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TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The FBI stated on Monday that they have no evidence of any ongoing conversations between Savannah Guthrie’s family and potential kidnappers, as the search continues for the “Today” show host’s missing mother, who vanished over a week ago.
According to Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI, there are currently no identified suspects or individuals of interest in the case of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. The agency has established a 24-hour command center, staffed with investigative teams and crisis management professionals, appealing to the public for assistance in the search.
“We believe someone possesses the crucial information that can lead to Nancy’s safe return,” Hagan emphasized.
In a heartfelt video shared on Monday, Savannah Guthrie expressed the family’s escalating desperation, yet maintained hope that her mother is still alive and can feel the collective prayers for her safety.
“She was taken from us, and her whereabouts remain unknown,” Guthrie declared in her Instagram video, urging people across the nation to remain vigilant. “No matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see or hear anything, please come forward,” she pleaded.
By Monday evening, a purported ransom deadline apparently set by her mom’s abductors appeared to have passed.
The mysterious disappearance and search has riveted the country — from President Donald Trump, who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week, to the online sleuths who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.
The FBI is asking for the public’s help on digital billboards up in several major cities in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information.
Multiple news outlets received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday and a second one was set for Monday evening.
Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Monday that law enforcement tip lines have received thousands of calls.
Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.
In a video Saturday, Savannah Guthrie said the family was prepared to pay for her mother’s return. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, and her doorbell camera was disconnected in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.
Outside the home on Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff’s deputy remained stationed out front.
Law enforcement’s work at Guthrie residences will continue Tuesday “as part of the ongoing investigative process, including the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Monday.
Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work in the neighborhood and other locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday.
Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Nancy Guthrie’s house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.