Savannah Guthrie told the would-be kidnappers of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on Saturday that the family was ready for her safe return as the frantic search for the 84-year-old entered its seventh day.
“We have received your message and we understand. We are now begging you to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said. Video posted on social mediasurrounded by her siblings. “This is the only way we can have peace. It is worth a lot to us and we will pay.”
It was not immediately clear whether the longtime host of NBC’s Today show was referring to the new message from Nancy Guthrie’s kidnappers. The Associated Press reached out to the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department Arizona Additional details are requested.
Tucson TV station COLD reported on Friday It received a message via email linked to the Guthrie case, the contents of which it did not disclose. The FBI said it was aware of the new message and was reviewing its authenticity.
Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home outside Tucson last weekend. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said DNA tests matched blood on Guthrie’s front porch. Authorities have not identified or ruled out any suspects.
The sheriff said Friday that he was frustrated that a camera at Nancy Guthrie’s home on the day she went missing did not capture anyone’s pictures.
Investigators discovered the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday morning and minutes later software data recorded movement in the home. But Nancy Guthrie doesn’t have an active subscription, so none of the images can be retrieved.
The sheriff said Thursday that investigators have not given up trying to recover the camera recordings.
“I wish technology could be as simple as we believe, here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy. But it’s not,” Nanos told the AP. “There are pieces of information that we get from these technical groups: ‘This is what we have and we can’t get anymore’.”
The sheriff said he had no new information about the note to the TV station or other ransom letters sent to some media outlets, adding that the FBI is handling that side of the investigation.
Meanwhile, concerns have grown about Nancy Guthrie’s health condition, as authorities say she requires significant daily medication. According to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on Broadcastify.com, she was said to have a pacemaker and was dealing with high blood pressure and heart problems.
“Her conditions, I imagine, are deteriorating day by day,” Nanos said. “She needs medication. And I have no way of knowing if they’re giving her that medication.”
