THE chilling second deadline for Nancy Guthrie’s ransom has passed despite Savannah promising she would pay the kidnappers who took her elderly mom.
The heartbroken Today star urged everyone to keep an eye out for anything suspicious as an exchange deadline written in a reported ransom note passed without word of Nancy’s release.
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Savannah Guthrie has begged for help in another devastating social media postCredit: Instagram/savannahguthrieHer 84-year-old mom Nancy is still missing after she was believed to have been abducted from her home on February 1Credit: Facebook/Savannah GuthrieSavannah and her siblings appealed directly to their mother’s kidnappers and offered to pay a ransomCredit: Instagram/savannahguthrieInvestigators returned to Nancy’s home on Sunday to search the water septic tank on her propertyCredit: AP
The ransom note indicated that Nancy could be harmed if the demand of a payment of $6 million in Bitcoin is not met by Monday at 5pm MST.
Hours before the deadline came to pass, Savannah returned to social media to inform the public they couldn’t continue this search alone.
“I wanted to come on and share a few thoughts as we enter into another week of this nightmare,” she said in the video.
“Law enforcement is working tirelessly, around the clock trying to bring her mom, trying to find her.
What we know about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance…
“She was taken and we don’t know where. And we need your help,” she said.
Savannah thanked the public for their prayers, which she previously said were what her family needed most, but made it clear they could need witnesses find Nancy.
“I’m coming on not just to ask you for your prayers but no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement,” she said.
“We are at an hour of desperation.”
Despite everything, Savannah said she and her siblings believe their mother can feel the prayers, no matter where she may be.
“We believe that somehow, some way, she is feeling these prayers, and that God is lifting her even in this moment, in this darkest place,” said the anchor.
“We believe our mom is still out there.”
Investigators believe that the 84-year-old grandmother was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona in the early morning hours of February 1.
Savannah pleaded for anyone with information about her mother’s disappearance to come forwardCredit: AP
The deadline comes after Savannah and her siblings sent a cryptic message to their mother’s believed kidnappers promising to pay the ransom.
“We received your message, and we understand,” Savannah said in a video posted to Instagram on Saturday.
“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.”
SEARCH CONTINUES
Saturday’s message is the third the family has released appealing to the alleged kidnappers.
The FBI and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos announced Friday that they were “aware of a new message regarding” Nancy’s disappearance sent to local news stations.
Previous ransom notes set a deadline for Thursday at 5pm.
After the deadline passed, Savannah’s brother Camron released a video asking for a way to speak with the purported kidnappers.
The change in tone in Savannah’s Saturday message has led experts to speculate if the Guthrie family has opened a line of communication with the ransomers.
Investigators have not shared which, if any, ransom notes are legitimate.
RANSOM QUESTIONS
The shifting deadlines and lack of proof of life has led some experts to doubt the legitimacy of the notes.
Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker shared that he worries that bad actors are taking advantage of the situation and “playing with” the Guthrie family.
“I really think there’s a third party here that’s just playing with them, opportunists who think they can exploit this situation,” he said on Fox News Sunday.
Swecker added that the situation has not followed the pattern of a typical kidnapping-for-ransom plot.
“If this was a kidnapping, it would be a very simple matter to authenticate and provide proof of life,” Swecker continued, noting that no evidence has been “credibly authenticated at this point.”
“You have to allow for the possibility that this was something more or something other than a kidnapping,” he said.
The family has already been targeted by a ransom hoax.
On Thursday, Derrick Callella from California was arrested and charged for sending fake text messages demanding Bitcoin payments.
The grandmother is believed to have been abducted from her bedCredit: Courtesy NBC Universal
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
Law enforcement officials were seen leaving Annie Guthrie’s property on Saturday night with a bag.
Investigators returned to Nancy’s property the following morning to search the water septic tanks.
Nancy was last seen on January 31, when she was dropped off at home by her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni after they had a meal with his wife and her daughter Annie Guthrie.
Nancy was reported missing by her family the following day when a parishioner at the mom’s church said she failed to show up for service.
Cops have only given grim updates so far, and admitted they have no suspects and no strong leads.
Timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her home on February 1, 2026.
Timeline:
January 31, 5:32 pm: Nancy Guthrie jumps in an Uber and travels to a relative’s house for dinner.
January 31, 9:48 pm: Family members drop off Nancy, 84, at her home in Tucson, Arizona, after having dinner with her.
January 31, 9:50 pm: Nancy’s garage door closes.
February 1, 1:47 am: Nancy’s doorbell camera disconnects.
February 1, 2:12 am: Software detects person on camera (No video available, no subscription).
February 1, 2:28 am: Nancy’s pacemaker app shows disconnect from her phone.
February 1, 11:00 am: A parishioner at Nancy’s church calls the mom’s children and says she failed to show up for service.
February 1, 11:56 am: The family goes to Nancy’s home to check on her.
February 1, 12:03 pm: A 911 to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is placed by the family.
February 1, 12:15 pm: Pima County deputies arrive at Nancy’s residence.
February 1, 8:55 pm: The Pima County Sheriff’s Office gives their first press conference, and reveals some clues found at Nancy’s home caused “grave concern.” They say helicopters, drones, and infrared cameras are all being utilized in the search.
February 2, 9:17 am: Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says search crews have been pulled back, as Nancy’s home is considered a crime scene.
February 2, morning: Savannah releases a statement that’s read by her co-hosts on Today, and thanks supporters for their prayers.
February 2, evening: Nanos tells the media they fear Nancy has been abducted.
February 3: Nanos admits they have no suspects, no leads, and no videos that could lead to Nancy’s recovery. He and the FBI beg for more tips and accounts from residents.
February 3: A trail of blood is pictured outside Nancy’s home, where there were reportedly signs of forced entry.
February 6: Police seize car from Nancy’s home
February 7: Savannah says ‘we will pay’ ransom for her mom’s return
Savannah has appealed directly to her mother’s alleged kidnappersCredit: Instagram/savannahguthrieInvestigators continue to scan the area around Nancy’s propertyCredit: The U.S. Sun
BOMBSHELL unheard audio of Michael Jackson sharing his deepest “intimate” thoughts on children will be revealed in a new documentary.
In the chilling voice recordings, the music legend can be heard discussing his deep-seated feelings on his infatuation with kids.
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New audio recordings of pop icon Michael Jackson revealed his intimate relationship with children ahead of a new docuseriesCredit: GettyJackson was accused of molestation by cancer survivor Gavin Arvizo (left)Credit: ITVIn the new unheard recordings, Jackson details chilling information about his feelings towards childrenCredit: GettyGavin Arvizo later accused Jackson of child molestationCredit: Granada Television
During one alarming moment Jackson even admitted that if he could not be close to children he would take his own life, according to the New York Post.
“If you told me right now . . . Michael, you could never see another child…I would kill myself,” he reportedly said.
“Children want to just touch me and hug me.
“Kids end up falling in love with my personality. Sometimes it gets me into trouble.”
Set to premiere on February 4, the docuseries details new revelations from the pop icon’s 2005 child molestation trial.
Shedding new light on Jackson’s relationship with child cancer survivor Gavin Arvizo, who later accused him of sexual abuse, unseen footage shows their pair going on picnics alone together.
Gavin accused him of sexual molestation in 2005, saying Jackson showed him pornography and gave him alcohol.
The star – who admitted to sharing his bed with kids – was cleared of all 14 charges, including four counts of molesting a child, four counts of getting a child drunk so that he could molest him, and of secretly conspiring to hold the boy and his family captive at his California ranch, Neverland.
He was also charged with supplying alcohol to the boy, now 15.
The New York Post spoke to an insider who had heard the recordings.
“There is something extremely unusual and eerie about Michael Jackson’s infatuation with children – especially those who are not his own,” they said.
“To hear his voice discuss children in this manner, given he had been accused on molestation, raises many questions about his mental health, mindset and sadly, intentions.
“This is Michael at his most open giving us an insight into how he was in love with children . . . infatuated with wanting to be around them,” they added.
Continuing on, the insider said Jackson saw “nothing wrong with bringing kids to his home and his bed without parental supervision”.
“[He justified] those actions by saying he is a just a friend looking to help,” they said.
Jackson (pictured with Jeffrey Epstein) was cleared of child molestation chargesCredit: ReutersJackson is shown in a mug shot after he was booked for allegedly molesting a childCredit: GettyJackson’s estate has always denied all child molestation accusations against himCredit: Getty
“He even went further — expressing how most of the spoiled children fell in love with him.
“These are very uneasy phrases and language to hear from a single man in his 40s.”
The insider said the footage also showed how Jackson cared for Gavin throughout his cancer battle.
“Many doctors felt that his diagnosis was terminal, but Michael never gave up hope,” they said.
“Michael described how he told Gavin he looked like an angel to him. The way that these could have been interpreted are fascinating.”
Executive producer Tom Anstiss said: “The unheard audio tapes of Michael Jackson offer a rare and privileged window into Michael’s psyche and his soul”.
He said The Trial would “deliver a new understanding of who Michael Jackson really was, what he thought and the seismic moments that shaped his life”.
“The tapes are emotionally raw and very real,” he said.
“At points, you can hear Michael is close to tears.”
Jackson’s former public relations advisor appears in the show, revealing that he “absolutely” believed the allegations against the popstar, according to the Telegraph.
“I believe there was a cover-up for so many years,” he said.
Jackson’s estate still vehemently denies all child molestation accusations against him.
He had three children of his own, Prince, Bigi (formerly Blanket) and Paris.
The trio have described him as “the best father you could ever imagine”, according to People.
Jackson died of an overdose on a prescription anaesthetic four years after the trial concluded.
Featured in an ensemble of 30 boys are Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy, and Ike Talbut as Simon. Joining them are additional castaways, including Thomas Connor as Roger, Noah and Cassius Flemyng as twins Sam and Eric, Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice, and Tom Page-Turner as Bill.
The series, marking the first television adaptation of Lord of the Flies, chronicles the terrifying tale of schoolboys marooned on a tropical island without adult supervision following a catastrophic plane crash.
Whilst battling to stay alive and as hostilities mount, they turn against one another with deadly results, reports the Express.
In a bid to maintain order, they establish a hierarchy under Ralph’s leadership and Piggy’s cleverness.
Yet as Jack grows increasingly obsessed with hunting and competing for control, he lures the other boys away, leading to devastating outcomes.
The BBC production will stay true to the source material, positioned in the early 1950s on an unidentified Pacific island, though Thorne’s version will explore more profoundly the novel’s key themes: mankind’s nature, the erosion of innocence, and masculine boyhood.
Each of the four instalments bears the name of a protagonist central to the narrative – Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack – presenting their individual viewpoints in their fight for survival.
In a spine-tingling first glimpse trailer, the lads start learning to survive independently on the island, scavenging for sustenance and seeking refuge.
As one declares, “We need to help each other, and we need to be good campmates,” another responds, “We’re going to hunt pigs and get meat for everybody.”
Their politeness descends into chaos as they clash with one another, with fires blazing ominously in the backdrop of certain sequences, whilst the youngsters resort to brutality and even killing.
The BBC revealed: “A classic reborn for television – Lord of the Flies is the story of a group of young schoolchildren who find themselves stranded on a tropical island with no adults, and where civilisation turns to violence and chaos.”
The riveting preview has already captivated audiences, with one commenting: “This looks incredible, I can’t wait!”
Another remarked: “Still traumatised from reading this,” whilst a third penned: “Looking forward to it.”
During a recent chat with The Times, Jack discussed the adaptation, revealing: “The world in which Golding was writing and the pain he was observing – I think we’re living in a very similar age now.”
“I find the ending of the book bleak and I find the journey of the book bleak, but I find the portrait of children not to be bleak,” he continued.
Lord of the Flies will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from February 8.
