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Savannah Guthrie urged the public to help bring her mother, Nancy Guthrie, home after the FBI said Monday that it is not aware of any ongoing communication between her family and suspected kidnappers more than a week into the search near Tucson, Arizona.
Connor Hagan, an FBI spokesperson, said in a statement that the agency has also not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, 84. The FBI said it is operating a 24-hour command post with investigative teams and crisis management experts, and it reiterated that information from the public could be decisive. “Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home,” Hagan said.
In a video released Monday, Guthrie told viewers that her family is “at an hour of desperation,” and she said the family continues to believe her mother is “out there” and hearing prayers. She added that her mother “was taken” and said the family needs help, urging people nationwide to be on the lookout even if they are far from Tucson. “She was taken and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Guthrie said, in an Instagram video.
The search has intensified as reports of a ransom effort circulated online and through tips. By Monday evening, a purported ransom deadline apparently set by Nancy Guthrie’s abductors appeared to have passed. The FBI and local officials did not confirm the credibility of the letters, but they said they were investigating tips seriously; the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said its tip lines have received thousands of calls.
The FBI also said it has offered a $50,000 reward for information related to the case. Multiple news outlets received alleged ransom letters during the past week that included monetary demands and deadlines, including one that appeared to pass last Thursday and a second set for Monday evening.
Authorities said they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. The sheriff’s dispatcher audio cited by the FBI indicates she has a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues. Authorities believe she was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson, where she was last seen Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church.
The FBI and Pima County authorities have said DNA tests showed blood on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch matched her, and that her doorbell camera was disconnected in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said investigators continued work at Guthrie residences Tuesday as part of the ongoing investigative process, including expanding the search and following up on new leads.
The case has drawn broad attention beyond local law enforcement, including remarks by President Donald Trump after he spoke with Guthrie last week. In Tucson, community members also voiced concern at the home, where neighbors strolled past while a sheriff’s deputy remained stationed out front; Tucson resident Chuchi Ruiz said news of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has shaken the community.
Investigators have also carried out follow-up work around the neighborhood over the weekend, including activity at Annie Guthrie’s home about 4 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s residence. On Sunday, an investigator was seen searching an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home, and detectives and agents planned additional efforts as the investigation continues.