Guthrie family pleads with possible kidnapper to communicate with them directly
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Guthrie, 84, was reported missing Sunday afternoon from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, after she didn't show up at church.
What we know
- The search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "TODAY" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has entered its fifth day as local and federal authorities continue to investigate her possible abduction.
- Pima County, Arizona, Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a news conference today that there are still no suspects.
- Guthrie, 84, was reported missing Sunday afternoon from her home outside Tucson after she did not show up at church. She was last seen around 9:45 p.m. the previous day, when family members dropped her off at home.
- Authorities offered a timeline of the night Guthrie disappeared, noting that her doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. Sunday and that software in the home detected a person on a camera at 2:12 a.m., but no video is available.
- Nancy Guthrie's son, Camron, again took to social media today to speak to "whoever is out there holding our mother," saying the family wants to talk and is "waiting for contact."
- The post came one day after a tearful video from the family yesterday in which Savannah Guthrie pleaded for more information from her mother’s possible kidnapper, saying her family is "ready to talk" and asking for proof that Guthrie is alive.
- Reports indicate that ransom notes referring to Guthrie have been sent to three news outlets. NBC News has not seen copies of them, and no law enforcement agency has substantiated the reports.
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Man accused of sending fake ransom note to appear in Los Angeles federal court
The Southern California man accused of sending a fake ransom note to Nancy Guthrie’s family is expected to make an initial appearance tomorrow in federal court in Los Angeles.
Derrick Callella was charged with one count of intent to transmit a demand for ransom and one count of using a telecommunications device to anonymously abuse, threaten or harass a person.
He was arrested earlier today in Los Angeles.
Callella is alleged to have used a voice over internet protocol phone number yesterday to text the Guthries asking whether they had gathered the bitcoin “[we are] waiting for on our end for the transaction,” according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Arizona.
A ransom demand listing a bitcoin wallet address was sent to an Arizona news station two days before, according to the complaint. The messages linked to Callella have not been linked to that earlier demand, the complaint says.
The complaint alleges Callella told authorities that he’d been following Guthrie’s disappearance on TV and tracked down the family’s information online. It alleges he admitted having sent the messages “to see if the family would respond.”
It was not immediately clear whether Callella has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.
Guthrie family message posted around time of first note deadline
The video from Camron Guthrie on Instagram appears to have been posted around the same time as a 5 p.m. deadline in one of the reported ransom notes.
One of the notes had a deadline of 5 p.m. today, Heith Janke, the FBI's special agent in charge in Phoenix, said at a news conference earlier today (5 p.m. Arizona time is 7 p.m. ET).
He said there was a second deadline on Monday.
The Instagram video has a visible timestamp of around 5 p.m. MT.
Camron Guthrie pleads with possible kidnapper to communicate with the family directly
Camron Guthrie today released a message in which the family asked whoever may be holding their 84-year-old mother to provide a way the family can communicate directly with them.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” Camron Guthrie said in a video on Instagram.
“We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we move forward,” he said.
“But first, we have to know that you have our mom,” he said. “We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
Man accused of sending ransom-related texts to the family is arrested
A man who is accused of sending texts to the Guthrie family asking about bitcoin that was demanded in a reported ransom letter has been arrested in Los Angeles, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Arizona.
Derrick Callella is alleged to have admitted to authorities that he sent the messages using a voice over internet protocol application after he saw television coverage of Guthrie's disappearance. The complaint said he told officials that he was just "trying to see if the family would respond."
The two messages are not linked to Monday's reported ransom demand.
Callella faces a charge of intent to transmit a demand for ransom and a charge of using a telecommunications device to anonymously abuse, threaten or harass a person.
Trump watched latest sheriff's news conference about Guthrie investigation, Karoline Leavitt says
Trump watched Sheriff Nanos' latest news conference about the Guthrie investigation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters this afternoon, describing the case as a "heartbreaking situation."
Leavitt reiterated that Trump called Savannah Guthrie yesterday and "told her that the federal government is here to help."
"Any requests that are made by state and local officials in the search of Ms. Guthrie will absolutely be accommodated," Leavitt said, adding that "our hearts and our prayers are with Savannah and her entire family as they search for her dear mother."
$50,000 reward offered for tips in Guthrie case
The FBI is offering up to $50,000 for information leading to either the recovery of Guthrie or the arrest of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Sheriff says authorities won't hold another news conference until there's major news
The news conference has ended. Nanos concluded by saying he has no plans to schedule any further news conferences unless "we have some real evidence or something to bring up."
"It's pretty pointless to just keep hounding the same things over and over," he said.
Kash Patel's travel to Tucson is unrelated to Guthrie investigation, FBI says
FBI Director Kash Patel is traveling to the Tucson area, but the trip is unrelated to the Guthrie investigation, according to Heith Janke, the FBI special agent in charge in Phoenix.
"He does have a trip scheduled to Tucson that was pre-scheduled before this, but he is receiving consistent and constant updates from our team here," Janke said.
One ransom note had a deadline of 5 p.m. today, FBI says
Heith Janke, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Phoenix, said today that one of the reported ransom notes had a deadline of 5 p.m. today. He said there was a second deadline on Monday.
"So we are continuing in a normal kidnapping case; there would be contact by now trying to discuss that," Janke said. "But those are the time frames we're looking at as we move forward."
Sheriff says officials are looking for Guthrie 'everywhere'
The search for Guthrie is statewide, but law enforcement is looking wherever investigatory leads take them, Nanos told reporters.
"We're looking for her everywhere," he said.
Tech company ran out of ways to recover doorbell video, sheriff says
Officials said today that Guthrie's doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. Sunday, but the software detected movement at 2:12 a.m. that morning.
Sheriff Nanos said the camera was sent to a technology company, which said it has exhausted all methods to recover any video from the device.
There were multiple cameras located in Guthrie's home, but investigators do not know which camera detected movement, Nanos said. The software indicated that a person was detected at 2:12 a.m.
No one is eliminated though no suspect identified, sheriff says
No individual has been ruled out as a potential suspect, but there is no information for investigators to say they have a suspect, Sheriff Nanos clarified.
"We're actively looking at everybody we come across, in this case, everybody," Nanos said. "We would be irresponsible if we didn't talk to everybody."
He added that erroneous reports about potential suspects could harm the individual and undermine the case.
"It's really kind of reckless to report that someone is a suspect when they could very well be a victim," Nanos said.
FBI details alleged ransom letters reportedly sent to local and national media outlets
The FBI today detailed the ransom letters that were reportedly sent to local media and national outlets.
"As with every lead, we are taking it seriously. We are in communication with the family. While we advise and recommend, from a law enforcement perspective, any action taken on any ransom is ultimately decided by the family," Heith Janke, FBI Phoenix's special agent in charge, said today.
There was no proof of life or other demands included in the letter, he told reporters.
Janke added that one of the reported ransom notes "had facts associated with a deadline with a monetary value they were asking for." He added that one also "talked about an Apple watch, and one talked about a floodlight."
"We’re not going to go into specifics," he added. "It’s very important that we keep this investigation moving forward, and we don’t want to put more facts out there that others can use to try to profit from this."
Reports indicate that ransom notes have been sent to three news outlets referencing Guthrie. NBC News has not seen copies of them, and no law enforcement agency has substantiated the reports.
Sheriff says they are still looking for Guthrie when asked about proof of life
Sheriff Nanos did not directly answer a question regarding whether officials have received proof that Guthrie is alive.
"Anything to deal with the ransom notes, that I would defer to the FBI, but no, to my knowledge, we're still looking for Nancy," Nanos said.
He later said he was operating from the position that she is still alive unless they know otherwise.
Officials not discussing reports of forced entry, sheriff says
Sheriff Nanos does not know the source of reports of a forced entry at Guthrie's home that have been published in the media.
"We have been very consistent; we are not discussing that at all," Nanos said. "Whether it's forced entry or not forced entry, that is something we're just not discussing."
Authorities offer timeline on Guthrie's disappearance
Guthrie left her home to go to her family's at 5:32 p.m. Saturday and returned home at 9:48 p.m., police said.
The garage door opened at approximately 9:48 p.m. and closed two minutes later, which Sheriff Nanos said authorities assume when she was home.
Her doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. Sunday, according to Nanos. Software detects a person on a camera at 2:12 a.m., but there's no video available, he added.
At 2:28 a.m., Guthrie's pacemaker disconnects from her personal device.
Her family goes to check on her at 11:56 a.m. and discovers her missing, Nanos said. A call to 911 was made at 12:03 p.m. Sunday, with deputies arriving about 10 minutes later.
Authorities spoke with Uber driver who drove Guthrie to Saturday dinner, sheriff says
Sheriff Nanos said that during the investigation, authorities spoke with the Uber driver who had driven Guthrie on Saturday night to dinner with her daughter.
"We did speak to a driver, because Nancy, we learned, had been taken the Uber to the family residence, the daughter for dinner," Nanos said. "And we located that driver and spoke with them."
No suspects or persons of interest identified, sheriff says
There is currently no suspect or persons of interest identified by law enforcement, Sheriff Nanos told reporters.
"We're not there yet," he said.
Sheriff says blood found on porch was Guthrie's
Sheriff Nanos said blood investigators found on the porch outside Guthrie's house tested positive for her DNA.
Sheriff says law enforcement hurts with the Guthrie family
Sheriff Nanos opened his press conference this afternoon by expressing empathy for Guthrie's family.
"The family, you know, they just hurt," Nanos said. "Understandably so, and so I really want you to know this entire team here — those behind me and our community — are hurting with you. We really just want mom back."
Investigators believe Guthrie is 'still out there,' sheriff says
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters that authorities believe Guthrie is "still out there." He reiterated that law enforcement officials are committed to bringing her home.
Officials address the public on Guthrie disappearance
The Pima County Sheriff's Office and other authorities are now addressing the media regarding the disappearance of Guthrie.
Pima County Sheriff's Office to provide update on Guthrie investigation soon
The Pima County Sheriff's Office is set to hold a press conference on the Guthrie investigation shortly. It will be the first time that Sheriff Chris Nanos has held a briefing since Tuesday.
No tip is 'too small' as Guthrie investigation continues
Investigators are looking for some kind of new information in the Guthrie investigation, regardless of how inconsequential a person might think the tip is, NBC News' Tom Winter reiterated today.
"No detail at this point is too small," Winter said. "They're clearly asking for the public's help, and as of this morning, they really need the public's help."
For anyone who thinks they might be a nuisance for calling in a tip they aren't sure about, Winter noted that those calls often lead to major breakthroughs. It can be as simple as noticing a high amount of traffic on a road at an unusual time.
The public is encouraged to call the FBI tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff's Department at 520-351-4900. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at 88crime.org.
‘TODAY’ co-anchor Savannah Guthrie won’t host Olympics opening ceremony
“TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie will not host the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony tomorrow as Arizona authorities continue to investigate her mother’s possible abduction.
“Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time,” an NBC Sports spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother. We will share additional information about our Opening Ceremony coverage plans soon.”
Savannah Guthrie had been set to depart for Italy this week to co-host with Terry Gannon. She was to have been joined later by former “TODAY” co-host Hoda Kotb for the rest of the Games.
Family's video forces potential abductors to take the 'next step,' expert says
The video released by Savannah Guthrie and her siblings last night is a "critically important" move that puts potential abductors in the position of taking the next step in the situation, according to Jim Cavanaugh, former special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
It's possible that, if Guthrie were taken, her captors might have been caught off guard by how public the case was, Cavanaugh told NBC News Now.
"But they have two best options, and those options are: communicate to reach your goal of your criminal activity or release Nancy," Cavanaugh said.
Communities gather to pray for Guthrie's safe return
In Tucson and across the United States, communities are showing their solidarity and support for Guthrie's safe return.
“Savannah, I am asking the Good Shepherd to find this lost sheep," New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan said.
NBC Sports anchor Mike Tirico also sent love and support, adding that "this is a time for caring about the people in your family, and we are holding Savannah near and dear to our heart, and we are praying for all of them..
Authorities expected to give update on investigation this afternoon
The Pima County Sheriff's Department is expected to give an update on the Guthrie investigation at 11 a.m. MT/1 p.m. ET. The investigation has been ongoing since Sunday.
‘TODAY’ co-hosts honor Savannah Guthrie’s faith amid the search for her missing mom
After Savannah Guthrie asked for prayers amid the ongoing search for her mother, her fellow “TODAY” co-anchors yesterday honored their colleague’s faith.
“All of her friends are rallying, and know that the way that we can help her is to pray,” Jenna Bush Hager said after a segment about the Guthrie family’s faith. “Her faith leads us, and Nancy leads us as well.”
On Monday night, less than 48 hours after authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Arizona home, Savannah Guthrie shared a message on Instagram asking people to “please pray.”
Her comments have resonated nationwide as local and federal authorities continue to search for the 84-year-old, who was reported missing Sunday afternoon from her home outside Tucson after she did not show up at church.
FBI was at Guthrie home where tearful video was recorded
Heith Janke, FBI special agent in charge, was at the Guthrie family home last night, where the video released by the family was believed to have been recorded, according to two people briefed on the events.
Henke oversees the FBI's Phoenix office, which oversees its Tucson Resident Agency (think of it as a satellite office in Tucson). He is also the person in charge of the FBI’s role in the investigation into the Guthrie case.
A neighbor walks a dog in front of Nancy Guthrie's house Tuesday in Catalina, Ariz. Jan Sonnenmair / Getty Images
What we know about Guthrie's disappearance
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday afternoon after she did not show up at church. She was last seen around 9:45 p.m. the previous night, when family members dropped her off at her home.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department believes Guthrie was taken "possibly in the middle of the night, and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction." State and federal law enforcement officials are involved in the investigation, including the FBI.
In a statement yesterday, the sheriff’s department said investigators have not identified a suspect or a person of interest. Authorities previously said they have no credible information that Guthrie’s possible abduction was a targeted incident.
Savannah Guthrie and her mom, Nancy Guthrie, in 2014. Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Hundreds offer prayers following Guthrie’s disappearance
As the search for Guthrie continues, hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight vigil to offer their support and prayers for her family.
Trump spoke with Savannah Guthrie yesterday amid search for her mother
President Donald Trump called Savannah Guthrie yesterday to offer support as state and federal law enforcement officials continue investigating the disappearance of her mother.
Trump reached out to Savannah Guthrie shortly after an interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas. The president assured the Guthrie family that every resource was available as needed.
In a post on Truth Social late yesterday, Trump said: "I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY."
"We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely," the president added. "The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY!"
Investigators return to Guthrie’s home in renewed search
Investigators returned to Guthrie’s home in a renewed search for clues last evening.
Jim Cavanaugh, former special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, noted that while the video Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released last night does not confirm the authenticity of reported ransom notes, it does show that the family still has questions and is ready to listen.
He added that the video also “humanizes” Guthrie, noting that she “has grandchildren.”
“So that’s very important. I think it was excellent that they did that,” he said.
'TODAY' co-anchor Savannah Guthrie makes emotional plea for mom's safe return
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie Guthrie and Camron Guthrie, shared a video message on social media last night to their beloved mother.
"We will not rest," Savannah Guthrie said in the video. "Your children will not rest until we are together again." They also addressed reports of a ransom letter, saying, "Please reach out to us."
