Missing TV host’s mother ‘still out there’, police believe

Tucson: Investigators believe the missing mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie is “still out there,” but they have not identified any suspects, a sheriff in Arizona has said.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos also said DNA tests showed blood found on 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s porch came back as a match to her.

“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said at a news conference five days after she was reported missing.

There has been no public sign of a response to Savannah Guthrie’s emotional message to her 84-year-old mother’s kidnapper.

On Thursday AEDT, Guthrie said her family was ready to talk but wants proof that Nancy Guthrie, who authorities believe was taken from her home in Arizona against her will, is still alive.

Guthrie said in a heart-wrenching video posted on social media that her family has heard media reports about a ransom letter.

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

Celebrity news website TMZ reported on Tuesday that it received a purported ransom note demanding payment in cryptocurrency for Guthrie’s release. Separately, a journalist with Tucson television station KOLD said in an X post that the station received what appeared to be a ransom note. Both outlets said they turned over the notes to investigators.

The search for Nancy Guthrie

She was last seen Saturday night when she was dropped off at her Tucson home by family after having dinner with them, the sheriff’s department said. She was reported missing about 14 hours later on Sunday after she didn’t show up at a church.

Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials don’t believe she left on her own. A sheriff’s dispatcher said during the search Sunday that Guthrie has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.

The neighbourhood’s desert terrain can make looking for people difficult, said Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search-and-rescue team in Maricopa County that isn’t involved in the search. He said it can be hard to see into areas dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and desert brush.

“Some of it is so thick you can’t drive through it,” Mason said.

Purported ransom notes

At least three media organisations have reported receiving purported ransom notes that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department has said it was taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.

A note emailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN. It also included a dollar amount and a deadline, she said.

“When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,” she said in an interview aired Wednesday.

The family posted their plea after police searched in and around Nancy Guthrie’s home for several hours on Wednesday.

Investigators returned for the follow-up investigation after being at the home earlier in the week for a couple of days, said Kevin Adger, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. He said the sheriff’s department was not commenting on the family’s video message.

The Guthrie siblings’ message to their mother

Savannah Guthrie was emotional during the recording, with her voice cracking. She addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.

“Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter,” she said.

Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, spunky and clever.

“Talk to her, and you’ll see,” she said.

Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron.

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

President Donald Trump posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can, after the White House said he spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday.

A couple of hundred people prayed and placed lit candles on an altar during a vigil at a Tucson church.

Jeremy Thacker had tears in his eyes as he described the heartbreak and helplessness. He worked with Savannah Guthrie at an Arizona news station. They shared losing their fathers at a young age, and his own sister was kidnapped when he was young.

Thacker said he knew Nancy Guthrie to be sharp, grounded and earnest.

“We’re all holding our breath,” Thacker said.

AP

A person familiar with the investigation said investigators found specific evidence in the home showing there was a night-time kidnapping. Several of Guthrie’s personal items, including her cellphone, wallet and car, were still there after she disappeared.

Among other concerns for Guthrie’s wellbeing was that her health was dependent on daily medication, Nanos said.

Reuters, AP

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