The family of missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has offered to pay the $6 million demanded in an alleged ransom note as its 5 p.m. deadline approaches on Monday. Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of the Today show, and her siblings released a video on Saturday stating they would pay the money for their mother’s safe return, while law enforcement scrambles to verify the note's authenticity.
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for nine days. Police believe she was abducted from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, between the night of 31 January and the morning of 1 February. The missing elderly woman depends on medication to maintain her health, and her family fears she is not receiving the drugs she urgently needs.
No suspects have been identified. The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department are investigating, with the FBI offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information. Concerns have been raised that a recent video of Savannah Guthrie and her mother at Nancy’s home, which showed the property’s interior layout, could have made her a target for kidnappers.
FBI Director Kash Patel is reportedly set to join the search after President Donald Trump said he had spoken directly with Savannah Guthrie and ordered federal resources to be directed to the investigation. Criticism has emerged over the handling of the case: Fox News host Jesse Watters suggested that “mistakes may have been made”, questioning why officials have been vague about certain details. Meanwhile, CNN anchor Jake Tapper condemned social media influencers for sharing unverified claims, calling it “nonsense for clicks”.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has urged the public to be sceptical of information on social media, which he described as an “ugly world”. He stated that authorities are investigating everyone with a link to Nancy Guthrie, including an Uber driver who drove her to her daughter’s house, but emphasised that the driver has been cooperative and is not under suspicion. The sheriff also noted that AI-generated content is complicating the search, requiring closer scrutiny of evidence.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Thursday that the Trump administration is supporting the search, with President Trump telling Savannah Guthrie that “the federal government is here to help”.
