Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a new video message on Tuesday, appealing directly to anyone who may be holding their missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, and urging them to provide proof that she is alive, family members and law enforcement said.
In the video posted online, Savannah addressed a possible kidnapper or anyone with information, saying the family wants “proof of life” rather than threats or speculation. She and her siblings requested that law enforcement initiate contact and provide verifiable evidence of Nancy Guthrie’s safety.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah said, seated alongside her brother, Camron, and sister, Annie. “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,” Savannah Guthrie said in closing, holding her siblings’ hands.
Nancy, 84, was reported missing on Jan. 31 from her home in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson after family members became concerned when she did not appear for a planned outing. Authorities have treated the case as a potential abduction and have been investigating with assistance from federal and local law enforcement agencies.
Officials previously acknowledged receiving one or more ransom notes but have not verified their authenticity or provided evidence that the communications included proof of life. Investigators have said the public should not assume that any correspondence is legitimate until verified.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are continuing to pursue leads and have encouraged anyone with information to contact authorities.
Law enforcement has not publicly identified any suspects or persons of interest, and investigators have declined to comment on specific developments in the case.
Two notes were sent to the local TV station KOLD. Jessica Bobula, the station’s news director, told NBC News on Saturday that the first message arrived in their news tips system on Monday, and the second was received just before noon on Friday.
She indicated that neither note offered proof of life, but the first note claimed Guthrie was fine.
The second note “was certainly not a ransom demand,” Bobula said, noting it did not ask for money, and it differed “in almost every way” from the first. One of the notes did not provide an image of Guthrie but “a description,” she said.
Bobula noted that the author of the second note seemed to be attempting to demonstrate that they were the same sender as the first note.
President Donald Trump said Friday that investigators have uncovered what he described as “very strong clues” in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, and suggested authorities could have answers in the case soon.
Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters, saying recent developments have provided promising leads for law enforcement officials working the case. He did not offer specifics about the nature of the evidence, citing the ongoing investigation.
“I’ll give you a little statement, I think we’re doing very well in that regard,” Trump said, according to People Magazine.
“You’re probably surprised to hear that. I think we’re doing very well, meaning we have some clues I think that are very strong, and I think we could have some answers coming up fairly soon,” Trump added.
Asked where she might be and the ongoing search, Trump said: “I’m not talking about a search, I’m talking about a solution.”
“We have some things that I think that we’ll maybe come out reasonably soon from DOJ or FBI or whoever that could be definitive,” he said. “A lot’s taken place in the last couple of hours. A lot of things have happened with regard to that horrible situation in the last couple of hours.”