TUCSON, Ariz. — In a heartbreaking escalation of the week-long search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, NBC Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a second direct video message on Saturday, addressed to the individuals believed to be holding their mother.
The video, which shows a visibly shaken Savannah flanked by her brother Camron and sister Annie, marks the family’s first public confirmation that they are in active contact with potential abductors.
“We received your message, and we understand,” Savannah said, looking directly into the lens. “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 Tense New Phase in the Investigation
The release of the video comes as the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI confirmed they are investigating a “new message” regarding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. While authorities have not publicly authenticated the source, the family’s shift in tone suggests a terrifying legitimacy to the correspondence.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday, February 1, after she failed to arrive at her local church. She was last seen the previous evening when her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at her home in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood north of Tucson.
Investigators quickly reclassified the case as a criminal abduction after discovering blood on the front porch and finding that the home’s doorbell security camera had been manually disconnected.
Ransom Notes and Digital Clues
Since the disappearance, at least three ransom notes have surfaced. Initial demands were reportedly sent to media outlets, including TMZ and local Tucson stations KOLD and KGUN. These messages reportedly demanded millions in Bitcoin and set two distinct deadlines: the first for Thursday, February 5, and a second for Monday, February 9.
The FBI has been working around the clock to trace the origin of these messages. While one “imposter” ransom demand led to the arrest of a California man, Derrick Callella, earlier this week, officials believe the most recent correspondence—to which Savannah’s video responds—may be from the actual captors.
“The letter begins by saying she is safe, but scared,” TMZ founder Harvey Levin told Fox News’s Sean Hannity earlier this week, describing one of the notes. “They go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is.”
Health Concerns Mount
As the search enters its seventh day, the health of the 84-year-old grandmother remains the primary concern. Nancy Guthrie reportedly has a pacemaker and requires daily lifesaving medication that she did not have with her when she was taken.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who has been leading the local efforts, emphasized the urgency during a Friday press briefing. “The clock is literally ticking,” Nanos said. “This is somebody’s mom. We are going to find her.”
The investigation has also seen forensic teams return to Nancy’s home to inspect the roof after a neighbor, watching news footage, noticed it appeared “unusually clean” despite recent rain. This led to the discovery of what appeared to be a wired camera device, though its relevance to the abduction is still being determined.
Family Remains United
Savannah Guthrie, 54, has stepped away from her duties at NBC, including coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, to remain in Arizona. In previous statements, the family has asked for “proof of life,” expressing concerns about the risk of AI-generated deepfakes.
“We are ready to talk,” Savannah said in an earlier message. “But we need to know without a doubt that she is alive.”
Saturday’s video appears to be a total capitulation to the kidnappers’ financial demands in exchange for Nancy’s safe return before the second deadline on Monday.
Sources & Links
- Associated Press: ‘We will pay,’ Savannah Guthrie says in desperate video plea (Placeholder for context)
- The Los Angeles Times: ‘We will pay,’ Savannah Guthrie says in latest video plea to mother’s potential kidnappers
- PBS NewsHour: What to know about the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie and the race to find her
- The Guardian: Blood droplets, a white van, a ransom note: where is Savannah Guthrie’s mother?
- Yahoo News (via Deadline): Savannah Guthrie Says They Received Message From Mother’s Suspected Kidnappers
- The Independent: Sheriff says investigators are aware of ‘new message’ about Nancy Guthrie
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