday morning. #NancyGuthrie,” Fischer wrote on X.
Later in his post, he reiterated that while it is probably nothing, it is noteworthy given the timing.
No evidence has surfaced to support this claim.
Man held for harassing texts to Savannah Guthrie
A federal complaint filed in Arizona accused a man, Derrick Callella, of sending harassing text messages to Savannah Guthrie shortly after an alleged ransom video was released.
Pima County officials, however, said that the FBI had arrested an impostor who submitted a fake ransom note to law enforcement because they “wanted to profit from the situation”. It is unclear whether Callella was the same person.
Nancy Guthrie attended church ‘online’?
A report from the Daily Mail has left netizens questioning the entirety of the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case. A source told the publication that Guthrie had not been seen at the St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church for years, adding that she had been worshipping ‘online’ since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The church reportedly does not have a large-scale Zoom call for online viewing. However, the 9 am and 10:45 am services on Sunday are live-streamed. Therefore, it is impossible for other participants to know who else is watching, the Daily Mail reported.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s office, a fellow congregant had alerted Guthrie’s family after she failed to arrive at church.
