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In recent developments, several high-profile kidnapping cases have been resolved, often thanks to substantial rewards offered by the families involved. Notably, Savannah Guthrie has put forth a $1 million reward for the safe return of her mother, Nancy Guthrie.
On Tuesday morning, Savannah Guthrie took to Instagram to announce that her family is offering this significant reward for any information leading to her mother’s recovery. Additionally, the family is pledging a $500,000 donation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as part of their efforts to address this serious issue.
Here’s a list of kidnapping cases that were solved with a high reward:
– Frank Sinatra, Jr.:
In a related historical context, the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr., the teenage son of the legendary singer Frank Sinatra, is a case that remains etched in public memory. Barry Keenan and Joe Amsler meticulously planned the abduction after trailing the 19-year-old for several weeks, hoping to extort a substantial ransom from his famous father.
The plot unfolded on December 8, 1963, following Sinatra Jr.’s performance at the Harrah’s Club Lodge in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. As he returned to his dressing room around 9 p.m., Keenan posed as a deliveryman to gain access. This ruse allowed him and Amsler to blindfold the young Sinatra and restrain his companion, setting the stage for their audacious crime, as detailed by the FBI.
Sinatra, Jr had just finished his performance at the Harrah’s Club Lodge in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, on December 8, 1963, when he went back to his dressing room at around 9 p.m. Keenan knocked on the door and acted like he was delivering a package, giving both him and Amsler the chance to blindfold Sinatra, Jr. and tie up the friend he was with, according to the FBI.
On Dec. 10, 1963, a third suspect, John Irwin, called Sinatra, Jr.’s father and told him to await instructions from the men who kidnapped their son.
A ransom demand was made, and the elder Sinatra paid $240,000. Sinatra, Sr. gave the money to the FBI and dropped it off at a specified location in Sepulveda, California on December 11, 1963.
While Keenan and Amsler picked the money up, Irwin got nervous and freed Sinatra, Jr.
– John Paul Getty III:
J. Paul Getty, a wealthy American oil tycoon, refused to pay the ransom when his grandson, John Paul Getty III, was kidnapped on July 10, 1973. (Getty Images; Hulton Archive/Getty Images )
J. Paul Getty is most known for his work in the Oklahoma oil fields alongside his father. He negotiated a 30-year oil concession between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the late 1940s which gave Getty Oil exclusive rights to oil in the area, according to the Getty Museum. J. Paul Getty was named by Fortune as the “richest man in the world” in 1957.
On July 10, 1973, John Paul Getty III, was kidnapped while living in Rome by himself after he was kicked out of private school.
His mother, Abigail “Gail” Harris, received a $17 million ransom demand two days after he was taken.
J. Paul Getty initially refused to pay the ransom, stating: “If I pay one penny now, I’ll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren.”
John Paul Getty III was held in captivity for five months before his grandfather finally agreed to pay $2.2 million out of a negotiated $3 million ransom, according to the book, “Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortune and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty” by John Pearson.
FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Guthrie was last seen on Saturday night as an investigation into her disappearance continues. (L) A portrait of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie shown in a photo provided by NBC. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital; Courtesy of NBC)
J. Paul Getty Jr., the boy’s father, paid the rest of the ransom out of money borrowed from J. Paul Getty with a 4% interest rate.
John Paul Getty III was found at a gas station on Dec. 15, 1973. While nine men were arrested in connection with the kidnapping, according to the New York Times, only two people were convicted.
Former FBI agent Bryanna Fox told NBC News that people can submit tips anonymously by submitting a tip to Crime Stoppers, which will then provide individuals with a unique number or passcode, which will allow users to login to a website to see the status of the tip. If that tip leads to the identification of Guthrie or the conviction of suspects, this provides a way for the tipster to be notified and get information on how to collect the reward.
People with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance are asked to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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