guthrie

THE daughter of a 63-year-old grandmother who was kidnapped from her home and held for ransom three years before Nancy Guthrie was snatched has branded the investigation a “circus.”

Zoe Lopez, whose mother Maria was taken in 2023 and never returned, has also offered advice to heartbroken Today Show host Savannah Guthrie and her family.

It’s been three weeks since Savannah’s mom was snatched from her home in Arizona, and police are begging the public for help after releasing disturbing doorbell footage of an armed, masked man at the front door minutes before the kidnapping.

The FBI is working with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which had been criticized for its handling of the case, and has received more than 21,000 tips.

Savannah announced the family is offering a $1million reward on Tuesday, as they are desperate to bring Nancy home.

In an emotional exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, Zoe said her heart aches for the Guthrie family: “You kind of just go numb. You feel like, ‘This isn’t really happening.’

“My heart sank when … I believe it was her first statement, somebody had sent me.

“I was hesitant to post anything or to comment on it, but unfortunately, I do know her pain. 

“I understand the confusion, and I understand the anger, and the sadness, and the heartbreak that she has to deal with every single day, and every single minute. It’s devastating. 

“She might feel like, ‘Well, nobody understands.’ I do.

“It’s been three years, and absolutely nothing is normal about my life. You lose a part of yourself that very day.”

Zoe also slammed the Guthrie investigation and public ransom notes, saying the authorities need to get things under control and “reset” the case.

She said, “This is being handled in a very careless [way]. A circus, a complete circus. And this is something so sensitive.

“I am baffled that so much information is just being brought out in real time. 

“It’s been three weeks of chaos. There’s still time for them to get it under control. I think that they should be private about this.

“The loss of control. I can’t imagine how damaging it is to them [the family] emotionally.”

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has reportedly “locked down” the case, and there is reported tension between his team and the FBI.

They have faced backlash for many decisions made amid the search for Nancy, including sending DNA samples to be tested at a facility in Florida, instead of letting the FBI use their lab in Quantico, Virginia.

Sheriff Nanos also admitted he likely released the Guthrie home as a crime scene too early.

This allowed reporters to access the property, where they discovered and photographed blood droplets on the front steps that investigators had reportedly not yet addressed publicly.

Zoe said, “They’re missing a lot of steps, and getting to a lot of important stuff days later, [it] is extremely concerning.

“It’s scary, because it makes you think, well, ‘Who are these agents, and how much experience do they have to be handling a case of this magnitude?’ It’s a kidnapping. It’s absurd.”

Similar to her mom’s case, she believes those responsible for taking 83-year-old Nancy were not professionals or cartel-related.

She said, “They saw an opportunity. They’re driven by money.”

Pain & paranoia

Zoe’s mom, Maria, a US citizen, was kidnapped on February 9, 2023, in Pueblo Nuevo, in the Mexican state of Colima, where she had returned to retire with her husband.

She was alone at home watering her garden after shopping when she was approached by “four or five individuals” who bundled her into a white van.

An eyewitness told authorities that at one point she was seen on the ground after either being struck or fainting during a struggle.

But the kidnappers eventually got her into the vehicle and fled the scene.

Zoe and her family received multiple ransom calls demanding large amounts of money, with the first call coming within 24 hours, and setting deadlines they had to meet.

She is unable to reveal whether they paid the kidnappers amid the ongoing investigation.

Zoe, who worked in road management for professional boxers when her mom was taken, believes Savannah has a long road ahead and might end up giving up her role as a host on the Today Show.

She said, “It took me months to go get groceries, to be honest. I was so scared. And although the kidnapping happened in Mexico, I was afraid.

“I was always scared that somebody was following me. People did recognize me once it went public.

“I couldn’t be out because people [would say], ‘Oh, you’re the daughter of the lady that got kidnapped.’ So it’s just safer to be home. 

“It took about a year and a half before I decided to take a different role, still in the boxing world, but more on a quieter level, where I’m designing outfits for certain boxers.

“I’m going back into production, working with special teams and stuff, traveling.

“She [Savannah] might not be a reporter after this. She might not want to be in the public eye, or it might give her purpose and make her say, ‘I’m supposed to be here. I have to continue to advocate for my mom.’

‘Survivor’s guilt’

“My heart aches for the family. When we were going through the uncertainty daily, not knowing… and then you come to a point, at least for them, they’re weeks in now, where you just feel alone, like nobody understands how bad this aching pain is. It’s a fear.

“Your body is in shock day in and day out.

“There has to be a way I can say, ‘Hey, make yourself some tea.’ You know? ‘Hug each other. Cry.’

“I think that’s another thing, too: it’s okay to fall apart. It’s okay not to be okay. Forcing yourself to be strong for the public, or forcing yourself to be strong for others, is going to be damaging to you.

“You need to find the energy, find that strength from deep down inside, but you also need to take those small moments, even if it’s 20 or 30 minutes. It’s okay, just hold on to each other.”

Heartbreakingly, Zoe says Savannah may learn that she can’t trust everyone around her, as some people who reach out to see how she is may not have good intentions.

“It’s really hard to even say this, but tune out the noise from the outside because she is a reporter and she is in the public eye,” she advised.

“But try to understand that not everybody is going to reach out to be there for you.

“They will reach out to get information, to see where you’re at, and that could be extremely damaging to you.”

She went on, “Her life is gonna change completely. And it’s probably gonna be the best thing for her to take some time just for her.

“It’s been three years for me, and I’m still learning. I feel like I’m learning how to walk again in the normal world and not feel guilty because I think that we carry that. 

“That’s where I guess they call it like survivor’s guilt, you know? Like, why do I get to go to work? Why do I get to go out and have fun? Why do I get to put it aside for a little bit when I don’t know where she is?”

Mexico rumors

Zoe said she and her family struggled to work with Mexican authorities and the FBI, as both tried to take control, mirroring the situation in Guthrie’s case.

“We reached out to the White House so many times through phone calls. She’s going to have to become relentless in pursuing other government officials as well,” she said.

“She [Nancy] is a U.S. citizen. If they did cross the border, then there should be coordinated searches, with federal agencies in Mexico working together with federal agencies here.

“You don’t know if you can fully trust the authorities there or whether they’re going to work together. Are they going to want to work with the FBI? Unfortunately for us, we learned quickly that they weren’t that open to working with them.

“They feel, ‘Well, it happened in our territory. This is our case. We will handle it.’ It’s kind of like a rivalry.

“At the end of the day, you’re looking for the same victim.

“It doesn’t matter whether it was across the border or here. The fact that you have these kinds of power struggles makes no sense.”

She explained that Mexican authorities are willing to allow families to pay a ransom, whereas the FBI tries to negotiate with kidnappers.

“We were definitely put in the middle because we didn’t know, ‘Do we follow the advice of the FBI and not pay the ransom, or do we pay the ransom and hope for the best? And how do we do that when we’re across borders?’

“It’s just constant torture — one phone call after another with different demands: ‘Do this now,’ or ‘If not…’ They set time frames, and more than anything, you need proof of life.

“You need to know, ‘Okay, you’re telling me you want this amount of money and that you have her. I need to speak to her.’ And that took a long time.”

Zoe and her family received what appeared to be a recording of Maria begging them to meet the kidnappers’ demands.

She said, “You live with the uncertainty of, ‘Where is she? How is she? What have they done to her? Is she alive? Is she dead?’

“As far as my situation, you lose everything, you really do.”

Zoe Lopez on the kidnapping of her beloved mom

“And then you have the speculations of everyone. You have the criticism on top. You have the heartache, the pain, your family, how do you wake up today and just try to be normal? You can’t, there isn’t no normal anymore. 

“As far as my situation, you lose everything, you really do.”

Zoe, 42, has been with her husband for 25 years and has two children, much like Savannah, while Maria, a mother of seven, has 21 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

Discussing how the kidnapping affected her personal relationships, Zoe admitted, “They are all damaged, at least with my children; they’re dealing with the pain of losing their grandmother.

“So whenever your children hurt, you hurt with them. I feel it’s been trauma over trauma and pain over pain. I’m witnessing my kids are devastated over their grandmother. 

“And in return, they’re seeing me falling apart over my mother. And having to find that strength of, ‘What would my mom do? How would my mother handle this situation with me? How do I handle the situation with my children?’

“Although it’s been 3 years, we have not given up. We hold on to hope.

“So for Nancy.. stay strong. Know that you’re loved, and that you’re being looked for, although it seems like a lot is going on, the people who matter, are hanging on to hope as well.

“For the bad guys who do have her, please give her up. She’s an elderly person. She deserves to be home.”

Two men were arrested in connection with another kidnapping in Mexico and have since been linked to Maria’s disappearance through DNA evidence from the crime scene.

However, authorities have not publicly confirmed any direct charge or prosecution in her case.

The FBI and Mexican prosecutors have been working jointly on the investigation, and the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office has offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to her physical location.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has admitted that Savannah and her family could also be waiting “years” for answers about Nancy’s whereabouts.

“It’s exhausting, these ups and downs. But we will keep moving forward,” he told The New York Times.

“Maybe it’s an hour from now. Maybe it’s weeks or months or years from now. But we won’t quit. We’re going to find Nancy. We’re going to find this guy.”

ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 24 (UPI) — The high-profile abduction of Nancy Guthrie is focusing new attention on a little-known, but quickly growing, segment of the insurance industry known as “kidnap and ransom” in which underwriters cover clients at risk from criminals at home and abroad.

While “K&R” insurance has traditionally been seen the domain of business executives whose travels take them to hot spots across the globe where abduction risk is high, the Guthrie case shows that even within the relatively safe United States, anyone can be subjected to kidnapping or extortion, industry leaders told UPI.

As of Monday, the fate of Nancy Guthrie remained unknown. The 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie has been missing from her home in Tucson since Jan. 31. Police were notified after she failed to show up to watch a live stream of a church service at a friend’s house.

Her family has been cleared in her disappearance and the case is still being treated as a kidnapping. The FBI describes the prime suspect as a male between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches in height with a medium build and carrying a 24-liter black Ozark Trail Hiker Pack.

An unknown person’s DNA was recovered at the crime scene, authorities said.

Meanwhile, reports have indicated the Guthrie family received a ransom demand of millions of dollars to be paid in cryptocurrency.

As the search has dragged on for weeks without any substantial breaks in the case, the costs to the Guthrie family are likely mounting quickly, even excluding the potential payout of a multimillion-dollar ransom.

This has led to speculation over whether Savannah Guthrie — who has a reported net worth of $50 million — owns a kidnap and ransom insurance policy covering herself and family members.

But, if she is like the vast majority of high-net worth Americans such as top business executives, media figures, politicians, athletes and celebrities, it’s probable she does not have a K&R policy.

This is because kidnappings-for-ransom have always been rare in the United States and, as a result, the worldwide market for such policies has remained relatively small at an estimated at $2 billion in 2025.

But that figure is expected to nearly double by 2033 as buyers’ perceptions of the threat levels evolve.

“Glaring gap”

The Nancy Guthrie case, as well as a recent rash of kidnappings targeting holders of large amounts of cryptocurrency, is shining a light on what some have described as a “glaring gap” in the security measures typically taken by wealthy families, media personalities and others.

Insurers don’t want to talk about the cost of K&R policy premiums. However, according to independent estimates, basic policies can cost as little as $500 per year, but quickly rise in price as coverage expands and risks increase.

If, for instance, the policyholder is planning to travel to kidnapping “hotspots” such as Mexico, the cost will increase. Insurance for high-profile CEOs, regardless of where they travel, can ruin $10,000 or more per year, industry estimates indicate.

One of the world’s largest providers of K&R insurance is the French company AXA and its specialized division for complex risks, AXA XL. Denise Balan, the firm’s senior vice president and head of U.S. security risks, told UPI the need for these policies is evolving beyond business people traveling into risky global hotspots, although that remains a core customer base.

“You’d be surprised how many entities and individuals actually do carry this insurance, because it is a ‘duty of care’ product,” she said, meaning it is provided by businesses as part of their legal duty to protect their employees.

“So, most companies that have a significant number of employees who either travel internationally or have CEOs or board members who have concerns about threats to their physical safety or extortion, they do tend to carry this insurance.”

There are basically two elements to a typical K&R policy, Balan explained, including the obvious benefit: reimbursement of expenses and costs up to and including the ransom payment.

“But the more important aspect of the policy that you get is the service,” she said. “And that’s in the form of a security consultant. I’m sure you’ve heard a number of different security consultants who have been interviewed recently about the Savannah Guthrie case. Each insurance company that offers kidnap-for-ransom policies also offers a security service.”

The cost of the consultants, usually drawn from a small pool of well-known providers such as London-based S-RM Intelligence and Control Risks Group, is entirely absorbed by the insurer and doesn’t erode the policy limit — rather, it is in addition to the limit.

“It is a wonderful service that will give you not only response in a crisis, but will also give you preventative assistance,” Balan said. “It’s useful if a company wants to set up a crisis management plan or to do an exercise so they’d know how to react if, for instance, they get a call on a Sunday night from someone who says one of their products is going to be tampered with unless they get a million dollars.”

The provided security consultant can offer expert advice on “everything from how to speak to a kidnapper to how much ransom might be an appropriate amount to pay. They might know, for instance, that the going rate for kidnapping in Mexico is $2,500, and they can help with the negotiation, although they never speak directly to the kidnapper.”

One reason that K&R policies are generally little-known is that they’re highly confidential in nature and the potential for their abuse is high.

“You can’t be out there talking about how you have an insurance policy that pays in the event of a kidnap because there’s just so much potential for fraud,” Balan said. “So, it’s a very under-the-radar product that’s been around since probably the early 1920s.”

Another indication that threats are expanding beyond the traditional business travel sector is evident with a new phenomenon dubbed “crypto-kidnapping,” in which organized gangs utilize leaked data to locate and target high-net-worth cryptocurrency holders.

The latest such incident came Feb. 12 outside of Paris when masked assailants targeted Binance France CEO David Prinçay in a failed home invasion and kidnapping attempt — an attack that has put the entire cryptocurrency industry on high alert.

Matthew Humphries, head of crisis management at Lockton Cos., the world’s largest privately held independent insurance broker, said such incidents show the universe of who should have K&R policies is expanding.

“Kidnap and ransom insurance is available for people and organizations whose profile or operations are exposed to heightened security risks, whether abroad or closer to home,” he told UPI.

“There’s a perception that kidnapping only happens in places with obvious political or security tensions, but the risk is far broader. We’ve seen kidnapping cases emerge in places few would expect, including some high‑profile incidents targeting people in the crypto sector in the U.S., France and Canada.”

Payment for expert security teams covered

Estimates indicate as many as 25,000 kidnappings occur each year worldwide, according to another leader in the industry, the U.S.-based Travelers Cos., which warns in its literature, “If you still think it could never happen, consider this: Coercive threats to you and your business can take many forms.”

The company cites two real-life examples.

In one, the president of a company was kidnapped in his parking lot and held for five days until a ransom was paid. Costs incurred included $650,000 for the ransom, $2,000 per day for an independent negotiator, $500 per day for recording equipment used to obtain the man’s release, and $200 per day for extra security guards hired to protect his family.

In the other case, a physician’s wife was attending a conference. The physician received a call that his wife had been kidnapped and that he had two hours to wire a ransom payment. He wired the funds, but realized later that his wife was never kidnapped or in any danger — and all the while the expenses, such as the ransom payment and costs for a security team, quickly added up.

What’s essential in any kidnapping scenario is the presence of experts to advise those close to the victims, which is perhaps the most important benefit of a K&R policy, said Tracey Santor, assistant vice president for financial institutions at Travelers.

Much like AXA AL’s Balan, she emphasized the policies usually come with a crisis management team to be made available to victims’ families and paid for by the carrier.

“The firm usually consists of former law enforcement officers from a number of agencies, such as the FBI, DEA and CIA, who can often determine if a kidnapping is from a specific group and what past behavior and demands have been,” she told UPI. “The crisis team may also work with local authorities on the safety and return of the kidnap victim.”

Travelers only issues commercial K&R policies for businesses rather than personal policies for individuals, for whom they recommend another U.S. provider working with the Travelers Syndicate 5000 in London.

Asked whether heavily publicized cases such as the abduction of Nancy Guthrie can drive up demand for K&R insurance, Santor responded, “Any high-profile story in the news has the ability to influence new buyers to look to purchase coverage related to the incident.”

Feb. 16 (UPI) — Savannah Guthrie urged the person who allegedly kidnapped her mother to “do the right thing” as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues into its third week.

In a brief video posted to Instagram on Sunday, the Today show host said she wanted to say publicly that she and her family “still have hope” that their mother is still alive and that she wanted to tell whoever has the 84-year-old woman that there is still time to return her.

“I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late,” she said. “And you’re not lost or alone and it’s never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. We believe. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being. And it’s never too late.”

Nancy Guthrie was last seen the night of Jan. 31 and was reported missing the next day after she failed to arrive at a friend’s house to watch an online stream of a church service.

Authorities have released images of a person captured tampering with the doorbell of Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson, Ariz., home. They have offered a $100,000 reward for information that leads to the woman’s recovery.

Late last week, authorities said DNA that does not belong to Nancy Guthrie or anyone close to her was discovered at her home, and that investigators were working to identify who it belongs to.

The FBI said in a statement the DNA was retrieved from one of about 16 gloves collected by investigators near Nancy Guthrie’s house.

The glove that contained the unknown DNA appears to match the gloves worn by the subject seen in the doorbell footage, according to the FBI.

SAVANNAH Guthrie is reportedly looking to quit The Today Show for good as she fears her fame made her mother a vulnerable target.

It comes just months after she filmed a segment for the show with her mother Nancy, 84, who has now been missing for two weeks.

Sources have said that the co-host is considering a permanent exit from the hit show after her mother was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, at around 2am on February 1.

“This absolutely came out of the blue, and I think she’s really concerned that it was because of her job,” NewsNation’s Paula Froelich reported, citing sources. 

She added that Savannah, who is said to be a “mess” as the search for her mother enters its third week, fears her fame made her mother more of a target “with bad characters”.

Just months before she was taken, The Today Show filmed a segment with Savannah near Nancy’s $1 million home, which is now a major crime scene.

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In the NBC clip from November 2025, the mother-and-daughter duo paired up for a piece called “Savannah’s Arizona Homecoming” which also featured her sister Annie.

It documented the television star going back to her roots including her alma mater and El Charro, the oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant in America where she shared a meal with her family for the show.

“I have to come here every time I come home to Tucson,” Savannah said.

Her mother has featured in several segments for the show over the years since Savannah joined in 2012.

Despite admitting they are ‘exhausted’ by the search for Nancy, who is in poor health and in need of daily medication, cops have vowed they will find her and those responsible for her disappearance.

Investigators have now reportedly turned to high-tech scanners that can detect Bluetooth signals in an attempt to connect to Nancy’s pacemaker as they run out of leads and have no suspects.

A series of ransom notes sent to the family, law enforcement, and several news outlets are further muddying the waters, with a number of them turning out to be fake.

Fox News Digital reported that the Bluetooth devices have been attached to the bottom of police helicopters that are flying in low and slow, in grid-like patterns to try to locate her heart monitor device.

But, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said the search for Nancy could now go on for years as hopes seemingly begin to fade.

Earlier this week, investigators were seen combing through the grounds of her property, and searching inside a septic tank.

On Friday night, a number of people were reportedly detained in a SWAT raid at a nearby home after mystery DNA was recovered in the case, but cops later confirmed no arrests were made.

Meanwhile, investigators are still searching for the masked man captured in chilling doorbell footage taken from Nancy’s home on the night she vanished.

Federal agents have released new details about the suspect as they hope to cut down the number of public tips that have been called in with over 13,000 reported since February 1.

Officials are looking for a man who is around five-foot-nine-inches to five-foot-ten-inches with an average build.

He was seen in the footage wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Hiker Pack backpack.

The reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000.

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: Nancy is last seen by her family
  • 5:32pm: Nancy travels to her daughter’s home for dinner, about 11 minutes from her own house.
  • 9:48pm: Family members drop off Nancy Guthrie at her home in Tucson. Her garage door closes two minutes later.
• February 1: Nancy is reported missing and a search begins
  • 1:47am: Nancy’s doorbell camera disconnects
  • 2:12am: Camera software detects a person moving in range of the camera. There is no video, and Nancy does not have a storage description.
  • 2:28am: Nancy’s pacemaker app disconnects from her phone, which is later found still at her house.
  • Around 11am: A parishioner at Nancy’s church calls the mom’s children and says she failed to show up for service.
  • 11:56am: Family members arrive at Nancy’s house to check on her.
  • 12:03pm: The family calls 911 to report Nancy missing.
  • 8:55pm: The Pima County Sheriff’s Office gives its first press conference and reveals some clues found at Nancy’s home caused “grave concern.” Sheriff Chris Nanos says helicopters, drones, and infrared cameras are all being utilized in the search.
• February 2: Search crews pull back. Nancy’s home is considered a crime scene. Savannah releases a statement thanking supporters for their prayers, which her co-hosts read on Today.
• February 3: A trail of blood is pictured outside Nancy’s home, where there were reportedly signs of forced entry. 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.
• February 4, 8pm: Savannah and her siblings release a heartbreaking video directed at their mother’s abductors asking for proof she is alive and saying they’re willing to work with them to get her back.
• February 5: FBI offers $50,000 reward for information on the case.
  • 5pm: First ransom demand deadline for millions in Bitcoin passes. Guthrie family releases demand to speak “directly” to the kidnappers, saying, “We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact.”
• February 9, 5pm: Second ransom demand deadline, reportedly with “much more serious” conditions.

THE desperate search for Nancy Guthrie is nearing a gut-wrenching two weeks after investigators said she was taken from her home against her will in the dark of night during the early hours of February 1.

The baffling case of the apparent kidnapping of the mother of popular Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie has captivated the country, making her rural Catalina Foothills community ground zero for news outlets and true crime influencers.

Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie disappeared sometime after 2:28am on February 1 after her pacemaker disconnected from her phone, which was left behind.

In the days since her family reported her missing, Pima County and FBI investigators have conducted repeated searches at both Nancy’s and her daughter Annie’s homes, which are located about 4 miles from each other.

The mounting pressure to locate Nancy has reportedly led to clashes between Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and the FBI.

Nanos has reportedly blocked federal agents from obtaining key evidence, including gloves and other DNA found inside Nancy’s home, according to Fox News.

Read more on Nancy Guthrie

BEHIND THE MASK

Ex-FBI agent breaks down ‘homeless’ theory clues from Nancy Guthrie footage

Federal investigators have reportedly asked Nanos for the items to be processed at the FBI’s national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

However, Nanos sent the evidence for testing at a private lab in Florida, according to the outlet.

Nanos disputed the claims, telling NBC affiliate KVOA that the reports were “not even close to the truth.”

But it has been Nancy’s unlit, secluded desert neighborhood that has made the investigation challenging for law enforcement.

Secluded area

The U.S. Sun was on the ground in Tucson and experienced first-hand the rugged stretch of desert terrain that surrounds Nancy’s home and those of her neighbors.

Nancy’s property is located on a roughly mile-long road with no street lights or cameras, dense vegetation, and away from hotels and commercial businesses.

The community is roughly 44.6 miles of desert, according to the Arizona Republic.

The affluent area is popular for hikers due to its mountainous terrain and hilly roads.

Unlit roads

At night and without a flashlight, it is impossible to see where you’re walking or what is in front of you.

Locals, who for decades have called the Catalina Foothills home, relayed to The U.S. Sun that the lack of lights in the community is to protect astronomical research at various observatories in Tucson.

A neighbor told The U.S. Sun that homeowners in the area are encouraged not to have landscape lights on their properties.

“If you have lights, landscape lights on your house, don’t point them up. You want them to point at the wall or down on the ground, not the sky,” said the woman, who asked not to be named.

The sound of chirping crickets and coyotes howling in the night is the only sign of life when you’re standing on the dark remote roads.

The same neighbor told The U.S. Sun that at night she often hears barking and whooping from coyotes around the neighborhood.

“Sometimes we have bobcats. But overall, we don’t have a lot of noise,” she added.

Off-road homes

Unlike traditional neighborhoods where homes are situated closely to one another, the layout of the Catalina Foothills is starkly different.

There are no sidewalks, and neighboring most homes is a desert environment with skin-tearing cacti and thick shrubs.

Most of the residential homes are spaced out off main roads, only have a ground level, and are tucked in behind long driveways.

Due to the dense shrubs, the darkness of unlit roads, and where many of the homes sit; even if doorbell camera footage is available from neighbors, they would not capture activity on local streets.

The lack of surveillance cameras on main roads has forced local and federal investigators to go door-to-door to nearby residences for any home security camera footage they may have.

Desperate search

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has laid out a timeline of what they believe were Nancy’s final hours before she was allegedly kidnapped.

On the afternoon of January 31, Nancy took an Uber to her daughter Annie and her son-in-law Tommaso Cionni’s house for dinner.

At 9:48pm that evening, Sheriff Nanos said Cionni dropped off his mother-in-law at her home.

In the early hours of February 1, Nancy’s doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47am.

At 2:12am, software from one of Nancy’s cameras on her property detected a person.

Then, at 2:28am, Nancy’s pacemaker disconnected from her phone.

By 11:56am, Nancy’s family arrived at her home after being alerted by a friend that their mother missed Sunday mass.

After not being able to locate Nancy, the family calls Pima County deputies to report her missing.

Roughly 10 minutes later, deputies arrive at the scene and uncover “concerning” evidence, including a trail of blood on the porch outside the home and Nancy’s missing doorbell camera.

The FBI has since obtained the doorbell camera footage from the night of Nancy’s disappearance, which showed a man wearing a ski mask using a plant from the lawn to obscure the camera’s lens.

Federal investigators described the man as average build, between 5’9′ and 5’10’, wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.

The FBI is offering $100,000 for any information leading to the man’s arrest.

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: Nancy is last seen by her family
  • 5:32pm: Nancy travels to her daughter’s home for dinner, about 11 minutes from her own house.
  • 9:48pm: Family members drop off Nancy Guthrie at her home in Tucson. Her garage door closes two minutes later.
• February 1: Nancy is reported missing and a search begins
  • 1:47am: Nancy’s doorbell camera disconnects
  • 2:12am: Camera software detects a person moving in range of the camera. There is no video, and Nancy does not have a storage description.
  • 2:28am: Nancy’s pacemaker app disconnects from her phone, which is later found still at her house.
  • Around 11am: A parishioner at Nancy’s church calls the mom’s children and says she failed to show up for service.
  • 11:56am: Family members arrive at Nancy’s house to check on her.
  • 12:03pm: The family calls 911 to report Nancy missing.
  • 8:55pm: The Pima County Sheriff’s Office gives its first press conference and reveals some clues found at Nancy’s home caused “grave concern.” Sheriff Chris Nanos says helicopters, drones, and infrared cameras are all being utilized in the search.
• February 2: Search crews pull back. Nancy’s home is considered a crime scene. Savannah releases a statement thanking supporters for their prayers, which her co-hosts read on Today.
• February 3: A trail of blood is pictured outside Nancy’s home, where there were reportedly signs of forced entry. 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.
• February 4, 8pm: Savannah and her siblings release a heartbreaking video directed at their mother’s abductors asking for proof she is alive and saying they’re willing to work with them to get her back.
• February 5: FBI offers $50,000 reward for information on the case.
  • 5pm: First ransom demand deadline for millions in Bitcoin passes. Guthrie family releases demand to speak “directly” to the kidnappers, saying, “We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact.”
• February 9, 5pm: Second ransom demand deadline, reportedly with “much more serious” conditions.

MYSTERY DNA found inside Nancy Guthrie’s home does not belong to anyone “close” to her, it has been confirmed.

The unidentified DNA, which was found on the missing 84-year-old woman’s Tucson, Arizona, property is a focus of the investigation, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

Despite the breakthrough, the sheriff issued a devastating update on the case.

He did not explain where the DNA was found in the home.

Questioned on whether authorities believe they are close to finding Guthrie, Nanos said: “Some of these cases take months, some take years.”

Guthrie, the mom of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since February 1.

BEHIND THE MASK

Ex-FBI agent breaks down ‘homeless’ theory clues from Nancy Guthrie footage

HUNT HITS HURDLES

Trump reveals reason Nancy Guthrie search was NOT taken over by the FBI

Authorities are currently working with their contracted forensic lab in Florida to analyse the biological evidence.

Nanos pushed back on criticism over evidence handling, saying the decision to send biological evidence to the Florida lab reflects long-standing procedures.

Local investigators have been accused of blocking the FBI from accessing key physical evidence.

Nanos also clarified that a glove believed to be potential evidence was not found at Guthrie’s home but discovered about two miles away.

Despite the ongoing investigation, Nanos stressed the search remains a rescue effort.

“They all have hope and belief that this is a rescue mission”, he said.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has allegedly already spent around $200,000 on processing evidence with the Florida lab, with which the department contracts.

It comes after federal agents released new details about the suspect from the doorbell surveillance footage.

“This updated description will concentrate the public tips we are receiving,” investigators said after over 13,000 tips were called in since Guthrie went missing.

The terrifying footage captured an armed intruder wearing thick gloves, pacing around Nancy’s front porch the night she was taken and trying to disable her doorbell camera.

It fueled theories surrounding her disappearance, including whether the individual was acting alone.

Officials now say they are looking for a man who is around five-foot-nine-inches to five-foot-ten-inches with an average build.

He was seen in the footage wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Hiker Pack backpack.

The reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000.

Investigators have also issued a request for neighbors to send in any footage they have from the area from 9pm to midnight on January 11, and from 9:30am to 11am on January 31.

Meanwhile, the man spotted in a second doorbell video, who was also wearing a backpack and appeared to be trying a locked gate five miles from Nancy’s house, has been cleared of involvement in the case.

The clip that was obtained by TMZ, was taken around 1:50am around the time the masked intruder was filmed at Guthrie’s home.

He was filmed throwing a second backpack over a brick wall and investigators were seeking him for questioning.

However, he has since been ruled out of the investigation, two officials close to the matter told NBC News.

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has revealed why the FBI hasn’t taken over the search for Nancy Guthrie as the investigation approaches the two week mark.

He confirmed the reason the federal agency was pushed to the backburner when asked about the missing 84-year-old on Friday.

On Friday, Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich asked Trump, “Why hasn’t the FBI taken over the Nancy Guthrie case as the lead investigator?

“Do you have any updates on how it’s going?”

Trump responded, “Well, they took it over originally. You know, it was a local case originally, and, they didn’t want to let go of it, which is fine.

“It’s up to them. It’s really up to the communities. But ultimately, when the FBI got involved, I think, you know, progress has been made.”

In the past few days, several reports have claimed the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Tucson, Arizona, is at odds with federal authorities over the investigation.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was accused of bypassing federal analysts by an anonymous FBI source who spoke with Reuters.

However, Nanos dismissed the concerns and vowed he was collaborating with other agencies to find the truth.

He responded to reports claiming that he sent DNA evidence and gloves recovered at the scene to a lab in Florida without keeping the FBI in the loop.

“Actually, the FBI just wanted to send [to their own lab] the one or two [gloves] they found by the crime scene, closest to it, mile, mile and a half,” he told NBC affiliate KVOA.

“I said, ‘No, why do that? Let’s just send them all to where all the DNA exist, all the profiles and the markers exist.’ They agreed, makes sense.”

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun

Feb. 11 (UPI) — Authorities in Arizona have detained a person in the investigation of missing Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie.

The unidentified person was detained by deputies of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday, the department said.

“The subject is currently being questioned in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

No other information was made immediately public, and the sheriff’s department later added that “no press conference would be scheduled at this time.”

DoorDash, the on-demand delivery platform, said it was “urgently investigating” to see if the detained individual was one of its drivers.

“We have reached out to law enforcement and are ready to support their critical investigation in any way we can,” the technology company said in a social media statement early Wednesday.

“Like tens of millions around the world, our hearts are with the Guthrie family during this heart-wrenching time.”

The development comes as the search for the 84-year-old woman enters its 11th day on Wednesday.

Authorities believe she was kidnapped from her Tucson, Ariz., home on the night of Jan. 31. She was last seen at about 9:45 p.m. MST that night and was reported missing the following day after she failed to arrive at a friend’s house to watch a church livestream. It was previously reported that she was to attend church in person.

Before the unidentified individual was detained on Tuesday, the FBI released images taken from doorbell footage at Guthrie’s front door the morning she disappeared that show a person tampering with the camera.

A $50,000 reward is being offered by the FBI for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery.

The federal law enforcement agency said there has been no contact between Guthrie’s family and the suspected kidnappers, despite a 5 p.m. Monday ransom deadline for them to pay $6 million in Bitcoin having elapsed.

The ransom was reportedly demanded in messages sent to several news outlets and has yet to be authenticated by law enforcement.

Feb. 10 (UPI) — FBI Director Kash Patel posted doorbell camera photos of a suspect in the Arizona search for Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie.

The post said the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working to recover images from a disabled security camera at Nancy Guthrie’s home. It said that a video was recovered from residual data in backend systems.

“Working with our partners — as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance,” the post said.

The post asks anyone with information to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Savannah Guthrie released a new video late Monday pleading for the public’s help in finding her kidnapped mother.

“I’m coming on just to ask you, not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement,” Savannah Guthrie said in a post on Instagram. “We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help.”

Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing since Jan. 31, and police believe she was taken from her Tucson, Ariz., home. The Guthrie family, including Savannah Guthrie and her brother, Camron Guthrie, and sister, Annie Guthrie, have made three other videos pleading for their mother’s safe return.

Monday at 5 p.m. MST was a ransom deadline that was given in a note, but the time passed with no contact from the kidnappers. Police haven’t verified that the ransom note is authentic. It was sent to several news outlets and demanded $6 million in Bitcoin.

The FBI said there is no ongoing contact between the family and the believed kidnappers. It said in a statement that the FBI is “not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or person of interest in this case at this time.”

The agency is sending staff to Tucson from other field offices.

“We are currently operating a 24-hour command post that includes crisis management experts, analytic support, and investigative teams. But we still need the public’s help.

“Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home. We need that person to share what they know. Please call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

A source close to the family told NBC News that Nancy Guthrie had planned to go to a friend’s house the morning she went missing to watch a church service online. When she didn’t arrive on Feb. 1, friends called Annie Guthrie.

Michael Rudzena, pastor of Good Shepherd New York, told NBC’s Today show that Nancy Guthrie would visit the church before the pandemic. But during the lockdown, the church started streaming online services.

Nancy Guthrie is a “strong woman, and she is fiercely loving,” Rudzena said. “Over the years, we’ve gotten to know what makes her tick.”

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Nancy Guthrie does not have cognitive issues, calling her “sharp as a tack.” But she has limited mobility and needs to take medication daily, or “it could be fatal,” NBC News reported.

She has a pacemaker, but it disconnected from its monitoring app on her phone early Feb. 1.

Lance Leising, former FBI agent, told USA Today he noticed that in the video Savannah Guthrie shared on Monday that it focused on the plea for public help.

“That could indicate a transition away from the ransom note lead and back to traditional-lead investigation. I get a sense that investigators worry that the public is too focused on the ransom lead and if that is fraudulent, then the public is not providing tips,” he said.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Feb. 9 (UPI) — The deadline on a purported ransom note neared Monday as the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie, entered its ninth day.

Nancy Guthrie’s children released a third video Saturday asking for the return of their mother. Police have a vehicle of interest that was towed from near the Guthrie home.

“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,” Savannah Guthrie said. “We will pay.”

Digital billboards in Texas, New Mexico and California have been erected in the hunt for information that might lead to Guthrie’s return.

The suspected abductors are believed to have sent ransom notes threatening Nancy Guthrie’s life if they don’t get $6 million by 5 p.m. Monday, KGUN reported.

Police were guarding Guthrie’s Arizona home and carried out the investigation in multiple locations, CNN reported.

Friday Morning, Former Today co-host Hoda Kotb filled in for Savannah Guthrie and said the Guthrie family is “our top priority.”

“Our Today family continues to navigate uncharted territory, balancing the updates on the search for Savannah’s mom with all the other stories of the day, like we normally do,” co-host Craig Melvin said. “But we know things are far from normal right now, so folks, we are asking for your grace as we continue to do this.”

FBI Director Kash Patel planned to travel to Tuscon, Ariz., as he gets updates from his team, the FBI Phoenix office said.

The FBI said it has deployed more personnel from its Phoenix office and other FBI field offices to help with the investigation. It also staffed a 24-hour command post with agents to investigate leads and tips.

“The FBI has agents, analysts, and professional staff working day and night with our partners at the sheriff’s department,” the agency said in a statement.

Police believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Tucson early on Jan. 31. There have been several ransom notes, but there is one that’s believed to be authentic.

There is a $50,000 reward for her return.

THE search for Savannah Guthrie’s mom has taken a dark turn as investigators are filmed searching a septic tank.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing for over a week after she was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona last weekend.

Now, as investigators admit they have no suspects or persons of interest, officers from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been seen back at her property opening up a manhole cover.

Drone footage taken on Sunday shows them searching the tank behind Nancy’s house.

Three detectives were seen putting a long pole down the manhole at the rear of the property, but it is not known what they are looking for.

It comes just 24 hours after officers were last seen at the property where they removed a car from the garage and took a camera off her roof that appeared to have been missed in previous searches.

read more on nancy guthrie

HELD RANSOM

Kidnappers ‘demand £4.4m’ for TV star’s mum – as FBI decode message in vid

Meanwhile, investigators also went back to her daughter Annie’s home on Friday night.

Officers arrived in an unmarked vehicle and stayed for around two hours, during which time camera flashes were seen in the garage and other parts of the house, per Fox News Digital.

It comes as…

Annie and her husband Tommaso Cioni were the last people to see Nancy before she went missing after going for dinner and dropping her home on January 31.

Officials have not commented on if any members of the Guthrie family have been ruled out as suspects in her disappearance.

Hours before officers arrived at Annie’s house, Savannah and her two siblings posted a video with a message to their mother’s alleged abductors.

Again, the heartbroken children were seen begging for the release of their mother, with The Today Show host saying, “we will pay”, in reference to a ransom sum that has been demanded in exchange for Nancy’s life.

Savannah said in the short video: “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.”

A number of ransom notes have reportedly been received by the family and local news stations and it is not known which one they were responding to in the video.

Former FBI agents have decoded some of the hidden messages in their clip, revealing how they signal what is going on behind the scenes of the investigation.

“The fact they are now negotiating and willing to engage means they believe there is some validity behind [the notes],” one ex-agent told The Daily Mail.

“They aren’t asking for proof of life anymore, they’re only speaking to the ransomer.

“That shows there was something in the most recent ransom note [received Friday night] that changed the way they’re responding, at least for now.”

In their latest update, the Sheriff’s Department said on Sunday that the investigation is “ongoing”.

“Follow-up continues at multiple locations. No suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles have been identified,”the post on X read.

“If any significant developments occur in the case, a press conference will be called.”

NANCY Guthrie’s abductors have allegedly demanded $6 million in exchange for her safe return.

It comes as FBI agents have decoded hidden messages in the latest video released by Savannah and her siblings begging for her release and saying “we will pay”.

Local TV station KGUN 9 in Tucson, Arizona, where the 84-year-old was snatched from her bed last weekend, reported that her alleged kidnappers asked for $6 million in exchange for her life.

The alleged ransom note received by the news station requested payment by 5pm on Monday and threatened Nancy’s life if the deadline goes unmet.

The outlet highlighted that it is one of several ransom notes that have been issued to the family and to local news stations.

KGUN 9 previously said it, along with other outlets, had received a ransom note demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin.

read more on nancy guthrie

KIDNAP MYSTERY

Police seize car and remove CCTV camera from home of TV star’s missing mum

Their report came hours after the Today Show host released a video on her Instagram on Saturday afternoon.

Nancy’s three children held hands as Savannah made the announcement alongside sister Annie and brother Camron.

She said in the short video: “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.”

It is unclear which ransom note the Guthries were responding to.

More to follow…

TUCSON — Savannah Guthrie told the potential kidnappers of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on Saturday that the family is prepared to pay for her safe return, as the frantic search for the 84-year-old has entered a seventh day.

“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” Guthrie said in a video posted on social media, flanked by her siblings. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

It was not immediately clear whether the longtime co-host of NBC’s “Today” show was referring to a new message from someone who might have kidnapped Nancy Guthrie. The Associated Press reached out to the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department seeking additional details.

Tucson TV station KOLD said Friday that it received a message via email that was tied to the Guthrie case, the contents of which it could not disclose. The FBI said it was aware of a new message and was reviewing its authenticity.

No suspects identified

Investigators think Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson last weekend. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said. Authorities have not identified any suspects or ruled anyone out.

The sheriff said Friday that he was frustrated that a camera at Nancy Guthrie’s home was not able to capture images of anyone the day she went missing.

Investigators have found that the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday and that software data recorded movement at the home minutes later. But Nancy Guthrie did not have an active subscription, so none of the images were able to be recovered.

“It is concerning, it’s actually almost disappointing, because you’ve got your hopes up,” Nanos told the Associated Press in an interview. “OK, they got an image. ‘Well, we do, but we don’t.’”

President Trump, speaking on Air Force One on Friday, said the investigation was going “very well.”

“We have some clues that I think are very strong,” Trump said en route to his Florida estate for the weekend. “We have some things that may be coming out reasonably soon.”

Investigators return to scene

Investigators were back in Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood on Friday.

The Sheriff’s Department posted on social media to say access was restricted to the road in front of the home to give investigators space. Journalists staked out there were directed to move.

The Catalina Foothills Assn., a neighborhood group, told residents in a letter that authorities were resuming searches in the area immediately.

“I know we all stand together in our collective disbelief and sadness and greatly appreciate your willingness to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow searches of your properties,” the association president said in the letter.

The sheriff said Thursday that investigators have not given up on trying to retrieve camera recordings.

“I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that ‘here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy.’ But it’s not,” Nanos told the AP. “There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say, ‘This is what we have and we can’t get any more.’”

TV station receives note

The sheriff also said he had no new information about the note to the TV station or other purported ransom letters sent to some media outlets, saying the FBI is handling that side of the investigation.

Meanwhile, concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health condition has grown, because authorities say she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and have dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

“Her conditions, I would imagine, are worsening day by day,” Nanos said. “She requires medication. And I have no way of knowing whether they’re getting that medication to her.”

Pleas from family

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a previous video message on Wednesday, saying they were ready to talk but wanted proof of life. Camron Guthrie, Savannah’s brother, repeated that in a video Thursday.

It is not clear if all of the ransom notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a deadline that passed Thursday evening and a second deadline for Monday if the first one was not met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch, Janke said.

SAVANNAH Guthrie has said she will agree to pay a ransom to the people who are believed to have kidnapped her 84-year-old mom.

The Today Show host filmed a video pleading with Nancy’s suspected captors to return her safely after alleged ransom notes were uncovered.

Nancy’s three children held hands as Savannah made the announcement alongside sister Annie and brother Camron.

She said in the short video: “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.”

read more in Nancy Guthrie

KIDNAP MYSTERY

Police seize car and remove CCTV camera from home of TV star’s missing mum

ON THE TRAIL

Trump reveals ‘very strong’ clues found in hunt for ‘kidnapped’ TV star’s mum

What we know about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance…

No other details about the ransom were mentioned and it remains unclear if the Guthrie family have been in contact with the suspected kidnappers.

It comes after the alleged captors behind Nancy’s abduction reportedly issued two stern deadline demands.

The first deadline was set for 5pm on Thursday with the demands not met.

Snippets of the alleged ransom note have been reported by various news outlets in recent days.

The letter is said to have demanded millions of dollars in cryptocurrency be transferred to a Bitcoin address.

Law enforcement officials have confirmed that the Bitcoin address provided in the letter is active.

FBI special agent Heith Janke told reporters on Thursday that authorities had reason to believe the note was legitimate.

It contained details about the crime scene, including what Nancy was last wearing as well as mentions of a flood light that activated on the property.

Authorities said the note contained information “only the abductors would know”.

Agent Janke added that there was an additional demand with a deadline set for February 9.

This was described by TMZ as being “much more serious”.

Arizona cops and the FBI are still searching for any signs of Nancy as they continue to build up their case on her disappearance.

US President Donald Trump revealed that the FBI have some “very strong” clues in the search for the missing mom.

When asked what the clues would help with, Trump replied: “I’m not talking about a search. I’m talking about a solution.”

Cops were seen swarming Nancy’s Arizona home on Friday as they seized a car and camera wired to the roof.

FBI agents confiscated an SUV from the property where Guthrie is believed to have been kidnapped sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

A tow truck removed the blue Subaru SUV from her home before cops escorted it to an impound lot near Pima County Sheriff’s Office, according to Fox News.

Investigators did not share why the vehicle had been seized from the property on their third visit to the crime scene.

Forensic teams were also seen scouring the roof of the Tucson property to retrieve the camera that had been missed in several previous searches.

Blood drops were also found on Nancy’s front step, but detectives have not confirmed who the blood belongs to.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has stated the force believes the 84-year-old is “still alive”.

A reward of $50,00 is being offered for any information leading to a breakthrough in the case.

It comes as a man behind fake ransom note texts to the missing woman’s desperate family has been arrested.

Derrick Callella from California was arrested and charged for sending fake text messages demanding payments and making phone calls to Nancy’s family.

Feb. 7 (UPI) — Investigators towed a vehicle and searched Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson, Ariz., home and property and are seeking a vehicle of interest seven days after she went missing.

Investigators searched her home and property on Friday and towed a car that was parked near it, but they still have no suspects.

Instead, they have a vehicle of interest and obtained video footage of the vehicle and possibly one or more occupants that was recorded by a surveillance camera at an Arizona Circle K.

Digital billboards in Texas, New Mexico and California are assisting with the hunt for information that might lead to Guthrie’s recovery or identify her potential kidnappers.

The digital billboards mostly are placed along the I-10 corridor, from Houston to San Diego, and in Albuquerque, Los Angeles and Dallas.

Guthrie, 84, is the mother of NBC Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and likely was abducted from her home during the early morning hours on Sunday.

Investigators have no persons of interest so far, despite receiving several ransom notes, including one on Friday that might be genuine.

They said she likely was abducted from her Tucson home early Sunday morning and are treating a prior ransom note that was sent to multiple news outlets as authentic due to the detailed information that matches what was found at her home.

A local television station received another ransom note on Friday morning, which authorities are trying to authenticate.

Investigators also confirmed that blood drops near her home’s entrance are Guthrie’s.

They have not received any proof of life regarding her condition, but they are working on the assumption that she is alive until proven otherwise, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters on Thursday.

The FBI has issued a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery.

Before her disappearance, investigators said Nancy Guthrie visited with family members at 5:32 p.m. on Saturday and returned to her home at 9:48 p.m.

She obtained rides from the Uber ride-hailing service, and investigators spoke with the driver who took her home.

Investigators said a doorbell camera on her home was disabled at 1:47 a.m. on Sunday, but its software detected movement at 2:12 a.m.

Her pacemaker disconnected from her personal device at 2:28 a.m., and her family arrived at the home to check on her several hours later at 11:56 a.m.

They placed a 911 call minutes later at 12:03 p.m., and Pima County Sheriff’s deputies arrived about 10 minutes later.

Feb. 6 (UPI) — The FBI and local authorities are examining a new message received about missing Tucson, Ariz., senior citizen Nancy Guthrie, 84, to determine its authenticity.

Tucson-based television station KOLD reported that it received the new message on Friday morning and forwarded it to investigators.

The message’s contents have not been revealed, and KOLD said the sender’s IP address differs from the one used when a ransom note was sent to the television station on Monday evening.

The sender likely is using a secure server to hide its IP address, and the new note includes information that the sender thinks will help to prove it is authentic, the television station reported.

Federal and local investigators confirmed receiving the new message.

“The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department are aware of a new message regarding Nancy Guthrie. Investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity.

“The PCSD said everyone is still asked to call 88-CRIME or 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information, photos or videos connected to the case. The FBI said a $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie or an arrest in the case.”

President Donald Trump early Friday evening suggested the Department of Justice or the FBI soon might release “definitive” information regarding the case.

“We have some things that will maybe come out reasonably soon,” he told media while traveling on Air Force One.

“A lot of things have happened with regard to that horrible situation in the last couple of hours,” he said, adding that some “very strong clues” might lead to

Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, who co-anchors NBC’s morning news show Today.

Investigators said she likely was abducted from her Tucson home early Sunday morning and are treating a prior ransom note that was sent to multiple news outlets as authentic due to the detailed information that matches what was found at her home.

Investigators also confirmed that blood found near her home’s entrance is Guthrie’s.

They have not received any proof of life regarding her condition, but they are working on the assumption that she is alive until proven otherwise, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters on Thursday.

He said three ransom notes had been received by different people, but two are fakes, while the third appears to be genuine.

The alleged author of one of the fake ransom notes, Derrick Callella, 42, was arrested and on Friday was charged with making a false ransom threat in the U.S. District Court of Central California.

He was released from custody after posting a $20,000 bond.

Feb. 5 (UPI) — The FBI on Thursday announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the return of Tucson, Ariz., resident Nancy Guthrie, 84, as the search for the mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie enters its fifth day.

The reward is also available for information leading to “the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance,” the FBI said.

Local law enforcement officials said no suspects have been identified in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, which happened in the early hours of Sunday.

“They just hurt. Understandably so,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said of the missing woman’s family during a Thursday afternoon news conference. “The community is hurting with you. We really just want mom back.”

He said investigators “believe Nancy is still out there” and that local police and the FBI are “working around the clock” to find her.

“We just want her home and to find a way to get to the bottom of all of this,” Nanos said.

A larger regional team of Tucson-area law enforcement has been added to the task force that includes a large team of FBI personnel to investigate her suspicious disappearance.

“We’re sharing every piece of information — all the data that we can — to get this solved,” he said.

He also confirmed that blood found on the porch of Nancy Guthrie’s home is hers.

FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heigh Janke confirmed that ransom notes have been received, including one seeking an Apple watch and another asking for a floodlight.

He said investigators were limiting the amount of facts released because some people might use them to profit from the case.

Janke said one “imposter” has been arrested, and investigators were working on the ransom note that was shared with media.

No proof of life has been provided, Janke said, but Nanos told reporters that they are investigating based on Nancy Guthrie still being alive until evidence shows that she is not.

One of the ransom notes included “facts associated with a monetary value they were asking for,” Janke said.

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing by her family on Sunday afternoon after they received a call from her church saying that she was not at home.

Before her disappearance, investigators said Nancy Guthrie visited with family members at 5:32 p.m. on Saturday and returned to her home at 9:48 p.m., NBC News reported.

She obtained a ride both ways from the Uber ride-hailing service, and investigators spoke with the driver who took her home.

Investigators said a doorbell camera on her home was disabled at 1:47 a.m. on Sunday, but its software detected movement at 2:12 a.m

Her pacemaker disconnected from her personal device at 2:28 a.m., and her family arrived at the home to check on her several hours later at 11:56 a.m.

They placed a 911 call minutes later at 12:03 p.m., and Pima County Sheriff’s deputies arrived about 10 minutes later.

Nancy Guthrie appeared to have been abducted just minutes after a security camera at her home was disabled, according to a new timeline officials shared in the case Thursday.

The new facts — including that blood found at her home belonged to the 84-year-old — were shared the day after her children made a desperate plea to a possible abductor or abductors to communicate with them.

Officials also announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie or to an arrest and conviction in the case.

“Right now we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a Thursday news conference. He said a massive team of local and federal partners are still “working round the clock.”

In a tearful video posted to Instagram Wednesday night, Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings begged for the return their mother and seemed open to communicating with her captors about a possible ransom.

“We live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her,” Savannah Guthrie said. “We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”

The heartbreaking video was the latest twist in a case that has captured the nation’s attention — with alleged ransom notes sent to media outlets and the president offering to deploy resources to help — as true crime crime fanatics and pundits speculate about the whodunit in real time.

Nancy Guthrie was first reported missing Sunday morning from her Tucson-area home after she didn’t show up for church. Almost immediately, family and officials noted suspicious circumstances, with the 84-year-old nowhere to be found, but her essentials — her cellphone, wallet, car and medications — still at home. Her family had last seen her around 9:30 p.m. Saturday night, officials have said.

Although she is of sound mind, Guthrie has physical ailments that keep her from walking very far and needs to take a daily medication that she appears to be without.

There was also evidence that someone had forced their way inside her home, according to law enforcement sources not authorized to discuss the case publicly. Images reviewed by The Times showed a trail of blood droplets near the front door of the home.

Officials have said they believe she was “taken from her home against her will.”

Several news outlets have also reported receiving possible ransom notes requesting money in exchange for Nancy Guthrie’s release. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it was aware of those notes but did not verify their authenticity.

As Guthrie described her mom in the video plea, she appealed to the humanity of her mother’s captors.

“She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her, and you’ll see,” Guthrie said through tears.

She also reiterated that her mom is without her medication that she needs “to survive and and she needs it not to suffer.”

Experts have called this case increasingly extraordinary, due to its circumstances but also because of decisions made by investigators.

Retired LAPD Lt. Adam Bercovici, who supervised the agency’s Special Investigation Section of Robbery Homicide Division which included kidnappings, said the usual playbook for handling such a case is already out the window because law enforcement typically tries to not share its involvement or pursuit of any suspects.

Bercovici said he was surprised that local officials initially called Guthrie “missing,” despite several pieces of early evidence pointed to an abduction. He was also surprised to see detectives returning to the crime scene after they initially cleared the home, appearing to do additional evidence gathering after family might have returned and reporters were all over the property.

“This is like something from 1940s with a very public kidnapping playing out in the media,” Bercovici said. It was also surprising, he said, that alleged kidnappers have sent ransom notes to the media and not directly to the family or someone who could pay.

While unusual, Horace Frank, the former assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department who oversaw kidnapping investigations, said he was glad the entire note wasn’t disclosed publicly.

Given the circumstances, he understands why the family came out with the video plea.

“They are appealing to the humane side of whoever the abductors [is] or someone who has some kind knowledge,” Frank said. “You are trying to make it difficult for the those behind this.”

The Guthrie siblings, in the video, also appealed directly to their mom.

“Mama, if you’re listening, we need you to come home,” Annie Guthrie said. “We miss you.”

“We will not rest, your children will not rest, until we are together again,” Savannah Guthrie said.

Feb. 4 (UPI) — Savannah Guthrie, a Today show co-host, and her two siblings said Wednesday night that they are “willing to talk” to the person who may have taken their 84-year-old mother, as authorities search for a suspect.

In a video posted on Instagram, Savannah, reading a prepared statement flanked by her two siblings, Annie and Camron, said they are aware of a ransom letter sent to media outlets, but they need proof that the person has their mother, Nancy.

“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,” she said. “Please reach out to us.”

Savannah thanked the public for its support and prayers, describing her mother as “a kind, faithful, loyal and fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” who has “grandchildren who adore her and cover her in kisses.”

She said her mother’s “health, her heart, is fragile” and she lives in “constant pain,” requiring medicine that she now doesn’t have.

Speaking directly to Nancy, Savannah said that people are looking for her and will not rest until “we are together again.”

“We love you, Mom,” she said.

President Donald Trump, in a statement published after the video from the Guthries went public, said on his Truth Social platform that he spoke with Savannah and told her “I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal IMMEDIATELY.”

“We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely,” the president said. “The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family.”

Law enforcement officials in Arizona said earlier Wednesday that they have not identified a suspect as they enter the fourth day of the search for Nancy.

In a statement posted to X, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators also haven’t identified any people of interest in the case. Officials believe Nancy was kidnapped from her Tucson-area home in the early hours of Sunday. She was last seen around 9:45 p.m. MST Saturday and was reported missing after she failed to attend church the next day.

“Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie,” Nanos said in the statement.

“Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family. While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation.”

NBC News reported that the FBI joined about 100 detectives from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office in the search for Nancy. Trump earlier committed to sending additional federal agents to participate in the investigation.

Federal officials were assisting by analyzing cellphone data and cell towers in the area. Investigators said there was a technical problem with the surveillance cameras at Nancy’s home and they were trying to determine if neighbors had any footage of her abduction on their cameras.

Three media outlets reported they received ransom notes asking for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency for Nancy’s safe return. TMZ said the note it received mentioned a specific item damaged at the woman’s home. KOLD-TV in Tucson said it forwarded the email it received to the sheriff’s office and KGUN-TV, also in Tucson, said the note it received threatened to kill Nancy.

The sheriff’s department said it was aware of the alleged ransom notes and that it’s investigating their validity.

Nanos said that while Nancy does have difficulties with mobility — making it unlikely she wandered off by herself — she does not have any mental or memory issues that may explain her disappearance.

Investigators said Nancy has a pacemaker that last connected to her iPhone around 2 a.m. Sunday. The phone was left behind at her home, CNN reported.

Savannah issued a statement thanking supporters.

“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” she said. “Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment.”

“Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie will not head to Milan for NBC’s 2026 Winter Olympics coverage as she deals with the ongoing police investigation into the suspected abduction of her mother.

“Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time,” an NBC News representative said Tuesday in a statement. “Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother.”

Guthrie was scheduled to co-host NBC’s telecast of the Friday opening ceremonies for the Milan Cortina Games alongside Terry Gannon of NBC Sports. The network representative said alternative plans will be announced shortly.

June 2023 photo of Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie. (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

(Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Law enforcement officials believe Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home outside of Tuscon, Ariz. on Saturday night. Police were called after relatives were told she missed the Sunday church service she regularly attends and did not find her at home.

Police found Nancy Guthrie’s cell phone, wallet, car and medication were left behind, indicating she did not leave voluntarily. She has no cognitive issues, but has limited physical mobility and could not walk far on her own, family members have told police.

On Tuesday, Lima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at press briefing that authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will. He also said the department is aware of “reports circulating about possible ransom note(s)” in the case. TMZ reported on the existence of an alleged ransom note Tuesday, but Nanos did not verify the account,

According to law enforcement sources not authorized to speak about the case publicly, there was blood at the scene and someone appeared to have forced their way inside.

Guthrie, a “Today” co-host since 2012, has been off the program since Monday. She was scheduled to head to Milan early this week.

Guthrie’s mother, who lived on her own, has been an occasional on-air guest at “Today.” Her appearances made her a favorite of Guthrie’s co-workers and staff at the program.